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Jewish Committee Urges Relaxation of Sunday Law in Pennsylvania

July 29, 1963
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Legislators in the Philadelphia area have been asked by the American Jewish Committee’s chapter here to provide relief to businessmen who sustain losses because of Pennsylvania’s Sunday closing laws.

A letter sent to each member of the state’s House and Senate by Mrs. Leon C. Sunstein, Jr., chapter president, said that Orthodox Jews and members of certain Christian sects “are required to keep their businesses closed on Sunday although they remain closed on Saturday which they observe as their Sabbath.” House Bills 975 and 976 have been introduced to remedy this situation, the letter noted.

House Bill 975 exempts from the Sunday Blue Laws persons who observe a Sabbath other than Sunday and keep their businesses closed that day. House Bill 976 permits a person to keep his business closed Saturday or Sunday. The group endorsed both bills but prefers the latter since no religious question is raised by it.

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