WASHINGTON (JTA) — Members of Congress called for the rescheduling of the National Weekend of Remembrance to avoid conflicting with Rosh Hashanah.
In a bipartisan effort, Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) and more than 25 of his colleagues in a letter delivered Tuesday urged the White House Commission on Remembrance to make the change so that every military family, regardless of religious affiliation, can participate in the remembrance weekend on Sept. 18-19. The Jewish New Year begins at sundown on Sept. 18 and ends at nightfall on Sept. 20.
The Jewish War Veterans expressed its strong support for the effort.
"As Jewish Americans and military veterans, we believe that religious obligations should never preclude military families from coming together to remember their loved ones lost in battle," said Ira Novoselsky, the group’s national commander. "Military families of all religious faiths, and no religious faith at all, share a common and sacred bond of remembrance, and nothing should stand in the way of any gathering designed to strengthen that bond and memorialize our brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country."
Families United For Our Troops and Their Mission, the nation’s largest military family organization, in a statement Wednesday said it was "making every effort to accommodate every Gold Star family, from every faith, by working with the White House Commission on Remembrance to reschedule this special tribute weekend. In the coming day we will be releasing additional information about the new date selection and location."
