A five-dollar bill in one hand, lunch and supper in the other and an entire day spent in a room under surveillance—these were the requirements laid down Friday by the Civil Service Commission for Jewish applicants for the post of senior clerk who desire to observe the Sabbath next Saturday, when examinations in that category will be held.
They will have to report at Washington Irving High School in the morning, where they will be assembled in a room and watched until after sundown. Then they will get their chance to show what they can do. The money, according to the commission, is to cover the cost of hiring extra monitors. The sum is added to the regular fee the applicants must post.
The “concession” was granted after a protest by Jewish Sabbath Alliance against forcing Jewish applicants to take Civil Service examinations on the Sabbath.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
