A Newark police sergeant complained in New Jersey Supreme Court yesterday that the policy of giving Jewish policemen extra time off for religious holidays without loss of pay was discriminatory against non-Jewish members of the force. Sgt. Joseph A. Ebler, a policeman for 22 years, said that Newark police get 12 paid holidays a year and any additional time off is charged against their accrued overtime pay. But the city’s 50 Jewish policemen receive an additional six religious holidays off without having to give up any overtime pay. As a result they earn $200 more per year than non-Jewish police, he said.
Sgt. Ebler said the City of Newark, Essex County and the State of New Jersey “have no business getting involved in religion.” Justice John J. Francis said the policy was “discriminatory on its face.” Assistant Newark Corporation Counsel Sanford Schneider said certain “benefits accrue to Jewish personnel” but he rejected the argument that government should remain “absolutely neutral” in religious matters. He said this would result in “absolute chaos.” The court has taken the case under advisement.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
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.
