by Joe R. Wirthlin Jr, KSL
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Jewish faith have followed traditions for thousands of years, observing ordinances and holidays across the ages as the sun rises and sets across the world.
Now, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, Jewish observances may be affected, as the clocks do not follow the path of the sun.
Rabbi Sam Spector of the Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City said Jewish holidays often begin the night before the holy day. For example, the Jewish Passover this year began at sundown on the evening of April 1, rather than the morning of April 2.
The bill will need to pass the Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump before it becomes law. Until then, daylight saving time remains a summer-only occurrence — shifting clocks an hour ahead to provide more daylight in the evening. However, observance of Jewish holidays, including their Sabbath, remains centered around sunrise and sunset.
Sunset in Salt Lake City for Friday’s Shabbat will be at 8:56 p.m., Mountain daylight time. If daylight saving time were to persist year-round, the sun could set as early as 3:59 p.m. in Salt Lake City in December, forcing observant Jews to rush home in the middle of the Friday workday.
“I think that daylight saving, when it extends the length of our days, can make certain things more challenging in the summertime,” Rabbi Spector said. “For those that do not drive on the Sabbath or get married on the Sabbath, it may be almost 10 p.m. at night before they can drive. That can be a challenge when living in a non-Jewish world.”
