Is This Satire or Serious?

A Guest Post By E. Fink

ESPN got Major League Baseball to change the Yankees vs. Red Sox afternoon game on Erev Yom Kippur to 8 PM. That's right about when Kol Nidre should be ending.

Obviously, this will mean that Yom Kippur observant Jews will be unable to attend the game. Boo-hoo.

(In essence this is the opposite of the New York Jets moving their 4 PM football game to 1 PM to accommodate the Yom Kippur observant Jews. That did not turn out too well...)

YU Professor of Jewish History Dr. Jeffrey Gurock is not taking ESPN's decision laying down. I do not wish to take away from Dr. Gurock's main point, and that is that Jews in America expect to be treated like everyone else and we are a part of the fabric of American culture.

Gurock also says a few things that left me wondering...:

"...this country’s Jews, loyal both to their home teams and to their faith, demand respect."

and

"These long-term consumers of the professional sports product will—in due course, if not immediately—upbraid those who are so thoughtless or insensitive."

The headline above the article says "Gurock calls foul" which leads me to believe that Gurock has a problem with the schedule change.

It isn't clear. But I think Gurock is serious. He thinks that ESPN should acquiesce to the scheduling demands of the Yom Kippur observant Jew.

I think that is ridiculous. Major League Baseball owes Yom Kippur observant Jews nothing. So long as there is no violation of Freedom of Religion, they can do as they please.

So let's stop making everything into an anti-Jewish cause.

UPDATE - MLB and ESPN have changed the game back to 1 PM. Incredible.

Search for more information about going to baseball games on Yom Kippur at 4torah.com.