We-Ha.com welcomes Letters to the Editor from the public, including endorsements, but letters submitted by political candidates 60 days prior to an election will not be published. Please provide your name and town, as well as your phone number at the end of the letter. Phone numbers will not be published but are required in case verification is needed. Please submit letters to [email protected].
Dear Editor,
For the last two years, Congregation Beth Israel has participated with the West Hartford Holiday Stroll. I received a message from Barbara Lerner a couple months ago inviting us to participate once again, but there is a change to Friday from Thursday.
For the significant Jewish population of West Hartford, Friday evenings are Shabbat, which begins at sunset. So the decision to change the Stroll to Friday means that we can not participate, something that we have enjoyed the last two years.
The Center is already busy on a Friday evening with the restaurants filling up and crowds are automatic, either go back to Thursday or a Sunday afternoon in the future.
For those who made the decision to change the day of the week for this event, not all of the community and participants were considered.
Sunny Kagan
West Hartford
Although there is a significant Jewish population in town (of which I’m one), many of us do not find a conflict in participating in a town event on Friday evening. The less observant among the community will likely not have a problem with attending the holiday stroll. However, going forward, I’d suggest a sensitivity to those who do observe the Sabbath on Friday/Saturday and return to a day that is more welcoming to all.