Israeli Rabbi Wants ID Cards for Non-Jews To Work on Shabbat
Diners at a cafe in West Jerusalem. Image by Getty Images
By Naomi Zeveloff February 5, 2017
A prominent Israeli rabbi said that non-Jews in Israel should carry identification cards issued by the state’s Jewish religious authority marking them as not Jewish as part of a plan to make commerce in Israel adhere to Jewish law.
Yisroel Rosen, the head of the Zomet Institute which creates technology in accordance with Jewish law, said that Jewish businesses should be allowed to remain open on the Sabbath but only if they are staffed and managed by non-Jewish workers. These non-Jewish workers would carry identification cards issued by the Israeli rabbinate.
Rosen’s proposal, which he made in a blog post seeks to solve the longstanding impasse in Israel over whether private businesses should be allowed to stay open on the Sabbath, when Jewish law prohibits Jews from doing work. Public offices and public transportation in Israel shut down from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
Israeli law allows municipalities to make their own regulations about what businesses may remain open on the Jewish day of rest. In the so-called “Shabbat wars,” Jerusalem and Tel Aviv businesses have been levied with fines for staying open on Saturdays.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected]
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
