Jewish Jet Fans Might Miss Out on Two of Eight Home Games

Jewish pigskin lovers in the area might undergo a conversion this season—from Gang Green to Big Blue. With Jewish high holy days falling on consecutive weekends this September, the NFL consented with the Giants' request that they play on the road while Rosh Hahanah and Yom Kippur were being observed. But somehow a similar request by the Jets got lost in the mail. A team VP said, "The Jets are hearing from their fans. There was miscommunication between the Jets and the NFL office, for which I take full responsibility. All we can continue to do is look and see if there is a solution to this." The 9/27 game during Yom Kippur could be atoned by simply switching its 4:15 start time with the Giants 1:00 game in Tampa Bay—the holiday begins that evening at sundown). But there may be no repentance for the previous week's 1 p.m. home opener against the Patriots—Rosh Hashanah concludes that Sunday at sundown, so only a switch to Sunday night could make amends. Neither team can play Monday or Thursday night games at home this season due to construction of their new stadium.

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By Billy Parker in News on April 16, 2009 1:39 PM

Comments [rss]

snessnyc

The ant-Semitism among you Gothamist haters is so strong I can smell it from here. Instead of hating everything so much, try liking yourselves a little bit - maybe, just maybe, you'll find that the world isn't out to get you.

FYI - there are more Jews in the NY/NJ metro area than there are in Israel, and a large percentage of otherwise non-observant Jews do observe the High Holidays. If the Giants or Jets can accommodate a large number of their fans, why not make the change? It doesn't hurt you or anyone else.

schizofriendly

tiresome.

bts220

If these 2 holidays are so important to Jews why are they worried about a stupid football game

angry_pickle

As I understand it (observant) Jews make up 1% of the population and schedules need to be changed for this? What power and influence.

JenChungsBaby

But they make up a much larger portion of the NY/NJ population. And who knows what percentage of season ticket holders.

JenChungsBaby

This is indicitive of why the Jets haven't won a championship in 40 years yet the Giants have won three in the last 24 -- the Jets can't even get their act together to pass along a scheduling request to the league.

Steven

If they do this for Jewish people then how about other holidays for other religions?

Hasn't this happened before? The Jewish holy holidays are always in Sept or Oct.

ChampionOfTheSun

Oy vey! Tivo the damn thing. Or, stop following stupid religious laws.

MT

Here's a solution: get over it. Why should the rest of the world revolve around their calendar. Are we going to have to work around Ramadan next?

fugothamist

religion is stupid

jchez

Shouldn't have many holy days so close together. Spread them out a little. It's the reason why shopping for camera equipment in New York around September and October is always a hassle.