Unfair Christmas work - The Jewish Standard

Imagine the uproar in the Jewish community if an employer forced a Jewish employee to work on the Jewish holidays especially the high holidays and the first days of Passover, or any other holiday that any observant Jew celebrates.

On Christmas last year, I found that Christians were forced to work in the kosher restaurants in Teaneck.

I spoke to some of the employees. All were upset that they were not offered the day off, and some who I spoke to asked me not to speak to their bosses about it for fear of losing their jobs.

I also visited the JCC in Tenafly on Christmas and spoke to Christians there. Some didn’t mind. One Hispanic cleaner was very sad. Her job apparently was outsourced. However the JCC should have communicated with her employee to give the cleaning staff the day off. Surely the JCC could get by with one day of no cleaning.

This year let’s hope that our Christian brothers and sisters will be given the same respect that we demand. They should be given the day off, and not just on Christmas, but on Palm Sunday and Easter as well.

If these establishments want to stay open I am sure that we can find in our community people who would volunteer to take the place of Christians who wish to take the day off. I for one would be happy to wait tables on these days.

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