Jewish school's playoff run halted by Sabbath

CBS

HOUSTON - An Orthodox Jewish school in Houston has found that its boys' basketball team can't play for a championship this weekend without breaking the Sabbath.

The Beren Academy advanced to the semifinals in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools' 2A tournament with a 23-5 record and was scheduled to play Dallas Covenant at 9 p.m. on Friday.

But the Beren players observe the Sabbath between Friday night and Saturday night and won't play basketball during those hours.

The academy filed a written appeal to TAPPS to have their game time moved, but the agency's nine-member board unanimously voted it down.

"When Beren's joined years ago, we advised them that the Sabbath would present them with a problem with the finals," Edd Burleson, the director of TAPPS, told the New York Times. "In the past, Tapps has held firmly to their rules because if schedules are changed for these schools, it's hard for other schools. If we solve one problem, we create another problem."

Now the school can only hope that the private school organization has a change of heart and allows the game to be rescheduled.

[billpl-2009]

God took Sunday off

he should kick back and enjoy a high school basketball game while he's at it

[kbbpll]

Wow, CBS, you're really slacking off. It's been over a week since your last trivial top news about Jews.

[lee0700]

God's Sabbath is God's Sabbath. It is absolute, it is truth as stated in the Holy Scriptures. By honoring God's Sabbath you recognize him as Creator of heavens and earth. This issue of the Sabbath is NOT going away anytime soon.

[fwd23515]

They knew the deal when they joined the league. I suspect that the kids on the team would, if they were truly free to reveal what they really thought, say they feel frustrated and disenfranchised by the Orthodox voodoo priests that run the school and who are trying to maintain authority over their flock.

And by the way, lee0700, religious scriptures say nothing about fun physical exercise on holy days. That's simply an interpretation by the same Neanderthals that say Orthodox Jews shouldn't turn on lights or use microwave ovens on Saturday. If you want to live your life having your strings pulled by creepy old men, fine--just don't inflict your medieval worldview on enthusiastic teenagers.

[Molly-Pchr]

fwd23515-typical liberal claptrap - and I'm no conservative.

[farmerbb]

A class act would be for their opponents to offer to play at a different time.

[rwsmith29456]

Agreed.

[wordwrkr]

Agreed. A class act indeed.

[ihaveonethingtosay]

TAPP, come on make some exceptions. Be human and respectful of other religions. What does it hurt to make adjustments.

[askagain]

Would TAPPS schedule games on Christmas or Easter or other Christian holidays. If so, perhaps they are correct not to reschedule the game. However, if TAPPS doesn't schedule games on Christian holidays, perhaps they should honor this religious request and reschedule the game. Perhaps the school should drop out of TAPPS if they must pay for membership in TAPPS. Nothing hurts more than hitting an organization's pocket book. It is sad for the players because it is generally very difficult to make it to the championships.

[boiler_tech]

Specific Christian holidays come but once a year. The Sabbath observation affects a whole 24 hour period per week. It seems easier to schedule around two Christian holidays than 55 Jewish religious observations. Just saying.

[pendulumswings]

Their holiday may come every friday-saturday but there is only One Championship game. They would only need to reschedule around the sabbath once, no more than if they had to reschedule around Easter, Christmas, or any single non-orthodox holiday.

[koko98-2009]

Texas bigots. I would be willing to bet that no games are scheduled on Sunday. No worries boys you're champions in everyone's eyes.

[ell510]

Oh, puh-leeez! How difficult could it be to reschedule for another night? Gimme a break!