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Rosh Hashanah Begins Tonight; Bush Sends Greetings; Financial Bailout Vote Impacted

By Howard M. Friedman

President Bush today issued a message (full text) sending "best wishes for a meaningful Rosh Hashanah" to people of the Jewish faith in the U.S. and around the world. The holiday begins at sundown this evening. He described the holiday as "an opportunity to celebrate the history of the Jewish people and the values that bind us all together."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate was scheduled to adjourn beginning at sundown Monday in honor of Rosh Hashanah. That however creates problems with obtaining approval of critical financial bailout legislation that was drafted over the weekend. Politco reported yesterday that Sen. Judd Gregg, who led negotiations on the bill for the Senate Republicans, pleaded for Senators to bring the bill to a vote today because of the need for swift action. CQ Politics today reports that it is likely that a cloture vote on the bill will be set for Wednesday in the Senate. Reform Jews generally celebrate Rosh Hashanah for one day, while Orthodox and Conservative Jews celebrate it for two days. The financial bailout vote schedule could pose a moral dilemma for some of the 13 Jewish members of the Senate who would need to decide whether to attend the Wednesday Senate session on a holiday during which observant Jews generally abstain from work and travel.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 29, 2008 (boomark / email).