Philadelphia, USA - The National Museum of American Jewish History set to open next month has adopted a unique compromise on an issue that pits religious law against economics: whether to open on the Sabbath.
The five-story museum next to Independence Mall, scheduled to open Nov. 26, is dedicated to chronicling 350 years of Jewish life in America and establishing a base for scholarly meetings and community discussions.
But officials had to decide whether to open on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath. Jewish law forbids work and commercial transactions on Shabbat, but closing that day would mean turning away thousands of visitors.
This month, the museum board decided it will be open Saturdays, but tickets will not be sold on the premises that day; they can be bought online or in advance, or at other locations to be determined. The gift shop will also be open Saturdays but will handle no cash; any credit card transactions will be processed after sundown.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York closes on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, while the Jewish Museum in New York is open Saturdays, although its gift shop is closed. The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and their gift shops are open on the Sabbath.
And the museum will be closed on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the first two days of Passover.