July 24, 2026, 9:44 p.m. ET
Each morning earlier than work or college, Orthodox Jews recite the primary of three day by day prayers, whether or not alone or gathered at a synagogue in fellowship. Men don ritual shawls and leather-based prayer packing containers, the time of the prayer dictated not by a clock however by the rising of the sun.
“The later the morning is, the later that prayers can be taking place,” mentioned Rabbi A.D. Motzen, nationwide director of presidency affairs for Agudath Israel of America, a company representing Orthodox Jews.
That’s why many Orthodox Jews, he mentioned, are involved concerning the prospect of proposed laws that will make Daylight Saving Time everlasting.
Introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 would institute everlasting Daylight Saving Time for many states, which means nearly all of Americans would now not need to “spring forward” or “fall back” – the twice-a-year activity of adjusting their clocks, watches and different timepieces.
The laws is at the moment earlier than the U.S. Senate after being overwhelmingly handed by the House of Representatives, 308-117. It has the assist of President Donald Trump, who has called seasonal clock modifications “ridiculous.”
Much of Jewish observe is tied to the calendar, and extra particularly dawn and sundown, mentioned Rabbi Josh Joseph of the Orthodox Union, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish group. Those occasions dictate morning and night prayer occasions and the beginning and finish occasions for Shabbat and holidays, he mentioned.
“Many Jews gather each morning in synagogues for morning prayer,” mentioned Joseph, the group’s government vice chairman and chief working officer. “If sunrise is pushed back an hour, services can’t begin until an hour later.”
During winter months, he mentioned, that will negatively have an effect on the day’s begin for a lot of, complicating efforts to get to work or college on time – significantly within the Midwest and mountain states, the place dawn in some locations can be pushed effectively previous 8 a.m. for lengthy stretches, disrupting a basic spiritual observe of observant Jewish communities.
“The times for prayers and their accompanying rituals will be thrown into disarray – which, in turn, will put into jeopardy their proper fulfillment, discourage synagogue attendance, and result in late arrival for work,” reads a letter despatched by Agudath Israel to Congressional workplaces. “Jewish religious and professional life will be deeply upended.”
A chart compiled by the group, which is urging Senators to oppose or amend the invoice, lists U.S. cities and the way they might be affected by the regulation if handed.
“California is least affected, but go to Indiana or Michigan and the reality is harsher,” Motzen mentioned. “In most places where Orthodox Jews live, sunrise would be after 8 o’clock. In L.A., it would only be 10 days a year – but in South Bend, Indiana, it’s close to 150 days a year.”
For 55 of these days, he mentioned, daylight wouldn’t seem on South Bend’s horizon till after 9 o’clock. In Helena, Montana, a post-9 a.m. dawn would happen 50 days a yr; in Boise, Idaho, 64; and in Bismarck, North Dakota, 75.
“This change would severely disrupt Jewish morning rituals, which require the arrival of natural dawn,” wrote Rabbi Yosef Chaim Danziger of South Bend’s Hebrew Orthodox Congregation in a letter opposing the laws. “Such late sunrises would make the timing of prayer incompatible with the start of the typical school and workday, placing an undue burden on our many highly productive community members.”
How morning prayer might be disrupted
Daylight Saving Time at the moment happens from March to November, with most U.S. residents – besides these within the states of Arizona and Hawaii, in addition to territories like Guam and Puerto Rico, which do not observe it – shifting their clocks ahead an hour to lengthen night daylight. Passage of the Sunshine Protection Act would imply now not setting clocks again throughout winter months to embody extra daylight within the morning.
Winter sunrises would occur later, producing darker mornings for swaths of the nation. Supporters tout the advantage of later sunsets, permitting for extra night actions along with eliminating the twice-a-year activity of fixing clocks.
Opposition, nonetheless, has come from many dad and mom who fear concerning the security of youngsters strolling to high school or ready for a bus within the darkness of pre-dawn mornings. Some well being professionals and sleep organizations additionally warning that the change would battle with the physique’s circadian rhythms.
For Orthodox Jews, who in line with the Pew Research Center comprise practically one in 10 Jews dwelling within the United States, kids’s security is likewise a priority. On common, Orthodox Jews have twice as many children as non-Orthodox Jews, according to the center.
But such worries are compounded by the act’s potential disruption of Shacharit, the set of morning prayers serving as a religious preparation for the day.
“Every individual is supposed to do morning prayer, but there are certain ones, those with great religious significance, that can only be said when there’s a quorum,” Motzen mentioned.
Participating in communal morning prayers, which require a quorum of 10 males and may’t begin till shortly earlier than dawn, must be weighed in opposition to work and college obligations and commuting preparations.
“A synagogue will struggle to gather 10 men, or it may mean that people wouldn’t be able to start their jobs or open their businesses on time,” Motzen mentioned. “It would really disrupt the lives of many people.”
Some might determine to forgo communal prayer and as a substitute pray at their workplaces, he mentioned, lacking out on the advantages of fellowship and inserting communal experiences in danger.
Similar worries hassle Muslim communities, whose obligatory morning recitations conclude exactly at daybreak.
It’s unclear whether or not the Senate will deal with the difficulty earlier than it breaks for a five-week recess on Aug. 7. And possibly, Motzen suggests, summer season isn’t the very best time to be voting on such issues anyway.
“Nobody’s thinking about cold winter mornings,” he mentioned. “They’re thinking about an extra hour to play football or enjoy the sun on the beach. They’re not thinking about going to school or waiting for a bus, and they’re definitely not thinking about North Dakota.”
Contributing: Zachary Schermele and Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
