The Cubs got the go-ahead Wednesday to hold a nighttime concert at Wrigley Field on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, but they’ll bend over backwards to minimize conflict.
Mike Lufrano, Cubs senior vice-president of community affairs, said the time of the Saturday, Sept. 18 concert — by either the Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney or Phish — will be pushed back until after sundown, when Yom Kippur ends.
Because the Sept. 17 concert coincides with Kol Nidre, the start of Yom Kippur, the Cubs have reached out to all three synagogues in the area: Anshe Emet, 3751 N. Broadway; Anshe Sholom, 540 W. Melrose and Temple Sholom, 3480 N. Lake Shore Drive.
“It’s really parking that they’re most concerned about. You won’t hear it because they’re far enough away. But, it’s fans coming to hear the concert at the same time people are going to worship,” said Lufrano, who is Jewish and plans to miss his first Wrigley concert to celebrate the holiday.
It is nice of them to be sensitive like this, but I find it totally unnecessary and even ridiculous. They can't have their party because the Jews have to go to synagogue and need parking spaces?
At least the article doesn't say the Jews demanded it. This is simply a public relations move on the part of Wrigley management.
I think it's more than sensitivity. The Cubs, like the Jews, are a historically downtrodden and oppressed people. They're simply looking out for their own.
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ReplyDeleteRafi - obviously it's been a long time since you've been in that 'hood. I've spent HOURS in that neighborhood looking for parking spaces, and those were on nights with NO baseball and NO Yomim Tovim.
ReplyDeleteNow, add to that mix, 50000+ coming to hear a concert, AND several hundred of our brethren coming to hear Kol Nidrei, ALL looking for parking spots AT THE SAME TIME.
The Cubbies simply realized that NOT doing something about that would result in LOTS of people, not just Jews, being pretty upset with them.
Bad enough they have the "goat curse" from Sam Sianis at The Billy Goat Tavern, who knows what other curse they might get hit with?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvY98WQ5n9g
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