Switch to daylight savings time means "red zone" curfews conflict with evening prayer

• Published date: 15 March 2021
• Author: Dan Verbin
• Date: 15 March 2021

Observant Jews will be negatively impacted by darkness falling later in the evening, where provincial nighttime curfews are in place. Most importantly, once it does not get dark until after 8 p.m., they would be unable to attend synagogue for Maariv (evening prayers) because their presence would break the 8 p.m. curfew in "red zones" such as Montreal.

The court filing states that, "Evening prayer must be held after nightfall, which occurs every day 72 minutes after sunset. This is a practice followed religiously by the Hasidic Jewish community since time immemorial."

Quebec Council of Hasidic Jews vice-president Max Lieberman told Global News that with the Quebec government not interested in reaching a compromise regarding the curfew, religious Jews will be faced with an untenable decision: whether to continue practicing their religion or to follow the rule of law.

"If it is permitted to walk your dog after the curfew, how can it be...