Why Orthodox Jews are pushing back against permanent daylight saving time

Orthodox Jewish groups are opposing a bill to make daylight saving time permanent in the U.S., arguing it would disrupt religious life and create public safety risks. Organizations like Agudath Israel of America, the Orthodox Union, and the Coalition for Jewish Values contend that permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises past 9 a.m. in some areas, forcing children to travel to school in the dark and making it difficult for observant Jews to attend morning synagogue services and still arrive at work or school on time. Jewish law prohibits key morning prayers before specific times tied to sunrise. Agudath Israel stated, "The extension of DST will create an extreme hardship on observant Jews." While acknowledging a potential benefit for Shabbat preparation on short winter Fridays, opponents highlight the challenges to daily routines and point to a brief, unpopular U.S. experiment with year-round daylight saving in the 1970s.