House advances bill to make daylight saving time permanent
The House moved to allow states to observe daylight saving time year-round.
Every morning, before work or school, Orthodox Jews say the first of three daily prayers, whether alone or gathered in a synagogue for communion. Men wear ceremonial shawls and leather prayer boxes, and prayer times are determined by sunrise rather than by a clock.
“The later it is in the morning, the later the prayers are said,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, director of government affairs for America Agudath Israel, an organization representing Orthodox Jews.
That’s why many Orthodox Jews are concerned about the prospect of a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, he said.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), would make daylight saving time permanent in most states. This means most Americans will no longer have to “jump forward” or “step back,” the twice-yearly task of adjusting clocks, clocks, and other timepieces.
The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate after passing the House by an overwhelming vote of 308-117. It has also received support from President Donald Trump, who called seasonal clock changes “ridiculous.”
Rabbi Josh Joseph of the Orthodox Union, the country’s largest Orthodox Jewish organization, said many Jewish customs are tied to the calendar, specifically to sunrise and sunset. These events, he said, determine the times for morning and evening prayers and the start and end times of Sabbaths and holidays.
“Many Jews gather in synagogues every morning for morning prayers,” said Joseph, the organization’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “If sunrise is one hour late, service cannot start until one hour later.”
During the winter, it will negatively impact the start of the day for many people and complicate efforts to get to work or school on time, he said. In some regions, especially in the Midwest and in the mountains, sunrise can last for a long time well beyond 8 a.m., disrupting the basic religious practices of observant Jewish communities.
“Prayer and associated ritual times will be disrupted. As a result, the proper performance of prayers will be jeopardized, synagogue attendance will be disrupted, and people will be late for work,” said a letter sent by Agudath Israel to Congressional offices. “Jewish religious and professional life will be drastically upended.”
A table compiled by the group, which is urging senators to vote against or amend the bill, lists U.S. cities and how they would be affected if the bill passes.
“California is the least affected, but when you go to Indiana or Michigan, the reality is even more severe,” Motzen said. “In most places where Orthodox Jews live, the sun rises after 8 o’clock. In Los Angeles, the sun rises only 10 days a year, but in South Bend, Indiana, it rises nearly 150 days a year.”
For 55 of those days, sunlight didn’t appear on the South Bend horizon until after 9 p.m. In Helena, Montana, sunrise occurs after 9 a.m. 50 days a year. Boise, Idaho, 64 years old. and Bismarck, North Dakota, 75 years old.
“This change would significantly disrupt the Jewish morning ritual, which requires the advent of natural dawn,” Rabbi Yosef Chaim Danziger of the South Bend Hebrew Orthodox Congregation wrote in a letter opposing the bill. “These late sunrises make the timing of prayers incompatible with the start of normal school and work hours, placing an undue burden on many productive community members.”
How is morning prayer interrupted?
Daylight saving time is currently in effect from March to November, and most U.S. residents (excluding residents of Arizona and Hawaii and areas such as Guam and Puerto Rico, which do not observe daylight saving time) set their clocks forward one hour to increase the amount of daylight in the evening. Passing the Sunshine Protection Act means we will no longer turn our clocks back during the winter to let in more morning sunlight.
In winter, the sun rises later, creating dark mornings in some parts of the country. Proponents tout the benefits of allowing the sun to set later, eliminating the need to change clocks twice a year, as well as increasing nighttime activity.
However, many parents have voiced opposition, worried about their children walking to school or waiting for buses in the pre-dawn darkness. Some medical experts and sleep organizations also warn that this change may conflict with the body’s circadian rhythm.
Child safety is a similar concern for Orthodox Jews, who make up nearly 1 in 10 Jews in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. According to the center, Orthodox Jews on average have twice as many children as non-Orthodox Jews.
But such concerns are further exacerbated by the law’s potential to disrupt Shacharit, the morning prayer performed as spiritual preparation for the day.
“Everyone is supposed to say morning prayers, but certain prayers with religious significance can only be recited if capacity is reached,” Motzen said.
Participation in communal morning prayers, which requires a quorum of 10 men and cannot begin until just before sunrise, will have to be weighed against work and school obligations and commuting arrangements.
“Synagogues are going to have a hard time getting 10 people together, or they might not be able to get people to work on time or open for business,” Motzen said. “It’s really going to disrupt a lot of people’s lives.”
Some people may decide to forego communal prayer and pray at work, missing out on the benefits of fellowship and putting the communal experience at risk, he said.
Similar concerns plague the Muslim community. In Muslim communities, the obligatory morning recitation ends just at dawn.
It’s unclear whether the Senate will take up the issue before going into a five-week recess on Aug. 7. And perhaps summer isn’t the best time to vote on such a resolution anyway, Motzen suggests.
“No one thinks about cold winter mornings,” he says. “They’re thinking about extra time to play soccer and enjoy the sun on the beach. They’re not thinking about going to school or waiting for the bus, and they’re definitely not thinking about North Dakota.”
Contributors: Zachary Schermele and Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
