Yom Kippur or Harvard football

WHILE WE applaud those who wished to see Harvard's opening football game moved from Yom Kippur eve, the fans are missing the point when they complain, as reported, that the university was forcing them to choose between synagogue and football ("Religious conflict in Harvard football schedule," Page A1, Aug. 17).

Life is about priorities and making choices, and for educated, informed Jews in this situation the priority, and the choice, should be obvious. More important, however, they are missing the point of Yom Kippur itself, the Day of Atonement, which bids us to atone for violating Jewish precepts and to return to observances such as the Sabbath. The holiest day in the Jewish calendar is the weekly Sabbath, not the one-day-a-year Yom Kippur.

Thus to return to attending sports games on Friday nights or Saturdays during the year is a striking contradiction and negation of their very Yom Kippur observance, making the current controversy a bit specious. As long as we have the freedom to practice our faith free of discrimination, Jews living in a largely secular environment should take advantage of schedule conflicts such as this to assert and demonstrate their proper priorities and commitment, rather than insisting that the world make adjustments that will preserve all of our options and eliminate the need to make any "difficult" choices.

Grand Rabbi Y. A. KORFF
Office of the Chaplain
City of Boston