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2 Tammuz 5766 - June 28, 2006 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
NYC Transit Permits Subway Workers to Wear Yarmulkes During the Summer

By G. Lazer

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York issued a directive permitting subway workers to wear yarmulkes at work during the summer months when employees are not required to wear hats as part of their uniform.

The new policy went into effect following the involvement of Agudas Yisroel of America's legal consultants, who were contacted by Orthodox conductor Benjamin Schaffer.

Recent uniform policy changes by the MTA have made allowances for employees to wear turbans, scarves and other head coverings worn by members of various religions as additions to the official uniforms, but yarmulkes were not included among the head coverings permitted during the summer.

Agudas Yisroel contacted Commissioner Jonathan Greenspan of the Mayor's Office to voice their objections to the regulation. Attorney Mordechai Beiser sent a letter claiming that the policy was a violation of the new state law in New York guaranteeing the religious rights of religious employees at their place of work. The law was passed several years ago with Agudas Yisroel assistance.

A few days after Greenspan conveyed the complaint to MTA officials, managers called Schaffer in for a meeting to reformulate the policy for subway workers. The new summer regulation allows workers to wear dark blue yarmulkes bearing the MTA emblem on the front.

Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudas Yisroel's executive vice president for government and public affairs, said the Workplace Religious Freedom Act explicitly protects the worker in all matters related to observing religious obligations and thanked MTA heads for taking quick action to alter the policy.

 

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