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Proof That Harry Potter is Bigger Than God

By grrlscientist on July 19, 2007.

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When the sixth Harry Potter book was released, it was a Saturday morning, which if you are Jewish, is the Sabbath. The Sabbath runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, and it is a time during which pious Jews shun business dealings. At that time, I was teaching a biology class and most of my students were Jewish, so I felt terrible for them because they were not allowed to read the book until after the Sabbath was over. Once again, because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will also be released on a Saturday morning, Jews are facing a terrible, terrible decision. But even in Israel, fortunately, some booksellers have their priorities straight and plan to sell the book, Sabbath or no.

"We will hold the launch as planned because we are contractually bound to do so," said Alona Zamir, spokeswoman for the Steimatkzy book chain. "The book will go on sale here at the same time as in other places around the world."

Eli Yishai, a minister in Ehud Olmert's coalition government, and a member of the ultra-orthodox Shas party, is crying foul over Israel's participation in the Harry Potter phenomenon. The Industry, Trade and Labor Minister said this week that he will send inspectors to see which stores are taking part in the launch.

"It is forbidden, according to Jewish values and Jewish culture, that a thing like this should take place at 2 a.m. on Saturday. Let them do it another day," he told Israel Radio. He said he intends to impose fines on distributors of the book who violate the Hours of Work and Rest Law. "We must put a limit on the desire to imitate other nations," Yishai said on Tuesday. "It is inconceivable that numerous employees will be brought in to allow these events to take place and damage the spirit of the Shabbat."

And another ultra-orthodox politician, Avraham Ravitz of the United Torah Judaism Party, has also slammed Potter-mania in Israel: "We don't have to get carried away like monkeys and imitate the world in this kind of subculture." [story]

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