Daylight Savings: I Protest

When I was a kid, I didn't care about Daylight Savings Time.  It came and went and I was rather oblivious.

I first noticed it when I was a mother of young kids who wouldn't go to bed on time, because the sun was still shining.  I'm a morning person and has always believed in getting up "on time," even on vacation.  It's so easy to get into an all night up rut and not function during the day.  That happens even more easily when there's  Daylight Savings Time.

During our two years in London, mid-1970's, Daylight Savings was really a problem.  It didn't get dark until 10-11pm.  As Orthodox (Torah observant) Jews, that meant that Shabbat was over very late on Saturday night, long past our daughters' bedtime.  We used to make Havdalah, the ceremony separating the Sabbath from the weekdays, on Sunday morning for them.

Israel is closer to the equator, so our summer sunsets are earlier than that, but late enough to make the Eve of Shabbat meal later than I like to eat.

A friend with health problems found herself feeling sick every Shabbat morning, because she had eaten too late for her health.

My very elderly father has been having enough problems getting up and finishing breakfast before noon.  Now it will be even harder, especially on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays.

Last night's news claimed that there are fewer car accidents with  Daylight Savings, but I Remember hearing the opposite.  Daylight Savings promotes staying out too late, so people get insufficient sleep, which causes concentration problems and more accidents.

Last night we in Israel turned our clocks ahead.