Game rescheduled for Jewish basketball team that refused to play on Sabbath

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

(CNN) – A Jewish high school basketball team that had opted out of a shot at a Texas state championship because it refused to play on the Sabbath will now get that shot, after a playoff game was rescheduled on Thursday.

The game, initially set for Friday night, after the Jewish Sabbath begins, has been rescheduled for Friday afternoon, Houston’s Robert M. Beren Academy announced Thursday.

The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) made the scheduling change after parents filed a lawsuit, the Orthodox Jewish private school said in a statement.

The decision allows the Beren Stars “to play this Friday without violating our Sabbath,” the statement said. “We are thankful to the TAPPS for ultimately making the right decision.”

Until Thursday’s announcement, the Stars were planning on sitting out the Friday night game. The school observes the weekly Jewish day of rest, called Shabbat, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

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