With Andrew Cuomo set to take office as New York’s 56th governor on Jan. 1, a Saturday, his aides contacted the New York Board of Rabbis last week to assess whether the Sabbath inauguration would cause any offense.
“They called us to express their concern about offending any Jewish sensitivities,” said the president of the 800-member interdenominational board, Rabbi Yakov Kermaier, who is also leader of the Orthodox Fifth Avenue Synagogue.
In a conversation with Cuomo press spokesman John Milgrom, Rabbi Kermaier said he responded that the board was appreciative of the concern, but understood that the date was not scheduled on Saturday deliberately.
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