Court OKs Menorah Display, But Not Use of City Personnel and Equipment To Light ItChabad of Mid-Hudson Valley v. City of Poughkeepsie
And the (State) court didn't say whether the Menorah-lighting itself was "an unconstitutional excessive governmental entanglement with religion," but only whether there existed a perception that it was an unconstitutional excessive governmental entanglement with religion.
In short, there's no constitutional problem when the city transports, erects, displays, and dismantles the Menorah but as soon as it does that thing that makes the Menorah a Menorah — lights it — there is.
Although, this one would be easier to light if it wasn't 18 feet high.
A Solomonic determination.
ReplyDeleteIn the old days, you could train a monkey to do it, but these days, we have Shabbos mode.
ReplyDelete