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(Jt) Hertz, Joseph H : THE BATTLE FOR THE SABBATH AT GENEVA

London; H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1932

Original Wraps. 8vo. 76 pages. 25 cm. First edition. With seven leaves of plates. "Read before the Jewish Historical Society of England on December 16, 1931, and ... Herewith reprinted, annotated and documented, from the forthcoming volume XIII of the society's Transactions. " This work by Joseph Herman Hertz, the chief Rabbi of England, is a history of the Gregorian calendar reform proposed by the League of Nations, and the struggle of Jewish participants to prevent any curtailment of the Sabbath by reorganizing the weeks: “Occasionally, a general topic of special interest to the Jews was placed on the agenda of the League, as in the case of the question of the reform of the Gregorian calendar. After six years of preliminary studies, the matter was brought up for debate in October 1931. From almost 200 propositions submitted, considerable support was given to one suggesting that the year be divided into 13 equal months of 28 days and that the last day (or the last two days in a leap year) should be trimmed off and deemed an extra day, or 'blank day. ' By the terms of this proposal, the regular sequence of seven-day weeks would have been interrupted by the introduction of the 'blank day' and the Sabbath would have moved to a different weekday each year. As this would have seriously prejudiced Sabbath observance, the Jewish spokesmen led by the chief rabbis of France and Britain fought the reform project. In the face of the combined opposition of many governments, the Jews, the Seventh-Day Adventists, and other bodies, the conference concluded almost unanimously that the time was not ripe for modifying the Gregorian calendar. Since the League of Nations was an organization of states and not of nations, the Jews as such were naturally unable to participate in its activities. However, where the participation of nongovernmental, international, or national organizations was considered desirable on certain commissions or at conferences convened under the aegis of the League, Jewish organizations were also invited to nominate permanent representatives or send observers. Thus, for example, Jewish observers were invited to attend the conference on calendar reform and were authorized to voice their opinions. ” (JE 2008) Subjects: Sabbath. Calendar. League of Nations – Calendar Reform. Light soiling to wraps, otherwise fresh. Very good condition. (SPEC-39-34)

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