President of Wallingford Synagogue Accuses Town of Being Insensitive to Jewish Residents

The president of Beth Israel Synagogue is accusing the town of not being sensitive to its Jewish residents by scheduling this year’s Celebrate Wallingford festival on Oct. 4 during Yom Kippur, according to the New Haven Register.

Alida Cella, president of Beth Israel Synagogue on North Orchard Street, told Luther Turmelle of the Register that the scheduling of the town-wide festival on one of the most serious and holiest days for the Jewish people is “part of a larger problem in town,” while also noting that Wallingford schools remain open during the Jewish High Holidays.

The Register reports that Elizabeth Landow, the executive director of Wallingford Center Inc. (a non-profit group that organizes the annual Celebrate Wallingford event) was apologetic about the conflict but said the event is always on the first weekend in October and by the time they were aware of the problem it was too late to change it.

Landow also told the Register the potential scheduling conflict will be on their radar going forward when preparations for Celebrate Wallingford begins, which she said is in March every year.

Read the full story at the New Haven Register here.