If Koufax and Greenberg were on the Supreme Court

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral argument on two cases about same-sex marriage.  These cases are the blockbusters of the current Supreme Court term.

Tuesday and Wednesday were also the first two days of Passover, when observant Jews attend synagogue rather than work.

The three Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court missed the opportunity to set an example for people of all faiths.

In a predominantly Christian society,  Jews have difficulty taking off from work for religious holidays.  However, Supreme Court Justices have unique power.  It is hard to imagine that the other Justices would deny a request to reschedule oral argument if even one Justice needed to fulfill his or her religious obligation.

By rescheduling the hearings, the three Justices would have sent the message that it is proper to assert your integrity and observe your religion.  If you do, your fellow Americans will respect you. 

Yom Kippur is the ultimate Jewish holy day.  In 1934, Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg took the day off during a heated pennant race.  In 1965, during the World Series, Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax refused to play on Yom Kippur.  Their decisions took courage and created controversy.  Today they are heroes for a reason other than their athletic achievements.

In our increasingly diverse society, where everyone is a minority of some type, our national leaders should lead by example.  Not every public official can be a baseball star, but each one can be a Koufax or a Greenberg.