Jewish holiday in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What I do mind is being closed the day after Easter. No other school districts are closed on Easter Monday. And being closed for primaries and elections. When I was a kid, our schools weren't closed on election days.

Why, exactly, do you mind? Schools are closed on election days because they are used as polling places. It would be a major safety issue to have people walking in and out of school all day while students were there--not to mention there would be no gym to conduct PE classes and no cafeteria in which to feed students.

What I mind regarding elections is what I said. When I was in school, our schools were polling places but were still open. I DO understand the reason for the closure, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It's a PITA.

Our school only uses 1 room for polling places (the cafeteria), but the gym is sufficiently large enough. Another school nearby uses the gym but not the cafeteria. So there would be no PE. But there is also no PE when schools are closed for a holiday or workday or snow... or there is an assembly or field trip during that time... or it's a half day.

[Anonymous]

Christian values?

like 40% of children living in poverty

Americans without health insurance or care

pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps or trust fund

turning the other cheek

tea party and Republican values = Christian values (you're joking, right?)

guns for hunting, play, fun (killing animals for sport) and games

What version of the Bible do you subscribe to?



10/04/2011 22:23 The leftist rage again....



You hit the nail on the head. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Anyone reading the Bible and with knowledge of sacred studies would also conclude, Jesus Christ was indeed a raging leftist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christians get a week off for Christmas and Easter. In fact spring break moves around each year to be aligned with Easter. Even some religious schools don't move spring break from year to year (like St Albans/NCS).

While Winter Break is pretty much all about Christmas, Spring Break is NOT all about Easter. Passover occurs a few days before Easter. If you look at the MCPS calendar during spring break, there is always a note that says "Passover begins on Month, Day."

Honestly, I don't mind the closure for Rosh Hashanah. I schedule dental appointments and make use of the time to get the "kid-type things" done. True, it's a bit difficult with the interruption in school, but this year, my kids bounced back into school Friday without missing a beat.

What I do mind is being closed the day after Easter. No other school districts are closed on Easter Monday. And being closed for primaries and elections. When I was a kid, our schools weren't closed on election days.

In 2010 Spring Break was based on Passover - Mon, April 18-Thu, April 21
Spring break No school for students and teachers.
(Note: Passover begins April 19)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This nation was founded on Christians values and holidays like Xmas and easter are so ingrained in day-to-day life that many overlook their religious meaning. It is just a holiday like labor day. Now, introducing Jewish holidays in public school is a different story. What about Muslim children? What about other religions? This is not right.

Maryland was founded on freedom of religion - which lead the path for all religions in the nation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In 2010 Spring Break was based on Passover - Mon, April 18-Thu, April 21
Spring break No school for students and teachers.
(Note: Passover begins April 19)

Spring break is not based on Passover. Spring break is always before Easter. The note regarding Passover is always there, even when spring break is not at all on passover.
For example, in 2008

Mar. 21 & 24 Friday & Monday Holidays—Easter (Note: Passover begins at sundown on April 19) Offices & schools closed

(see http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/SchoolCalendar0708.pdf ).

For trivia, it is true that Passover is usually just before Easter, so it turns out that Passover is usually during Spring Break (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#Relationship_to_date_of_Passover.

In determining the date of the Gregorian and Julian Easter a lunisolar cycle is followed. In determining the date of the Jewish Passover a lunisolar calendar is also used, and because Easter always falls on a Sunday it usually falls up to a week after the first day of Passover (Nisan 15 in the Hebrew calendar). However, the differences in the rules between the Hebrew and Gregorian cycles results in Passover falling about a month after Easter in three years of the 19-year cycle. These occur in years 3, 11, and 14 of the Gregorian 19-year cycle (corresponding respectively to years 19, 8, and 11 of the Jewish 19-year cycle).

[Anonymous]

I love how my Christian friends are always pointing out that Christmas and Easter aren't religious. Santa, Christmas Trees, Easter Bunny, Egg Hunts, etc - they're just American. Uh, no - they are based on or born from the holiday which is a religious holiday.

I don't mind that stuff, I love to see Christmas decorations (although I won't have my daughter sit on Santa or Bunny's lap at the mall), we enjoy seeing the lights (I find the egg hunts/race for candy a bit greedy, but maybe that's just me). But just because I enjoy and participate in some of the Christmas or Easter related things, doesn't mean they aren't religiously-tinged.

[Anonymous]

You do know that the last supper was a Passover seder right? The holidays are close in time for this reason, because they happened at the same time! Spring break is a week long, it is ALWAYS the week before Easter and often Passover falls in that week. After all Passover is a week long.

Not only are a lot of MoCo teachers Jewish, but so are the substitute teachers. There aren't enough subs to replace all the teachers who would take off, it is that plain and simple. I know other posters have said this. It has nothing to do with catering to Jewish students or teachers. The fact that because schools are closed, Synagogues can rent the school space is just a nice coincidence.

I'm sure it is a pain in the butt for non-Jewish families. (I would add that Jewish people have to take vacation days from work generally to observe their holidays because unlike Christmas, it is a work day for most people.) However it is no more of an inconvenience than all the other random teacher planning days and half-days that the County inserts periodically during the school year. Singling out the Jewish holidays to complain about is anti-semetic.

[Anonymous]

Ops... The antisemitism card! It took sometime for it to show up, but it sure came. How typical.

[Anonymous]

A far more serious problem in MoCo school scheduling is the apaprent requirement that schools countywide close if there is a rumor of a snowflake in Poolesville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how my Christian friends are always pointing out that Christmas and Easter aren't religious. Santa, Christmas Trees, Easter Bunny, Egg Hunts, etc - they're just American. Uh, no - they are based on or born from the holiday which is a religious holiday.

I don't mind that stuff, I love to see Christmas decorations (although I won't have my daughter sit on Santa or Bunny's lap at the mall), we enjoy seeing the lights (I find the egg hunts/race for candy a bit greedy, but maybe that's just me). But just because I enjoy and participate in some of the Christmas or Easter related things, doesn't mean they aren't religiously-tinged.

Though the holy days of obligation are just ignored. Why then? Because non-secular people do not even know what they are let alone celebrate them.

[Anonymous]

The Jewish population is Mont County is somthing like 8% versus a nationwide average of 2%, so you can't really be surprised. But, here is the great thing about america - if you don;t like it, you can send your kids somewhere else. There are plenty of christian based schools that don't close on those days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do know that the last supper was a Passover seder right? The holidays are close in time for this reason, because they happened at the same time! Spring break is a week long, it is ALWAYS the week before Easter and often Passover falls in that week. After all Passover is a week long.

Not only are a lot of MoCo teachers Jewish, but so are the substitute teachers. There aren't enough subs to replace all the teachers who would take off, it is that plain and simple. I know other posters have said this. It has nothing to do with catering to Jewish students or teachers. The fact that because schools are closed, Synagogues can rent the school space is just a nice coincidence.

I'm sure it is a pain in the butt for non-Jewish families. (I would add that Jewish people have to take vacation days from work generally to observe their holidays because unlike Christmas, it is a work day for most people.) However it is no more of an inconvenience than all the other random teacher planning days and half-days that the County inserts periodically during the school year. Singling out the Jewish holidays to complain about is anti-semetic.

Wow! That is a stretch. How did we get - hey why do MCP schools have Jewish holidays off to being anti-semetic. Maybe you are just a little sensitive. It is rare in this country for a county to base days off of school to Jewish holidays. The simple answer is because alot of Jews live here. Period. No big deal.

Why do some schools in southern Virginia have crosses in them. Because they can and nobody complained yet. Would you?
While very few nations were willing to provide solace to Jews after the holocaust Maryland, specifically Montgomery County welcomed them and because of their generocity of nature it has become a wonderful and welcoming place for Jewish families to rasie their families.

I think you need to get over yourself a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Jewish population is Mont County is somthing like 8% versus a nationwide average of 2%, so you can't really be surprised. But, here is the great thing about america - if you don;t like it, you can send your kids somewhere else. There are plenty of christian based schools that don't close on those days.

Wow - you are sweet - can I set up a playdate between our kids.

[Anonymous]

Wow! That is a stretch. How did we get - hey why do MCP schools have Jewish holidays off to being anti-semetic. Maybe you are just a little sensitive. It is rare in this country for a county to base days off of school to Jewish holidays. The simple answer is because alot of Jews live here. Period. No big deal.

Why do some schools in southern Virginia have crosses in them. Because they can and nobody complained yet. Would you?
While very few nations were willing to provide solace to Jews after the holocaust Maryland, specifically Montgomery County welcomed them and because of their generocity of nature it has become a wonderful and welcoming place for Jewish families to rasie their families.

I think you need to get over yourself a little.

The original question was not anti-semetic, but some of the comments complaining by specifically pointing out that Jews are getting their holiday when others are not is anti-semetic. The reason the day is off is purely logistics, just like teacher planning days give teachers time to prepare report cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Wow! That is a stretch. How did we get - hey why do MCP schools have Jewish holidays off to being anti-semetic. Maybe you are just a little sensitive. It is rare in this country for a county to base days off of school to Jewish holidays. The simple answer is because alot of Jews live here. Period. No big deal.

Why do some schools in southern Virginia have crosses in them. Because they can and nobody complained yet. Would you?
While very few nations were willing to provide solace to Jews after the holocaust Maryland, specifically Montgomery County welcomed them and because of their generocity of nature it has become a wonderful and welcoming place for Jewish families to rasie their families.

I think you need to get over yourself a little.

The original question was not anti-semetic, but some of the comments complaining by specifically pointing out that Jews are getting their holiday when others are not is anti-semetic. The reason the day is off is purely logistics, just like teacher planning days give teachers time to prepare report cards.


How is saying I don't think MCP should base days off on Jewish holidays anti-semetic. It's an opinion on how days off should be determined not a negative comment on a group of people.

While some of the comments may be ignorant they are not anti-semetic.