DCPS and Jewish holidays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the fact that the second day of RH this year is an off day is great. Kids are going to school on Thursday and services on Friday.

The number of days of DCPS has during the school year (most of November is a 4 day week) I'm fine with schools being open on Jewish holidays. If I wasn't they'd go to JPDS.

We're reform so no services on the second day. We're just taking advantage of the 4 day weekend and heading out of town after services on Thursday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would give Rosh hashanah and yom Kippur off like all surrounding counties. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but obviously there are less Jew in DC than in MCPS, but maybe not PG and they get those days off. we have a lot of Jewish families at our school... way more than in some MC areas and they have the days off. Anything I can do? Get a petition going? I mean we have off the day after this year for a PD, you think they could just throw us a bone and say, we respect your holiday, students can have off. I mean we get Easter Monday off...

Easter Monday is a historic AA event specific to DC and it's unique culture.

Jewish High Holy Days may make sense due to percentage Jewish students or faculty.

These are two separate questions.

And Easter Monday isn't a holiday anymore.

It was at our HRC. So was Chinese New Year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would give Rosh hashanah and yom Kippur off like all surrounding counties. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but obviously there are less Jew in DC than in MCPS, but maybe not PG and they get those days off. we have a lot of Jewish families at our school... way more than in some MC areas and they have the days off. Anything I can do? Get a petition going? I mean we have off the day after this year for a PD, you think they could just throw us a bone and say, we respect your holiday, students can have off. I mean we get Easter Monday off...

Easter Monday is a historic AA event specific to DC and it's unique culture.

Jewish High Holy Days may make sense due to percentage Jewish students or faculty.

These are two separate questions.

And Easter Monday isn't a holiday anymore.

It was at our HRC. So was Chinese New Year.

If we're looking at the same school, they also took off Rosh Hashana.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

That is precisely how schools with significant Muslim and Jewish populations handle it. I assume your concern over schedule doesn't include an offer to have school on Christmas to make up the day.

There is the practical matter that most US employers are closed on Xmas. My employer is open for business on the High Holidays, so I would have to pay for childcare if schools closed on those days

Well we want to inconvenience anyone from the majority now would we. Let's just place the burden exclusively on members of minority religions.

LOL. I take it you haven't spent many Sundays in Israel. Yom rishon is the start of the work and school week, and the many Christians in Israel get to like it or lump it. That's how the world works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

I would love this.

[Anonymous]

Do we really have as many Muslim teachers as Jewish teachers? That's hard to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christmas is a national holiday, the high holidays are not. Eid is not. That's why businesses are closed for Christmas and not for Eid. I'm a Jew - but that is just a fact.

Christmas is a Christian holiday. Most schools and businesses are closed in recognition that the majority of the population is Christian. It is not a national holiday and many non-Christians don't celebrate anything on that day other than enjoying the day off, just as they would on a weekend or a secular holiday like President's Day.

Actually, Christmas is a federal holiday. http://www.ca3.uscourts.gov/2017-federal-holidays

I think there are a lot of problems with having a religious holiday (whether all people celebrate it in a religious manner or not, it is undoubtedly an religious holiday) recognized by the US federal government given, you know, separation between church and state. As far as workplaces are concerned, people should be given a certain number of days as flexible excused absences. People can use them for various religious holidays (most would use 1 day for Christmas) and non-observant people can use them as some extra vacation time.

As for schools, they should just go by demographics. Once a critical mass has been reached, close for major religious holidays. Obviously there's a limit to the number of days kids can have off, but Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur seem reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love it if spring break could be over Passover every year so we didn't have to worry so much about food for our kids, as we keep Passover.

But this is the life we chose and the school district we chose. We do take extra days off during the holiday for extended travel to family.

Interesting. For us, I'd hate to have Passover coincide with spring break bc then we'd have to keep Passover while traveling. That's a pain.

Sure, I'd love to have Passover off too, but given that the dates change every year, and more people want Easter off, I don't see it happening.

I super resent having to choose between taking vacation days and observing major Jewish holidays, but ultimately we live in a Christian country, whether we like it or not.

[Anonymous]

Religious holidays are an automatic excused absence (assuming you communicate this). It's the law for PreK - college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love it if spring break could be over Passover every year so we didn't have to worry so much about food for our kids, as we keep Passover.

But this is the life we chose and the school district we chose. We do take extra days off during the holiday for extended travel to family.

Interesting. For us, I'd hate to have Passover coincide with spring break bc then we'd have to keep Passover while traveling. That's a pain.

Sure, I'd love to have Passover off too, but given that the dates change every year, and more people want Easter off, I don't see it happening.

I super resent having to choose between taking vacation days and observing major Jewish holidays, but ultimately we live in a Christian country, whether we like it or not.

I use sick days for Jewish holidays, rather than vacation, partly on the theory that among other things I'm doing, I'm caring for my kids those days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love it if spring break could be over Passover every year so we didn't have to worry so much about food for our kids, as we keep Passover.

But this is the life we chose and the school district we chose. We do take extra days off during the holiday for extended travel to family.

Interesting. For us, I'd hate to have Passover coincide with spring break bc then we'd have to keep Passover while traveling. That's a pain.

Sure, I'd love to have Passover off too, but given that the dates change every year, and more people want Easter off, I don't see it happening.

I super resent having to choose between taking vacation days and observing major Jewish holidays, but ultimately we live in a Christian country, whether we like it or not.

I use sick days for Jewish holidays, rather than vacation, partly on the theory that among other things I'm doing, I'm caring for my kids those days.

Yeah that wouldn't pass most HR's sniff test. Religious holidays don't mean you're sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love it if spring break could be over Passover every year so we didn't have to worry so much about food for our kids, as we keep Passover.

But this is the life we chose and the school district we chose. We do take extra days off during the holiday for extended travel to family.

Interesting. For us, I'd hate to have Passover coincide with spring break bc then we'd have to keep Passover while traveling. That's a pain.

Sure, I'd love to have Passover off too, but given that the dates change every year, and more people want Easter off, I don't see it happening.

I super resent having to choose between taking vacation days and observing major Jewish holidays, but ultimately we live in a Christian country, whether we like it or not.

I use sick days for Jewish holidays, rather than vacation, partly on the theory that among other things I'm doing, I'm caring for my kids those days.

Yeah that wouldn't pass most HR's sniff test. Religious holidays don't mean you're sick.

Sick time at my company can be used for days when I need to be home with a kid, too. Or do you take vacation when your kids are sick?

[Anonymous]

Sick time at some companies can only be used when the employee is sick.

At other companies, when the employee is sick or caring for a sick family member.

Probably very few employers allow it for when the employee is sick or caring for a sick family member or a healthy family member who isn't attending school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never lived in a school district that gave the high holidays off. I understand that when you move from one to the other it seems like you are "missing out" but it isn't a lot of school districts in the US that do it. I suggest you do what everyone else here is saying - just get over it, have your kids take the days off and receive an excused absence.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never lived in a school district that gave the high holidays off. I understand that when you move from one to the other it seems like you are "missing out" but it isn't a lot of school districts in the US that do it. I suggest you do what everyone else here is saying - just get over it, have your kids take the days off and receive an excused absence.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

If htis is really important, you need to check before you move into a school district.

Easter is on Sunday; there will never be school on that day. And Christmas is a federal holiday -- when that changes and businesses and government are open Dec 25, then I would expect public schools to follow suit.