Though Jews only make up a small percentage of the Fairfax County community, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) tends to overlook the celebration of major Jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah (High Holy Days).
Winter break, otherwise known as “Christmas break,” has brought to my attention that FCPS does not allow for the celebration of Jewish holidays. And no, I am not talking about just Hanukkah.
The belief that Hanukkah is a significant Jewish holiday is a common misconception. It is true that taking a break off of school for the eight-day long celebration as well as an additional break for Christmas and New Years’ break would be unreasonable, but FCPS fails to acknowledge the High Holy Days.
Winter break lasts two weeks and extends far past New Years’ Day. Instead of such an extensive winter break, FCPS should consider the High Holy Days as student holidays.
As a reformed Jew, I have found it difficult to balance faith and school. Rather than attending services for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, I have attended school for the past three years as a result of scheduled tests and presentations on that day.
Though FCPS is fairly accommodating with students’ religious observances, I still struggle to make the decision to miss an entire day of school and fall behind in class especially as the High Holy Days are only a week or so after the start of school.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) did not have school on Sept. 4 or Sept. 19, the two days the High Holy Days fell on in 2018. While MCPS does have a significantly higher Jewish population, setting aside a few days for a period of repentance eliminates the tough decision each Jewish teen makes each year.
Choosing to miss school for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah is not a decision I should have to make.
2019-01-23