Dear Educator:

The beginning of the school year is also the time when many major Jewish holidays occur. Jewish students, teachers and parents may be unable to attend classes or other school events due to religious observance. As you may know, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are some of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar and observances require day-long attendance at synagogue and abstinence from all work.

For your reference, here are the calendar dates for the 2010 High Holy Days:

Rosh Hashanah:   Begins on Wednesday, September 8th at sundown and ends at sundown on Friday, September 10th.

Yom Kippur:     Begins on Friday, September 17th at sundown and ends at sundown on Saturday, September 18th.

Many students and teachers will be out of school on those days of religious observance. We hope you will allow your students to be absent, without penalty, on those days.  Additionally, we encourage you to make reasonable efforts to accommodate your employees who wish to observe the holidays.  We believe that school administrators can build an atmosphere of mutual respect by accommodating students and employees for their religious practices.

The increasingly pluralistic population of the United States creates rich and diverse communities, student bodies and workplaces.  To enhance mutual understanding and respect among the various religious, ethnic and cultural groups, we publish the Calendar of Observances.  This calendar, covering many faiths, can be helpful in increasing awareness and sensitivity about religious obligations as well as ethnic and cultural festivities.

ADL also publishes useful guides on issues related to religion in public schools.  You may find helpful the ABC’s of Religion in the Public Schools and a Guide to Religious Clubs on Campus.  We make these materials publicly available and you can find them on our website at http://www.adl.org/religious_freedom.

ADL also offers diversity, anti-bias and anti-bullying trainings through its A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute.  These programs are designed to help administrators, educators and students address issues of prejudice and discrimination, and to foster respect for differences.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further guidance on these issues or to learn more about our A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute programs.

Sincerely,
contactus@adl.org
Anti-Defamation League