Every Christmas, students at State High get a break. This break is mainly provided in order to ensure that students celebrate and enjoy this holiday with their families.
However, Jewish students at the high school celebrate Hanukkah instead. Even if the dates of this event change annually because of the Hebrew calendar, this year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from the 14th to the 22nd of December, whereas our Christmas break will start on the 23rd of that month. So, should students who celebrate Hanukkah be obliged to go to school during the dates of the celebration?
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebration celebrated with a nightly menorah. The menorah is an eight-branched gold candelabra, which holds eight candles, one of which is used as a shamash (attendant), being used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, they light just one flame. On the second one, they light another flame. By the eighth and last night of Hanukkah, all eight lights are kindled. This celebration commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, whereas Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Apart from the lighting of the candelabra, Hanukkah is celebrated in more ways. Families sing Hanukkah songs and recite special blessings during these holidays. Additionally, many dishes are cooked in oil to represent the miracle, for instance, jelly-filled donuts or potato pancakes. Some families give different gifts each night of Hanukkah as well.
As the First Amendment of the US Constitution confirms, there is supposed to be a separation between church and state, although two school breaks fall on Christian holidays: Christmas and Easter. Therefore, if school breaks already include religions, I strongly believe that public schools should include all religions or none.
“This would not affect me in any negative way. I think this would be a great time for the people who have the holiday at a different time to get their time off and to get the same fulfillment from it as other people do from their holidays,” Kristina Fedkin, a student at State High who doesn’t celebrate Hanukkah, said.
The week before Christmas break is known for being a stressful week due to exams, although this week has matched with Hanukkah more than once. Although making students who celebrate this event stressed while trying to enjoy their holiday, students who celebrate Christmas get an enjoyable and relaxing two-week break.
“I think it’s difficult, because I have to go to school, and dance, and like just any activity, and then finally I can come home and celebrate the holiday with my family. So I think it’s difficult, especially since usually during the school year, people get off for other holidays, like multiple days off for other holidays. So it’s just confusing why we can’t have off for like, this one special holiday,” Ella Beck, a Jewish student who goes to Delta, said.
Even if it is difficult to get a day off for the eight days of the holiday, getting one or two days off would be really helpful for our Jewish students. While those days off may not seem special for some of our students, they could mean a lot for our Jewish students.
“Every year it’s a different date. So I feel like if I can just at least consider taking, like, maybe the last day off, the eighth night or the first night or something like that. I think that would be good,” Beck said.
However, even if this year students who celebrate Hanukkah won’t get those days off, our workers at State High are aware of the situation.
“I kind of feel like there should be some sort of kind of equitable view on how we can have all of our friends who do celebrate these holidays, or for religious purposes, to have that time off in order to celebrate with their community and their friends and family,” Secondary Equity Liason Aaron Moon said.
Students who celebrate Hanukkah should get the chance to celebrate their holiday with their peers without having to stress about academics; therefore, letting them get the first or last day of school off would be highly beneficial.
