I can fortunately say that as a Jew on Brown’s campus, I never feel unwelcome or ostracized. Of course, there are subtle, everyday ways in which I am different: I call my roommate’s Christmas lights “holiday” lights, I avoid eating bread around Passover and I say the word “schlep” more often than I probably should. But for the most part, I feel like an integrated member of the Brown community no different from my non-Jewish counterparts. For much of history, the opposite was true. This equality and acceptance is not self-evident and is something the Jewish community should not take lightly.
But there are times in which the consequences of my faith become shockingly evident. Interestingly, while we speak very often of the divisions that class or race or politics can cause, the separation that religions produce remains very much under the radar. Nevertheless, despite our acceptance, the Jewish community still has its differences. It is essential for Brown community members to respect and honor these differences just as they do the many sources of rich diversity that presents itself on our campus. One such separation is the unfair distinction the University makes between Christian and Jewish holidays. Though we are at a point of historic acceptance of diversity of faith, it is still extremely important that Jews and non-Jews do not become complacent in acceptance and that we fight together against this unacceptable, inequitable policy.
As a co-chair of the Holidays Committee at Brown RISD Hillel, I helped plan last year’s Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur events. These “High Holy Days” are the most important in the Jewish calendar — not Hanukkah or Passover as my non-Jewish brethren may expect. Each night of the High Holy Days, hundreds of Brown students descend on Brown RISD Hillel in their blazers and yarmulke to observe the holidays. For many Jews on Brown’s campus, this set of Holy Days is the only connection to their faith. For more observant Jews, it is an important time of self-reflection. Because work is prohibited religiously and services are often held early in the morning, many Jewish students do not attend class throughout the holidays.
To be honest, we should never have classes planned on these two days. Back in New York, school was always canceled during Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. Brown should be no different. A significant portion of Brown’s community is Jewish and will be observing this holiday. It is to the Jewish community what Easter and Christmas are to our Christian population. When I hear students complain that finals ended only days before Christmas this past semester, it reminds me of the unfair policies the University has.
But this next year presents a particularly concerning coincidence. Rosh Hashanah will begin Sept. 4 — incidentally the same day the 2013-2014 academic year’s classes will begin. While Brown RISD Hillel strongly encouraged the University to move the first day of classes so that it would not coincide with the Jewish holiday, the University voted in opposition.
Brown is known for its embrace of diversity, its respect for differences in beliefs and backgrounds and its keen concern for acceptance and community. It is a moral imperative that the Jewish faith and culture are treated with the same respect as other religions, especially given University policy towards Christmas. Students have the right to be able to practice major tenets of their faith and to honor their cultural heritage without it interfering with school work. Unfortunately, by elevating Christmas to a higher status than Jewish holidays of equal import, the University is marginalizing one of its largest communities. It is a discriminatory and imbalanced policy the University should seriously reconsider.
Having school during these major Jewish holidays will interfere with the observation of the holidays. Students who avoid classes during the holiday will miss some of the first few classes of the year and a significant portion of shopping period. For those students who are less observant, this will act as a deterrent and significantly reduce the number of students who observe the holiday.
This is especially disheartening for Jewish first-year students, who will either miss the first few days of school or miss out on the observation of their faith during this integral holiday. Missing school will mean first-year students miss out on a day that is symbolically meaningful and practically important for integrating into college classes, reviewing syllabi and getting to know professors. For others, missing out on the High Holidays will mean turning their backs on their faith and losing the opportunity to continue their connections with Jewish life through the Jewish community on campus. Students should not be forced to make this difficult decision.
Given the practical and moral issues surrounding the University’s policies towards the Jewish High Holy Days, Brown should seriously consider moving next year’s first day of classes and even giving time off for the major Jewish holidays in the future. A community that prides itself on accommodation and embrace of diversity would do nothing less.
Alex Drechsler ’15 can be reached at alex_drechsler@brown.edu.
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