Being an "Observant" Jew in a Public School

(Side note: If you are unfamiliar with the customs of Rosh Hashanah, I suggest you check this out Rosh Hashanah)


Wednesday evening marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The holiday carries on until Friday at sundown and then shabbat, the Jewish sabbath and day of rest begins immediately and ends Saturday at sun down. For most kids the Thursday that we have off of school is spent out doing whatever they want to, seeing movies, sleeping late, hanging out with friends, shopping, etc. As a conservative and "observant" Jew I spend the day differently.The video below should help you better understand what the holiday is about. 


This is how the conversation went with one of my teachers went last year when I asked him to sign my absence note:
-Me: Good morning (teacher's name). I am going to be missing school Wednesday for Rosh Hashanah, would you please sign my absence note?"
-Teacher: Oh, nice. Sure. I thought Rosh Hashanah was Tuesday. Catching up on sleep?
-Me: Nope. Going to synagogue and praying for 5 hours.
-Teacher: Really? I never knew. What do you do on Rosh Hashanah?
-Me: Well, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Years. So, my family and I go to synagogue together from 9 until 2 and then we go home and start preparing for dinner where we have 20 people over and then we have some Jewish traditions that we follow also like listening to the shofar, eating apples and honey for a sweet new year and a round challah. 
-Teacher: You do all that on our day off? That's so unfair that you have to miss school a second day and are so busy like that too!


I am unsure how I feel about the last thing that he said there- that it is unfair for me to not be given the school day off for a religious observance. In the defense of the school board, they did give off one day for those who wish to observe the holiday, and in the United States we have separation of church and state, so religion should not interfere with school. However, if we are using that as an excuse, then it makes no sense that we are given off Good Friday and our winter break is planned off of when Christmas is and so many other Christian holidays. In a place where we believe in separation of church and state, then why have all 44 of our presidents been Christian? Why do we only ever hear Christmas music? For me, having to miss school because I am Jewish has just always been how it is. It's annoying to have to catch up on work and tests I missed, but it does strengthen my sense of Jewish identity. Choosing to miss school for the second day of Rosh Hashanah means much more than if I was just given the day off to go to synagogue. What do you think? Is it unfair that students have to miss school to observe religious holidays?