Every year, Jackson-Reed’s Jewish students miss at least four days of school for holidays, and when they return, there is always tons of work to make up. Why does school close for Christian holidays but not Jewish holidays?

Jewish kids in DC public schools have it the hardest. We have to miss many days of school for religious purposes, and therefore fall behind. Notably, Montgomery County Public Schools and many nearby private schools, like GDS, have no school on major Jewish holidays. Christians, on the other hand, get a whole week off for Christmas and Easter, their major holidays.

If Jewish students get school off they will be able to focus on the holiday itself, and not feel concerned about what will happen the following day at school. When they miss school, they are more likely not to understand new material and will end up falling behind. It’s important to recognize that without having Jewish holidays off, these students will be forced to scramble to catch up, making them unfocused the next day. Overall, having religious days off will lead to a better academic environment for Jewish students.

Non-Jewish students will get a few free days to catch up on missing work and have time to relax, like Jewish students do during winter break. Many religions go unrecognized as DCPS doesn’t allow for days off for many non-Christian holidays. This doesn’t just apply to Jews; Muslim holidays are also not accounted for in the school calendar. 

There are some downsides, including teachers concerned that they won’t be able to reach deadlines with fewer instructional days. However, additional days off will make it easier for more students to stay on top of work, ultimately making those deadlines easier to accomplish.

One possible solution is closing school on the High Holidays because they are extremely important to the Jewish religion, and most Jewish students will miss school those days. A compromise could be to give half days, so Jewish students can go to services for half the day, and school the other half. 

In the end, having these days off will make us Jewish students much happier and more successful, allowing us to remain calm and present throughout the holidays. •