<p>maryversity, you are right it is tough. My older S did miss classes during his beginning years but this year he just felt he couldn’t. My younger S fortunately had a light schedule for both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, he did go to class and also went to services. It would be so much easier if there were no classes. I don’t know if either fasted, I know my older s did for years but this was the first year he went to class. I thought is was better not to ask and neither of them mentioned it. By the way my kids dealt with this same situation all through their public school years. They always missed class and made up the work. College is different and neither is at a school with a large percentage of Jews like Brandeis.</p>
<p>Yeshiva University doesn’t hold classes on the chaggim. 
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<p>It seems easier to deal with this at schools where there are lots of Jewish students, because so many students won’t be in classes that the professors expect this as an issue. But even in most of those schools Jewish students make up at most 30% or so of the student body…and not all of the Jewish students may be attending services. In public K-12 schools in districts with large numbers of Jewish students it makes sense to have RH and YK off because otherwise the school district loses lots of state funding because so many students are absent. In a college setting, there’s no such penalty, and the majority of students aren’t directly affected. </p>
<p>I’m annoyed that D1’s spring break ends the Sunday before the first Seder on Monday night. Impossible for her to spend even one Seder with us, since we live on the west coast and she’s on the east. This is a private school with a substantial Jewish population, so I was very surprised they hadn’t checked on this before setting up break times.</p>
<p>Greetings to all. I am a long-time lurker on CC and particularly this thread. As Northeastern is frequently discussed here, I thought there would be interest in this video on YouTube:
Anti-Semitic Education at Northeastern University. Sorry, completely computer illiterate, and don’t know how to make a link. DH brought it to my attention when he saw it on JSpace.</p>
<p>DS is a HS senior planning to study Computer Science. The posting about the acceptance to Pitt (congratulations!) struck terror in my heart as DS is still working on his essays. One school he is applying to has EA deadline of 10/15 and I’ve warned him he’d better be hitting that submit button in the next few days! I think I’ll go wake him up. He’s a great kid but I don’t think he truly understands about deadlines.</p>
<p>If it’s any consolation, I don’t know of any college that has off for the Monday after Easter (which is the second most important Christian event), which makes it pretty much impossible for any student that lives a distance away to go home. Having it on a Sunday also means that one can attend services, just not with family.</p>
<p>And I’ll ask this in all ignorance - are all of these events something that all Jewish people, regardless of how religious they are, would mark? Is it an all day thing, or is it just a service? Also, if even if 30% of the students are Jewish, would most of those kids do something to mark the event?</p>
<p>kathiep - you can never say anything regarding “all Jewish people.” Observance levels range over far too broad a spectrum. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are the High Holidays, so many Jews who don’t observe any other holidays, will observe them to at least some extent. Many Jews who never otherwise set foot in synagogue, will attend on the High Holidays. High Holiday services are fairly lengthy. There are services the night before (a Jewish “day” starts at sunset). Then services during the day. On Yom Kippur they are especially long - sometimes with only a brief afternoon break. Yom Kippur also involves fasting. </p>
<p>On the High Holidays (and on other holidays and the Sabbath as well), “work” is prohibited – because the High Holidays are so important, many who don’t observe other holidays or the Sabbath, will still observe this on the High Holidays at least to some extent. For those who are more observant this can extend as far as to not using electricity. But for many who are less observant, it means not going to work, which for a student means school. Many Jewish students undoubtedly have parents who take off from work on the High Holidays, but not all. Chances are, most Jewish students came from families where at least something was done to acknowledge the High Holidays, be it attending services, eating holiday meals, not doing things normally done on other days, etc. But that doesn’t mean that ALL Jews will do this. The High Holidays are a big deal religiously, but NOTHING is universal.</p>
<p>When a Jewish student is away from home at college, they have to come to terms will how they will define their Jewish observance. While at home with their family, staying home from school (if they attend a school that is not closed for the High Holidays), attending a big family dinner, going to services, etc. may all have been part of a routine that will not be as easy for them to follow while away at school. Some will try their best to go home for the Holidays. Some will go to campus services and/or a Hillel dinner. In some communities, the local Jewish community will “take in” students who are seeking a “home” for the High Holidays. Some will attend services in the morning and then go to class in the afternoon. Some will do nothing. As parents, I guess many of us just want them to be able to feel comfortable being able to make choices without feeling the pressure that they “can’t” observe how they would like (and how we might like 
).</p>
<p>Oh and regarding schools closing on high holidays – Muhlenberg College, which is a Lutheran college but has about 30% Jewish enrollment, closes on Yom Kippur.</p>
<p>Well said iamhere!</p>
<p>Just to add – I also think the reason the High Holidays raise an important concern - 1) they come up right at the beginning of the school year, and 2) they are so important religiously. Our students are faced right away with an important issue of how they will fashion their Jewish life at college. They will have so many additional issues to face as they fashion that life, as parents, I think we just want to feel that they can navigate those issues without feeling right off the bat that there are unnecessary obstacles.</p>
<p>A couple of years ago, both Binghamton and Albany (SUNY) were closed for the holidays. Not sure if they do that every year, I had only looked the year DD was going to be a freshman , in case she went there (she didn’t ).</p>
<p>Binghamton still closes.</p>
<p>iamhere, Thanks for the explanation. I must have said something wrong, of course I know that ALL jewish people don’t do anything. Just as ALL Catholic/Protestant/Muslim, etc people don’t all do the same thing. I guess I was thinking that many, many kids (my own included) that may have gone to church every Sunday without prodding when they lived at home just don’t go to church at College. So while we parents may be unhappy, the students may not be complaining.</p>
<p>Kathie, many, many families that never set foot in a synagogue all year will go to services for the high holidays. Both the evening before and the day of. Synagogues often have to have their services in two shifts, and open up overflow seating space to accommodate the members who come only on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. </p>
<p>Yom Kippur is literally sundown to sundown, quite solemn and sometimes intense. I think that skipping Yom Kippur would be something many kids would have to think long and hard about and would feel weird about. I do not know if there is a parallel on the Christian calendar, in terms of the intensity of the observation and the pervasiveness. </p>
<p>I also think that skipping Passover seder altogether would be parallel to skipping Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. My sibs and I, actually, spent Thanksgivings in other people’s homes over the years, but we would have walked over hot coals barefoot to be home for Passover seder.</p>
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<p>See, if D1’s school had delayed break by one week they would’ve covered both Easter Sunday and Passover. Grrrr!</p>
<p>The scheduling this year is also especially frustrating because it means that pretty much the only option for Seder is going to be at Hillel or Chabad. First seder is on Monday night, second seder is Tuesday night. kathie, a seder starts in the evening after sunset (unless like us you cheat and start earlier…shhh, don’t tell 
) and then goes REALLY late. Like midnight. Long service, with themed appetizers, dinner, then more long service (no appetizers), wine throughout. It is meant to very much be a home-based service. At any rate, unless a student’s family lives right near campus, there’s just no way to manage seder and getting back to school. Thanksgiving is an excellent analogy. Thanksgiving is also a walk in the park compared to hosting and preparing for a seder. :)</p>
<p>When I called Hillel last semester to mention this even they were taken aback by the scheduling. Really unfortunate. 
On the other hand, D1 was initially going to do study abroad in the spring of junior year, and now it looks like she’ll be doing fall semester, which means she’ll be able to come home for seder in 2014. Hooray! :)</p>
<p>From a non-Jewish lurker on the thread: My D and I visited Skidmore on Rosh Hashanah, taking advantage of a day off from school, and was surprised that classes were not in session. I was surprised - it never even occurred to me to check. Tours & info session were still offered.</p>
<p>DeskPotato, Thanks for elaborating, that really helped.</p>
<p>With all this talk of Passover, I just checked the academic calendar for the University of Delaware. Because of their long winter session (break), spring semester starts the day after the Super Bowl and spring break is the last week of March. So that means that DD will be home for Passover this year :)</p>
<p>She fasted for Yom Kippur but didn’t go to any services on campus, despite the many options. But, I know she will be happy to be home for our seders.</p>
<p>P.S. On the college app front, DS has submitted 5 out of 8 apps, including 3 EAs and 1 Fast-Track (safety) that we will hear by 11/15. Going to two local admissions events this week (Miami and Tulane) to meet admissions reps. Feeling pretty good about how this is going now…</p>
<p>Thank you for the information on the Jewish High Holidays. I’m not Jewish and I am enjoying learning about it. This thread has definitely caused me to be more aware.</p>
<p>linymom - Good luck to your S. All along it has seemed like the two of you have been on a good, steady track. Sounds great that 5 of 8 have gone out! All the best.</p>
<p>Yes,vandygrad87, I’m not Jewish either but have benefited from learning new things from this thread. My son just came back from his first trip to Europe and he and his friend visted Dachau and a Jewish synagogue and cemetery in Prague. I was glad to hear he had done that. He went for Oktoberfest but also made sure he visited historical sites.</p>
<p>Yay, LINYMOM! Great to have the majority under your belt. Your S has only u you to thank when those acceptances start rolling in, and rolling in early. See you at the Tulane event! Anyone else from Long Island going?</p>