<p>And yes, I do realize that the above post makes me sound like a total moron. I assure you I am not! Clueless perhaps, but not a moron!</p>
<p>Hi all. Haven’t posted in a long time, but have been reading all of yours. Congratulations on all of the great acceptances so far this year, and good luck to those of you still waiting.</p>
<p>S2 just took the ACT for the first time last weekend, and that will go a long way in helping us decide which schools we should be looking at since we are counting on decent scores to counterbalance a low GPA.</p>
<p>I just had to post to let you know, Vandy* that your post made me smile. </p>
<p>My S1 will be coming home to all of his gifts next week. He’s missed out on lighting the candles w/ us and I’ll probably have him light them all at home before he gets his gifts.</p>
<p>Vandy, I think post #15261 makes you sound like a kind person. LINYMOM, try Google Hangouts. You can get 9 people together at a time with Hangouts, and you can even put on digital funny hats, & add sound effects. Just right for Purim! :-)</p>
<p>Vandygrad, you didn’t sound like a moron. The Jewish calendar is confusing for us also. Somehow the holidays are always either early or late. Thanks for the sympathy.</p>
<p>Thanks Vandygrad. It’s kind of you to think of us. It’s always exciting when the holidays coincide with the kids’ school calendars, and they get some time off. Latkes will be on my Thanksgiving menu next year.</p>
<p>How thoughtful Vandygrad. At least for our family Hanukah is not the same important family experience that Christmas is to most Christians but you also made me smile and think, Thank you…For those of you old timers on this thread I’m sorry if I’m being repetitious at one time or another I probably already told this story…Years ago, back in 2001, Rosh Hashana came shortly after 9/11. My S was running for class treasurer (I guess appropriate to stereotype) and I was helping him hang campaign posters in his school. I stopped at the office and told the counselor that my S would not be able to attend the assembly that campaign speaches were being given because of the holy day. As we were hanging the posters the principal came to me and told me in no uncertain terms that he could not run if he would not be there to give his speech. I explained to her about the holy day and she told me it was picture day and other kids had to reschedule Dr appts for the speech. I explained that I could not reschedule the holy day, and she told me that you sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your faith. I then told her that she didn’t because she was off for all of her important holidays and that was a bit of enlightenment for her. As I left the counselor mouthed to me that they would work it out and in fact they did. And yes, he won the election :). I don’t know if it was the heated discussion or the emotion packed into that time but I went to my car and just cried for a good while before I got back on the road. So your comment and acknowledgement was so refreshing to me when I read it. Thanks!</p>
<p>We’re also in an area with few Jews, but the schools and teachers have been very understanding for religious absences. Still, the kids have to make up any work they miss- and end up doing homework on holidays. We’re always happy when they fall on a school break or even a weekend.</p>
<p>vandygrad and spectrum - great posts. There is so much potential for understanding and compromise when we educate each other on our various faiths. I think many non-Jews don’t realize that the Jewish holidays are based on the Hebrew calendar and therefore do not have a consistent date, like Christmas does. I believe this explains may explain some of the unfortunate calendar conflicts that occur, such as when a school program lands on Rosh Hashana and so forth. I always like to assume that it is an accidental situation. Education goes a long way. In an interesting side note, our public schools are closed for the major Jewish holidays. The local Muslim community has petitioned the school board for the same consideration, to have the county public school system closed on their holiest day. Did not pass this year, but perhaps in the future, depending on their population in our county.</p>
<p>Vandy, I would never think that someone who just learned something was a moron. Like the others, I am glad that you are happy to be here and we appreciate your honesty and kindness. I have had those same run-ins at school and when I was working. The funniest thing that happened though when I was working involved a financing I was working on for an order of nuns. When the scheduling was going forward (in September), the nun looked at her calendar and said “oh the date we picked is Rosh Hashona, does that affect anyone?” Could have knocked my stockings off! I was only a first year associate, and the partner I was with was available, so no problem, but it was a wonderful moment for me!</p>
<p>Chanukah seems like a minor Jewish holiday that got built up to have American Jewish parents have something to compete with the excitement and gift-giving of Christmas. To us, Chanukah is more of a kid holiday – ShawWife and I don’t feel the same urge (especially in our Sandy-ravaged house) to do much for Chanukah with an empty nest. </p>
<p>The same would not be true for Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, or Passover. Even if the kids did not come home, we would celebrate. </p>
<p>When we lived in New York many years ago, I remember taking a NJ Transit bus from Penn Station to my parents town for Yom Kippur. The black dispatcher said to the Hispanic driver, “You better move. These people need to get to home to eat before they start fasting.” I was quite touched.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your kind words. Our public schools do take off for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur so it’s nice that families can be together for those Holy days. And while I knew that Hanukkah changes dates-wise (why is that?) it just never hit me, emotionally, that your kids wouldn’t be home. I guess I must have known it intellectually but I never really processed what that would mean emotionally. Now that I have a kid who will be going away to college next year, I am thinking about all kinds of things that never crossed my mind, because my kids are always here! KWIM?</p>
<p>It feels as though my D has one foot out the door now. She is here and part of the family but I can feel something slowly detaching, like the edges of a bandaid being pulled off very slowly. I think that part is harder than waiting to hear about admissions.</p>
<p>Vandy, I hear you. It’s a hard year for all of us. So much waiting and wondering at the door of what is a wonderful future, and yet so much is unkown. Although they don’t articulate it either, our kids feel it too. I imagine one minute they want to leave and the next minute they must be scared too.</p>
<p>Vandy- very sweet of you to empathize. At least in our house, though, Chanukah is a very minor holiday, made even MORE minor as children grow older. Btw, the dates change year to year because the Jewish calendar is on a lunar, not solar calendar.
Your band aid metaphor is perfect and really hit home for me. :(</p>
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<p>Lovely!!!</p>
<p>With my youngest being a freshman and both girls being out of state, it has been a strange Hanukkah. I shipped all of the gifts and we light candles each night with the girls on facetime. Even though all of the faces are together, it is still not the same.</p>
<p>A few posts back I said something about Chanukah being a minor holiday. Scratch that! D2 into Northeastern with $15k/yr. Great Chanukah present!!!</p>
<p>Woo Hoo, Vitrac! An acceptance with gelt! Love it!</p>
<p>Vitrac Congrats, that’s a great Hanakkah present. We are still waiting for the NorthEastern e mail at our house.</p>
<p>Sent from my SPH-D700 using CC</p>
<p>Congrats Vitrac! That’s a great present.</p>
<p>It’ll be tough to top that one the next night!</p>