New choices on the Jewish New Year

Navigating the first few days of classes is always a daunting task. Does this history class fit my schedule, or should I try to enroll in the political science class? Should I take physics or wait until next semester when the lab section has a better time slot? As everyone returns to school, the arduous search for the best schedule becomes the norm.
But in this mix, many students across campus will be making a few more decisions. Should I miss class on Thursday to go to Rosh Hashanah services? Can I take an absence at the first seminar to make it home for the holiday?
With the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah beginning on Wednesday evening, students and professors alike will be put to a test without grades, but with many challenges.
Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the start of the Jewish New Year and one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, occurs at the beginning of the fall Jewish holiday lineup. Aspects of this holiday include engaging in prayer, seeking reconciliation and renewal, and hearing the shofar, an instrument made from the horn of a ram. In addition, celebrating festive meals with family and friends and dipping apples in honey are each a part of the myriad customs and traditions that usher in a fresh start for the new year. Following Rosh Hashanah, the entire month of September is filled with holidays from Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and of fasting, to Sukkot, the festival with a harvest hut, and Simchat Torah, a day celebrating the gift of the Torah.

While there are opportunities open to all students to participate in all of these festivities right on campus—Hillel provides a free dinner for the first night of Rosh Hashanah, a free break-fast meal following Yom Kippur, a free dinner for the first night of Sukkot, as well as various prayer services, to name a few—the overlap of a religious holiday with classes still in session may be a bit complicated for students. Missing the first days of class for religious purposes will test academic obligations across the board, especially for those exclusive seminar courses, in which attendance on the first days is mandatory. Not having the opportunity to experience the first or second day of class can seriously affect the possibility of a student taking the class at all. And, throughout the month, with Sukkot and Simchat Torah occurring on weekdays this year, many students will be making difficult decisions about attending class.

It is not simply students but also faculty who are faced with these complicated scenarios. Those professors canceling class on Thursday or Friday may face a loss in student enrollment or conflicts in scheduling class time.

It would be ideal if the University did not hold classes on major religious holidays as a sign of embracing our multi-cultural world—understanding our diverse student body comprised of different religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds. However, since that is not the current reality, students, professors, and administrators should be cognizant of the issues that individuals face. Each person should be more accessible and supportive of decisions that students and professors make in regard to their religious practices and beliefs. The University should always strive to be a campus community that fosters a comfortable environment for varied observances and religious beliefs, enabling all to feel at ease with celebrating and observing their holidays.

With the start of a new school year, there is much to look forward to—new classes, new professors, new peers, new campus activities, and new experiences. And with this New Year, everyone should find personal ways to explore new meanings for their lives in the comfort of a university that they call their own. The Columbia and Barnard student community is based on tolerance and sensitivity to all. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that Rosh Hashanah commences as we begin a new semester. It reminds us, as a campus community, to respect and empower the beliefs and practices of all.

The author is a Barnard College senior majoring in history. She is the Columbia/Barnard Hillel president.