There are holidays recognized every year in the United States when we get the day off.
But we don’t often think of Jewish holidays.
Lindsay Trombly | Argonaut
These sacred days aren’t treated with the same respect as other holidays that are celebrated. They all have the days off — Jewish holidays don’t.
Why is that? Why is it that we as Americans only recognize certain holidays? We tend to favor some of them over others. That isn’t right.
Even though Hanukkah is recognized it doesn’t get as much attention as Christmas. Santa Claus consumes stores and the menorahs become are fewer and fewer.
Some people have a misconception about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, they assume it’s our Christmas. In some ways, it is, in other ways, it isn’t the same thing as the Santa Claus holiday.
Hanukkah and many other Jewish holidays rest on different days of the year according to the Jewish calendar. It’s sometimes in the general vicinity but other times it’s not.
This past week two Jewish holidays occurred that change dates every year but are always in September. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These are two very important holidays in Jewish culture.
On Sept. 10 and Sept. 11, Rosh Hashanah was celebrated on the Jewish calendar. This holiday celebrates the Jewish new year.
We get the national New Year holiday off, but when the Jewish New Year comes along we still go to work and school. The holiday almost isn’t really a holiday anymore. It isn’t recognized with such importance as the national one.
Following this holiday, on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, Yom Kippur was celebrated on the Jewish calendar as a day of atonement. We are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for
sins we committed this past year. This is another holy holiday that simply doesn’t get the same recognition as the mainstream holidays.
Both of these holidays, Jews are supposed to sit back and relax. We are supposed to not work hard on these days — yet we do.
These holidays should be given the same respect as others and we should automatically get these days off at work or school, especially if you are Jewish yourself.
We should be able to spend this time with family. Being up at school, I don’t have the ability to miss class to go home to celebrate with my family. I don’t think that would be considered an excused absence.
That isn’t fair.
When I was younger I always looked forward to spending these holidays with my family — eating matzo ball soup, saying prayers and just being with each other. I wasn’t able to do that this year.
This year I’m not even going to be home for Hanukkah because it lands at the beginning of December. Not being able to miss school to celebrate and be with my family, is the same as taking away the celebration of Christmas.
Honestly, I don’t know how to celebrate the holiday when I’m all by myself and the Jewish population in Moscow is quite small.
The first step to taking action is noticing these holidays and remember that they exist, too.
Lindsay Trombly can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lindsay_trombly