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Concerned How Haldane Responded To Jewish Holidays
To the Editor
Below is the text of a letter which we sent to the Board of education on Sept. 20, 2001
We are writing to express our deep concern about the manner in which the Haldane schools respond to the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. While it is our personal beliefs that it is appropriate to close the schools during the holidays as the neighboring school districts do, we will defer to the collective wisdom of the Board on this point; however, it is imperative to allow Dr. DiNatale to implement a directive directing teachers not to start new units, give tests, or require homework from students who are absent for religious reasons during these holidays. Children should not be penalized for practicing their religion. We are expecting prompt action to address this grievous oversight, and would appreciate public notice on this issue. Thank you.
We felt the need to write this letter because the Haldane schools have not received clear, affirmative directives from the Board of Education to ensure that children who practice religious traditions out of sync with the majority are not penalized by missing important work or being overloaded with homework. While this issue does not directly affect everyone, the principles involved do, and therefore we urge the Board to respond promptly and publicly.
Ellyn Varela-Burstein and Jeff Burstein
Cold Spring
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