Marblehead keeps religious holidays in public schools

MARBLEHEAD – Marblehead School Committee members committed to keeping religious holidays in next year’s school calendar, following community outcry after a survey suggested school on three Jewish holidays and Good Friday because of possible snow days.”The intention of this entire process had nothing to do with religion at all but I certainly can understand … why it could have caused offense,” acknowledged School Committee member Meredith Tedford. “We didn’t do that well. We didn’t put it in the proper context, but our intention was never a malicious one.”The School Committee sent out an email survey to parents in February that said it was “re-examining the calendar for the next school year in light of the number of snow days we have taken this year.”The survey explained that if the district used all five scheduled snow days next year (the district has used all five and an additional snow day so far this year), school would get out on June 29.The survey listed four holidays for the 2015-2016 school year – Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 14 and 15; Yom Kippur on Sept. 23; and Good Friday on March 25 – and asked parents to choose one of three options for each: to have a full day of school; a half day of school; or have no school.The School Committee posted that they would discuss the 2015-2016 calendar at their meeting Thursday night, and members of the community sprung into action.”There was no option for the Friday before Labor Day or consolidating February and April vacations, just the four religious holidays,” noted Lori Ehrlich, who indicated she was speaking as a Marblehead resident and parent of Marblehead High School graduates, not in her state representative role. “If a full debate and discussion of this issue is to take place, all options should be on the table.”Resident Ron Karns suggested that eliminating the holidays was an attempt for an employer to “surreptitiously derive the religious beliefs of its employees/students,” by noting which teachers and students stayed home from school on those days. He noted that the Enabling Act in 1933 dismissed all Jewish teachers from schools and universities in Germany, and Jewish students were removed from schools in 1938.”It appears that the school district in Marblehead is attempting to seize upon seemingly unrelated issues to take an opportunity to promote an unknown agenda,” Karns said. He added that identifying Jewish students and teachers, calling a vote on eliminating the holidays, and “going against common sense makes one wonder if there isn’t more going on here than meets the eye.”Rabbi Yossi Lipsker of Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore said eliminating the Jewish holidays would “strike at the heart of the Jewish community.”Deacon Joe Whipple, of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, noted he walked into the high school and saw students passing out cards with the slogan “Marblehead is no place for Hate.””Marblehead is a place for respect,” Whipple said. “To take away these primary holy days ? does not promote that message of respect for all faith communities of Marblehead.”School Committee members said the issue was not a religious one, but a calendar issue. The state requires 180 days of school, and the calendar must take into account snow days, contractual obligations to teachers that the school year not go beyond June 30, and concerns from students, teachers, and parents about going too late in the summer when buildings are not air conditioned and students are inattentive.”If there’s a hidden agenda, it’s hidden from me as well,” said School Committee Member Michael Murphy. “If we’re trying to keep it a secret, we wouldn’t have sent the survey to 3,000 people ? it’s not a religious issue, it’s whether learning takes place on (a proposed holiday). The historic snow was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”In the end, School Committee member William Ackerman recommended the committee reaffirm that they would make no changes to the school calendar and that the decision for