By Kayla Kinsey
Opinion Editor
Holding finals week during Hanukkah negatively affects the Jewish community at Costa by
shortening available studying time and discrediting the importance of the holiday. Costa’s winter
break is centered around Christmas, a Christian holiday, and the New Year, but Hanukkah, a
Jewish celebration occurring simultaneously with finals week, poses a detriment to Jewish
students. Costa’s administration should, instead, hold finals the week prior to Hanukkah,
scheduling the winter break during the following two weeks.
This year, Hanukkah begins on Dec. 18 and concludes on Dec. 26, which will correspond with
finals week. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and
the Second Temple in the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. To celebrate, the
Jewish community lights eight candles of the menorah to symbolize the number of days that the
Temple lantern blazed. Other Hanukkah traditions include playing dreidel, singing songs, eating
traditional holiday food, and reciting prayers. Costa should hold finals week one week earlier
than is currently scheduled, as this year’s finals week schedule negatively affects the school’s
Jewish population.
According to heritage.org, 68% of American-Jewish people consider Hanukkah as one of the
three most important Jewish holidays. According to Jewish Cultural Club president Raci Levine,
there are about 80 members in Costa’s Jewish Cultural Club, proving that the Jewish population
is prominent at Costa. Hanukkah should be taken into consideration when planning the school’s
winter break.
The eight nights of celebrations for Hanukkah can cut into studying time for finals, which is
unfair to Costa’s Jewish community. Per go2rose.com, it is recommended that students spend
two hours on homework or studying for every hour that the class meets, which is highly
impractical to teenagers who have family and personal occasions that they should be allowed to
attend.
Although the Jewish population at Costa is a minority compared to other religions, it is still a
prominent group of people. According to apnorc.org, 92% of Americans will celebrate
Christmas, and 5% will celebrate Hanukkah this holiday season. Considering that the Jewish
population is a minority, it is important that Hanukkah’s presence in America’s public, sphere is
felt as a part of the nation’s culture, according to heritage.com. Hanukkah and other Jewish
holidays should be acknowledged more at Costa. Costa’s administration declined to respond to
this issue.
Having finals week during Hanukkah is insensitive to the Jewish community and the significance
of religious holidays. It takes away from study time, adds more stress and potentially
compromises the “festival of lights,” a major cultural event for Costa’s Jewish students.
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