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Thursday, December 22, 2011 By Isaac G.
Advertising
EDITORIAL
Why are only
Christian holidays
celebrated in
Watertown?
By ISAAC G.
Watertown Splash staff reporter
There have been many questions about the public schools lately, everything from the budget to the curriculum, but, among the students, this is one of the most pressing: Why are only Christian holidays celebrated in the Watertown Public Schools?
Some communities near Watertown, such as Newton, take off major Jewish holidays, such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Last month, Cambridge schools were closed for Eid al-Adha for the first time. In Watertown, with such a large Muslim community, I am surprised we do not have Eid off.
I, as a Jew, am surprised that, this year, we have a part of Hanukkah off, which is a fairly minor Jewish holiday. I believe that in such a diverse community as Watertown, we should be sure to acknowledge religious holidays other than Christmas and Hanukkah.
The idea is not at all radical, and is being is considered around the state and beyond. In fact, this question has already been raised by a seventh-grader at WMS, who started a petition saying that Muslim holidays should be taken off.
Some of the faculty at WMS also agree. “I don’t like the fact we don’t have more religious holidays off,’’ said Spanish teacher Owen Conneely. “I’m sure we could have at least one off.”
This is one of the pressing issues in the schools, and should be resolved as soon as possible.
--Dec. 21, 2011--
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