Parents are demanding that their Jewish children be treated fairly
Many members of the Cinnaminson Jewish community attended this week’s Board of Education meeting to raise concerns about Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur being removed from the district calendar.
The removal of the holidays went into effect this year, and many parents and students were not happy about the change.
In response, Superintendent Salvatore Illuzzi said he had been working with the Anti-Defamation League to decide how to best determine how many Jewish students attend the Cinnaminson school district. He cited the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits public schools from closing solely for the purpose of observing a religious holiday, and that public schools may only close for secular reasons, such as a significant student or teacher absence due to a religious holiday.
“It simply did not occur. It did not meet those guidelines,” Illuzzi said, pointing out the number of students who were absent from school on Jewish holidays last year.
Illuzzi said only 21 students took the first day of Rosh Hashanah off, and only 22 took off for Yom Kippur, which represents less than 1 percent of the district’s 2,580 students.
These numbers were derived from Genesis, the system the school district uses to track grades and attendance. Parents are able to log into Genesis and alter incorrectly recorded absences. Illuzzi said considering more than three weeks have gone by since the holiday and no changes have been submitted, the board is confident the recorded absences are correct.
Illuzzi then spoke on the recommendations he received from Jewish community member Brad Bobrin at last month’s Board of Education meeting that would help work Jewish holidays back into the calendar. Illuzzi said he treated the recommendations the same way he treats board recommendations — by sending them to his staff. Illuzzi said the staff rejected Bobrin’s proposals.
Bobrin expressed his concern that students had not been fairly treated when the Jewish holidays were taken away, saying many students who ordinarily would have taken off for the holidays went to school instead for fear of absentee punishment. Bobrin also said the district was discriminating against Jewish students and teachers and inhibiting religious practice.
Borbin’s wife Tamara, who graduated from Cinnaminson High School, moved away, got married, had children, then moved back to Cinnaminson, supported his comments.
“I feel like I sold my husband a bad bill of goods here because I told him he could come here and raise our family and buy a home and have our family respected,” Tamara said. “We could have moved to Moorestown, we could have moved to Cherry Hill, we could have moved to Mt. Laurel, Medford, Marlton — all those places that do allow us to have those holidays off so that my family can grow up in a community that respects their religion and allows them to practice their religion.”
Tamara also spoke about her third grader struggling in school because of the days she missed to observe her holidays.
“She missed school to celebrate her Jewish holidays. But you know what happened in her class? Life moved on. Instruction moved on. They didn’t withhold instruction to those students like we were promised,” Tamara said.
On Yom Kippur, Tamara was tempted to send her child to school to avoid her falling behind further, but decided to take her to the synagogue instead.
“I’ll deal with extra tutoring,” Tamara said. “That’s fine. I’ll do that. I’ll do it because I will meet her needs. I just wish you were more interested in meeting her needs.”
Tamara also pointed out that the Week of Respect at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School fell during Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah was discussed on the first day of the Week of Respect, and few Jewish students were there to speak on it.
“During the Week of Respect, we showed no respect,” Tamara said.
Resident Nina Einhorn said that, although her kids are now fully grown, she appreciated that while they were going through school, they were able to observe the Jewish holidays without missing out on instruction and examinations.
“We’re all part of this village raising our children, and we want to do the best by them,” Einhorn said. “Let’s consider that we want our children to be able to be in an environment that allows all children — those in the religious majority as well as those in the religious minority — to be able to observe their holidays without repercussions.”
Rabbi Boaz Marmon from Temple Sinai in Cinnaminson also gave his thoughts on the school calendar, saying the number of Jewish students the district decided by way of Genesis is likely not accurate.
“That is not the number of Jewish students, but the number of Jewish students whose parents are willing to withhold them from school in order to observe the holiday,” Marmon said.
Marmon also said he believes it’s important to teach the students of Cinnaminson that it’s important to accommodate the minorities of the community — not just the majority.
The Board of Education will decide on whether the holidays will be included in next year’s calendar at its Dec. 20 meeting.
