The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Hanukkah eludes SIUC holiday break

Although the University's holiday break this year is not kosher with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, some Jewish members of the campus community say it isn't that big of a deal.

With University classes going later into December than in previous years, Hanukkah, which is held from Dec. 8 to Dec. 15, will be completely eclipsed by the end of the semester and finals week.

Although this means Jewish students will be unable to go home for the holiday festivities, Joan Friedenberg, a linguistics professor and former leader of the Hillel Foundation, said Hanukkah is not a central point of the religion.

In the end, it is a holiday that is secondary.

"Hanukkah and Passover are holidays that are not deeply religious, but you still want to be with your family," said Friedenberg, who has often spoken out in favor of religious tolerance at SIUC. "Hanukkah is not the most important holiday, and it falls at a different time each year."

Friedenberg added that Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which both fell during September this year, are holidays much more central to the Jewish religion and, if anything, more allowances should be made for them.

Tina Collins, director of Records and Registration, is one of eight who sit on the University's Calendar Committee. She said with so many interest groups vying for attention, the committee has to be choosy when developing the calendar and must take into account the number of days required for an academic semester.

"There are lots of special interests," Collins said. "It's a balancing act."

However, Leonard Gross, a Jewish professor in the Law School, said the University sometimes does a poor job of recognizing some of the religion's other holidays. Although University policy states that students can miss class for religious holidays provided they give instructors appropriate notification and professors should not plan exams on those dates, Gross said the policy is leniently interpreted.

When it comes to the holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Gross said many instructors simply do not pay attention.

"A lot of people ignore the policy," Gross said. "They pressure the students. You need to remind people of the policies."

Friedenberg, whose 11 years with the Hillel Foundation frequently put her in the limelight for talking about religious tolerance on campus, said while Hanukkah does not present an immediate problem for the campus community, more needs to be done to foster an accepting environment.

"On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, you are forbidden from working or going to school," Friedenberg said. "SIU is not totally accepting of that."

 

 

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