BRUNSWICK

A letter to Brunswick school administrators asking that key Jewish holidays be included in the school calendar has sparked debate on the school board.

The letter, signed by 16 members of the local Jewish community, requested Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah be placed on the school calendar. The reason stated in the letter was that last year a field trip was scheduled on Yom Kippur and school picture day was scheduled on Rosh Hashanah.

The letter said the suggestion to have the holidays placed on the calendar came from a non-Jewish Brunswick school principal, and that the intent was simply to alleviate any undue stress for Jewish children and their families around the holidays regarding scheduling conflicts.

Superintendent Paul Perzanoski was supportive of the move, as were many others on the board, however, there was dissent first sparked by Brenda Clough during Wednesday’s board meeting.

“I don’t know how jazzed I am about having outside groups put their information on our school calendar,” Clough said.

Clough said it may open the doors to other groups wanting their information placed on the calendar down the road, saying her “mind is still out on that request.”

Term ‘outside group’

Board member Sarah Singer countered, saying she doesn’t see a religious population as an “outside group,” and that she disagrees with the use of the term “outside group.”

Singer said that there are people of faith in the community trying to participate in public education while observing their faith and therefore sees no inconvenience in adding the holidays.

She said that she doesn’t see the school board getting “besieged” with requests any time soon from other faiths but that if others step forward, they should be treated with respect and sensitivity.

Board member Rich Ellis responded that, as pointed out in the letter, there is a lack of general knowledge of Jewish holidays, and that lack of knowledge ultimately led to scheduling conflicts.

He said that having that information readily available, scheduling can be made in a more thoughtful manner.

“It’s just a sensitivity that I would be willing to support,” Ellis said.

Church and state

Board member Janet Connors drew upon separation of church and state as a reason to not include religious holidays on the school calendar. This year, Christmas had been removed by Perzanoski, reflecting only state and federal holidays on the calendar.

Still, board member Theresa Kelly-Gillis pointed out that the winter break is centered around a Christian holiday and that the board would never consider scheduling a meeting for Christmas Eve.

Perzanoski said the board still had some time to consider what to do on the issue and to vote on whether or not to change the calendar.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com

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