County cancels classes for Jewish holy day

Friday, Sept. 13, 2002 | 11:18 a.m.

Public school students will get the day off Monday, the first time in the history of the school district that classes have been intentionally canceled for Yom Kippur, the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar.

The decision to cancel classes was made after requests from rabbis, Jewish parents and students around the Las Vegas Valley, said School Superintendent Carlos Garcia. Of the 258,000 students in the Clark County School District, about 15,000 are Jewish, Garcia said.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is believed to be the day God judges mankind before the Book of Life is sealed for the coming year. Jews spend the day fasting, reflecting and asking forgiveness for their sins.

"We don't want Jewish students to be penalized for observing a sacred day," Edward Goldman, superintendent of the district's southeast region said. "Jewish students shouldn't have to stay after school to make up a quiz or a test."

District officials plan to review the decision before setting next year's calendar, Garcia said.

"We're going to try it this time around and see how it goes," Garcia said.

Clark County is the only school district in Nevada that will be closed Monday. School closures for the Jewish holiday vary from school district to school district nationwide. In communities with a sizable Jewish population, schools are closed on Yom Kippur. Classes are scheduled as usual in most Arizona school districts, as well as some California districts.

Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn of the conservative congregation Midbar Kodesh Temple in Henderson praised Garcia's decision, saying it would eliminate concerns over attendance records and make-up assignments for students who would otherwise be marked absent on Yom Kippur.

"I am thrilled that this year thousands of children will not have to make a decision between going to school and attending synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish year," Wiederhorn said. "Our parents of school-age children are equally pleased."

Instead of instructing students Monday, teachers will participate in a professional development day.

The plan upset Lynne Herman, one of about 300 Jewish teachers in the district, who said she is being asked to choose between her professional duties and religious obligations. If Yom Kippur is going to be recognized as a holiday for students, then nothing should be scheduled for for teachers or administrators either, Herman said.

There are principals who will not accept a teacher's absence Monday because of religious reasons, Herman said. And teachers who are absent will have to try to catch up later, Herman said.

"I will not work on Yom Kippur," Herman told the Clark County School Board Thursday. "I hope other teachers and administrators will have the strength of their convictions. Do not make this mistake again."

Edward Goldman, superintendent of the school district's southeast region, said the decision to cancel classes was hard-fought. Teachers would likely be absent Monday whether there were classes scheduled or not, Goldman said.

"The question came down to whether we wanted teachers missing a day of professional training or a day of classroom instruction," Goldman said. "As always, we put what's best for the children first."

Garcia agreed, noting that he would rather have 300 teachers absent than 15,000 empty classroom seats.

"We made this decision as an act of respect, we had a noble intent," Garcia said. "There's no way we can make everyone happy on this, but at least if we err, we're erring on the side of the students."