Synagogue leader presses schools to scrub classes on Jewish holidays

Members at Congregation Or Tikvah in Grayslake are upset with two high schools for what a synagogue leader contends was a poor job in accommodating students for the Jewish high holy days.

Or Tikvah board President Scott Rosenberg said missed tests and other problems that resulted for the Jewish pupils could have been prevented if Grayslake High School and Warren Township High School no longer schedule classes on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Rosenberg said plans are for a synagogue representative to bring the issue to elected board members at Grayslake High School District 127 and Gurnee-based Warren Township High School District 121.

"I'm tired of being quiet," Rosenberg said. "This is how everything starts. ... If you don't speak up, they'll just suppress us."

Scott Fech, director of staff services at District 127, said he accommodated a request from Rosenberg to allow Jewish students to have excused absences for Rosh Hashana on Sept. 30 and Yom Kippur on Oct. 9. He said teachers also were asked to refrain from giving tests on the high holidays.

"We thought we were being sensitive to it," Fech said.

District 121 made similar accommodations to the Jewish students, including the shift of a cross-country meet because of Rosh Hashana.

But Rosenberg said some teachers at Grayslake and Warren high schools gave tests on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana, going against the assurances he received from officials. He said the schools' apologies to him didn't carry much weight.

"I don't believe that they cared," Rosenberg said. "They have their own agendas. They didn't live up to anything. Their word and their handshake was nothing. When you lose that, you lose everything."

Rosenberg said Warren and Grayslake high schools should mimic the Lake County districts that are off on the high holidays. Observant Jews spend Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur in temple.

Fech said Grayslake High already is working on next year's calendar and intends to not schedule any Fox Valley Conference sports events on the high holidays. However, he said, there are no plans to schedule days off for the entire student body.

At Warren High, said spokeswoman Carolyn Waller, a Friday night football game on Sept. 18, 2009, already has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 17, because of Rosh Hashanah. She said instead of playing the Sept. 18 homecoming game on a Thursday night, it'll be held Oct. 9, 2009.

Waller said while days off at Warren are unlikely, the district will continue offering excused absences and test makeup dates for the students who want to observe the high holidays. She said District 121 tries to work with the needs of students from more than 60 countries and many religious backgrounds.

"The question is, where do you draw the line?" Waller said.

Elsewhere in Lake County, Stevenson High School District 125 in Lincolnshire has been giving students off for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for at least 15 years, spokesman Jim Conrey said. He said teachers are reminded annually to not assign homework that would interfere with holiday observance.

Students also were off for the high holidays at Gurnee-based Woodland Elementary District 50, Libertyville Elementary District 70, Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 and Lincolnshire-Prairie View Elementary District 103.

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish new year. Yom Kippur is the day of atonement.