Elka Mednick
As summer comes to a close and the High Holidays approach, annual concerns regarding conflicts between the academic calendar and the holidays are brought to the forefront.
This year, the usual first day of school for public school students, the day after Labor Day, coincides with the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year—among the most religiously and culturally significant observances of the Jewish year.
Both Virginia Beach and Norfolk public schools will begin classes on Thursday, September 9, 2021. The school systems hope that this change will ease the transition back to school for Jewish families who will no longer have a conflict between the first day of school and the first day of observance of Rosh Hashanah.
The Jewish Community Relations Council annually shares with local school districts, private schools, civic leaders, and business organizations the calendar of Jewish holidays for the next five years. The calendar includes explanations of the most significant holidays.
The JCRC calendar is available to all at JewishVA.org/JCRCHolidayCalendar.
To learn more about the Jewish Community Relations Council, go to JewishVa.org/JCRC or contact Elka Mednick, assistant director, Jewish Community Relations Council, at emednick@ujft.org.
Elka Mednick is UJFT’s Jewish Community Relations Council’s assistant director.