The New York City Department of Education has restored the final two days of Passover as holidays off in the 2023-2024 school calendar, after a firestorm of protest by Jewish educators and parents alike.
Because state law requires the school system to maintain a minimum 180 days of instruction (185 workdays for educators), those who create the calendar must find ways to ensure classroom time is not compromised by all the various holidays.
Up to this point, it has not been an issue because since 1973 the school system’s annual spring break has consistently aligned with Passover. Next year, however, Easter and Passover are three weeks apart, creating a dilemma for those who set up the calendar.
As a result, the 2023-2024 school calendar released at the beginning of June indicated the week-long Spring Recess was scheduled from Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26, which excluded the final days of Passover.
That was quickly reversed when thousands protested the change. There are many Jewish teachers and students who observe the holiday, which includes prohibitions against writing, traveling and other issues during the first and last days of Passover.
New York is one of the most inclusive cities in the nation when it comes to holiday observance, and the city’s education system has made significant efforts to include holidays for the various religious and ethnic groups across the city.
This week’s three-day Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr are among the holidays that students now have off.
Also on the holiday calendar is the Chinese Lunar New Year; Juneteenth, and the recently included Hindu festival of Diwali.
