The Justice

It seems we have a problem. Though it's true that we have been blessed with the gift of two second-semester vacations, their timing is less than convenient. The first, which falls in the cold weeks of February, comes too soon after our return from winter vacation. Few students feel the need to vacation in the poor weather, especially right before midterms begin. The second, Passover break, which exists primarily for the benefit of our Jewish majority, suffers from a similar affliction. Many due dates, not to mention finals, fall immediately after our return, rendering relaxation an afterthought. Finally, the timing of these vacations deprives us of the company of our peers at other schools, not to mention the plethora of sexy spring break travel packages.

A possible alternative is the elimination of February break, giving us a more traditionally timed spring vacation. Then, to avoid the overly close pairing of a March and April vacation, Passover break could be shortened to a long weekend or short break from classes, depending on when the holiday falls that year. This would still give students a chance to be home with their families for the nights of the Passover seders.

But eliminating the rest of Passover vacation runs the risk of ignoring the needs of the observant Jewish community on campus, as making the kosher side of Sherman Dining Hall kosher for Passover is an expensive and time-consuming proposition.

However, it is important to remember that the University is Jewish by association, not by doctrine. No other religious communities on campus receive special considerations from the school schedule for their holidays. The responsibility could be transferred to the students who wish to fully observe the Passover holiday. The religious Jewish community and organizations could pool their resources to accommodate their membership for the duration of the holiday. In addition, professors would likely be more than understanding for students who wished to take more time off from classes.

Unfortunately, there is no immediate and simple solution. Kosher considerations for the Passover holiday do represent a significant burden for observant students if they were to spend the holiday on campus. There may also be some students who don't observe Passover who still enjoy the benefits of having two spring-semester vacations. Regardless, the issue of when our vacations fall and the religious logistics involved should be an ongoing discussion between students and administrators. We deserve the opportunity to have a more regularly scheduled spring break, which would provide us with a more traditional college experience.

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