Meredith Photis- Diary Of Systemic Injustices
Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday in which individuals fast to repent for their sins. Being that angels do not eat, it is believed that in order to be angelic, Jews can not eat for the day. Yom Kippur falls on Sunday, September 27- Monday, September 28th this year. As a freshman, this is the first year me and my friends are celebrating the holidays away from home. As we planned for the holiday several of my friends realized that they have a midterm the same day. My roommate was told that her Sociology 1100 midterm would be taking place that Monday. This meant students would have to fast and take their test at the same time. Fasting already made people feel Nauseous, now individuals had to exert more energy and still try to do well on their exam.
How could they expect Jewish students to be able to concentrate on such important assignments, such as a Midterm, when they were not even allowed to eat? This put Jewish students at a disadvantage. Unlike their peers, students would be unable to concentrate on their exam. Every other student would be able to eat and feel good going into the test, but no one cared how Jewish students would feel. This affects many Jewish individuals, not only in Ohio State University, but every other university that does not take off for the holiday. This can be seen as an outward example of a lack of empathy for minority religions and people throughout schools. Luckily, after many frustrated students emailed the professor, the date of the midterm was changed. This professor had understood this problem, but that does not mean other professors and schools followed in his lead. Students had to fight this injustice until change was implemented. This scheduling was inconsiderate of diversity in the classroom.
Jewish students can be seen as the “other” in Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, “Introduction”. Jewish people are a minority in America, making people believe and treat them as though they are less important. While Jews did not “volunteer to become the object, the inessential”(de Beauvoir), they were placed in this role due to their differences. Jews lack of respect and importance in society was highlighted when their religious needs were not met. Yom Kippur is a yearly holiday, but school districts and colleges do not recognize the importance of the holiday in making their schedules. People did not care if they put Jewish students at a disadvantage.
Attached is a picture of a syllabus from an anonymous student at Ohio State. In the picture, one can see a Midterm placed on Monday, September 28th, the day of Yom Kippur. Furthermore, I attached a link to a similar story about a Father whose children’s extracurricular classes were not closed for Jewish holidays, but are closed for other religions holidays. The father explains how Jewish holidays are virtually ignored.
https://forward.com/life/432838/yom-kippur-off/