cmon...every once in a while you have to remember you were a kid once.....it's another day off of school who cares what the reason is!

Newark Avenue near JFK Boulevard is closed off for the Diwali celebration.

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Some push to make Diwali official school holiday in Jersey City, as it is in Passaic and South Brunswick

Published: Monday, March 12, 2012
By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal

Jersey City, along with seven other school districts in New Jersey?s Asian-Indian strongholds, is being urged to declare Diwali a school holiday, though a school district spokeswoman says the move is unlikely.

Diwali, or India?s ?festival of lights,? is the most important holiday of the year in that country, and is generally known as the Hindu New Year. A five-day event, it is celebrated some time between October and December with feasts and fireworks.

Raju Patel, president of the Jersey City Asian Merchant Association, said he?s in favor of Jersey City Public Schools declaring Diwali a holiday and giving students at least the first day of the celebration off.

Patel, 62, said when his three children were younger, he?d let them decide whether to skip class in honor of Diwali.

?I?d tell them very nicely, today is our new year, you don?t have to go to school,? said Patel, who is also an official with Govinda Temple on Newark Avenue.

Jersey City?s Asian-Indian population is 27,111, or about 11 percent of the city?s total, according to 2010 Census figures. That?s more than double the figure captured by the 2000 Census.

In New Jersey, only Edison has a larger Asian-Indian population.

District spokeswoman Paula Christen couldn?t say how many of the district?s roughly 27,000 students are of Asian-Indian descent. Christen said it?s unlikely the district will declare Diwali a school holiday.

?There?s not been any talk about it,? Christen said.
In October, South Brunswick became only the second school district in the state, after Passaic, to declare Diwali a school holiday.

If you added up all the students and teachers the would be off for every single religious holiday and compare that to those students that choose to take off with a note from their parents which would pose a higher disruption of classes ? This could be an option and a solution to the ever growing list of religious holidays. It used to be that this country had only 2 types of religious beliefs, Christian and a small percentage of Jewish now I can't even remember less than half of what exsist ?

I agree. I grew up in NYC, and the public schools were closed for the Jewish High Holidays, not because of the kids frankly, but because of the high percentage of Jewish teachers who would take the days off, and cost the city major money in substitutes. As a working parent, a day off that I don't also have means finding child care or taking the day off from work myself. There are lots of holidays that parent might feel are important. So, take your children to services, send in a note to have it an excused absense. As teachers, most of us were aware if a large percentage of our class might be out for some religious (or cultural) holiday, and did not plan for anything major on that day. Let the teacher know ahead of time, and then, yes,celebrate/observe your day, but the rest of the children are in school.

I went to school with a large Jewish population. Whenever there was a holiday that wasn't a "day off" from school, if the parents wrote a note, and it was submitted to the attendance office, it would be an excused absence.

Not really a reason to let kids off school, esp. for parents who don't also get off work to have to find care for their children. Children should be in school, unless parents have made arrangement otherwise. It's not that big of a deal if a kid takes a day off to celebrate a personal religious holiday, so I don't even know why this is an issue.

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Just as we did for George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays combining into one President's Day because of too many presidential holidays we can have Religion Day. I wonder what the board of Ed candidates have to say about this ?

The simplest answer is to eliminate ALL religious based holidays as a reason for closing schools. However in this atmosphere of "attacks on religion" that would never happen.

More power to them... I am all for holidays!

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FAB,
While well intentioned, I can only go along with your sentiments to a point.
Yes, we are a mutli cultural, multi religious country.
Many of the same people that come here come from countries and cultures that shut down for their religious holidays.
Culturally in the US our cultural DNA comes primarily from Christian Influences. Our school year calendar has evolved around and reflects this. I believe most people that were invited to our shores were aware of this and knew they would need to make some accommodations to their new life here.
To try and accommodate all religions and cultures into Jersey City school holidays will only invite chaos.
Christians are going to demand Christmas and Easter.
Jews are going to demand the High Holidays (sorry I do not remember the right name)
Muslims are going to demand Ramadan
Hindus are going to demand Diwali
Chinese Buddhists are going to demand Lunar New Year and Mooncake festival
Orthodox religions are going to want a little different Holiday times than Protestants and Roman Catholics even though they call them Christmas and Easter.
The solution? Don't give any religion any holidays.
Anybody have a better idea?

We live in a mutli cultural, multi religious country and by not allowing one religion to have its traditional and religious holidays is illegal, racist and prejudice. You can't invite the world to our shore and deny them of their rights to free speech, religion (worship) and the associated customs and celebrations. These new Americans have often be persecuted in their homelands and seek refuge in our country !

Remember the Asian Culture generally pushes their kids to excel in school.
With that in mind, how many think this is really that high a priority for the Asian community?
It only takes one well intentioned person in that community that says something like "Let's give kids Diwali off". Next we have white 3rd generation American people who have no problem with giving kids Columbus Day and Good Friday off all excited about nothing.
If this goes further, let's bring Bill O'Reilly into the battle. It will go along nicely with his perceived "war on Christmas".

Kids in this country aren't in school enough already. In most other countries the school day and the school year are longer. That's why this country is so far behind in producing an educated and productive population.

Ridiculous. What about Chinese New Year? Then you get another 2 weeks off. The school year ends in late June as it is, wtf? Just let those students have an excused day off.

I vote for an Atheism Day also; if we are going to give kids off for religious holidays.

Also, Puerto Rican Day should be a school holiday. And uhhhh. Polish independence day. I bet we can find something to make everyone happy.

Push in Jersey City to declare Diwali, India's 'festival of lights,' a school holiday
Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 1:30 PM ??? Updated: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:51


Jersey City, along with seven other school districts in New Jersey's Asian-Indian strongholds, is being urged to declare Diwali a school holiday, though a school district spokeswoman says the move is unlikely.
Diwali, or India's "festival of lights," is the most important holiday of the year in that country, and is generally known as the Hindu New Year.
A five-day event, it is celebrated some time between October and December with feasts and fireworks.
Raju Patel, president of the Jersey City Asian Merchant Association, said he's in favor of Jersey City Public Schools declaring Diwali a holiday and giving students at least the first day of the celebration off.
Patel, 62, said when his three children were younger, he'd let them decide whether to skip class in honor of Diwali.
"I'd tell them very nicely, today is our new year, you don't have to go to school," said Patel, who is also an official with Govinda Temple on Newark Avenue.
ding to 2010 Census figures. That's more than double the figure captured by the 2000 Census.
In New Jersey, only Edison has a larger Asian-Indian population.
District spokeswoman Paula Christen couldn't say how many of the district's roughly 27,000 students are of Asian-Indian descent. Christen said it's unlikely the district will declare Diwali a school holiday.
"There's not been any talk about it," Christen said.
In October, South Brunswick became only the second school district in the state, after Passaic, to declare Diwali a school holiday.
Despite Christen's insistence that there's no interest in giving students a day off for Diwali, Patel said he's hopeful the Asian-Indian community can change the district's mind.
"If the school can manage it, I'd really appreciate it," he said, adding that "eventually" it will happen.