Dear members of the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee,

I am writing to express my dismay about the refusal of the committee to take up a discussion to consider changing the opening date for the 2021-2022 school year one day out of respect for Jewish faculty, staff, and students.

Thank you to the four members who voted in favor of holding a discussion. To the remaining members, please hear me out. The Town Council of Bristol voted down the establishment of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisory committee using the argument that our community is welcoming and respectful to all who live here and does not need a committee to study and advise the Council as to areas of concern. I understand that the Town Council has no sway nor jurisdiction over the school committee. But you operate in a parallel universe, and this is a prime example of either a lack of understanding or respect.

In hopes that your refusal is due to a lack of understanding, rather than respect, here is some information about the holiday.

Rosh Hashana (along with Yom Kippur and Passover) is one of the holiest days of the year for the Jewish community. It is the start of our new year and the time in which we revisit the past year and ask for forgiveness, not just of the higher power, but of the people who we have wronged. It is a time when many attend synagogue and gather with family to honor our faith.

Like Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday (all days off in the Bristol Warren school district), it is a most significant event in the Jewish calendar, not a minor holiday like Hanukkah, which is likely more well-known by the non-Jewish community.

I can’t imagine you would ever consider holding school on Christmas, Easter (yes, I am aware it is on a Sunday) or Good Friday. And the argument that Christmas and Easter have become secular holidays belies the fact that they are two of the most religious days of the Christian calendar, the day of Christ’s birth and his resurrection.

What you are asking is that people of the Jewish faith make a choice between their religion and attending he First Day of School, also a very significant day in the mind of a child (as well as a teacher). Especially for younger children, this is a day that sets the tone for the remainder of the year. And given the last year and a half that school children have experienced, it is now more important than ever. 

Please reconsider your decision and show the people of Bristol and Warren that we truly are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Nancy Kellner
Bristol