Although the United States has roots in Christianity, it has long been known as a melting pot because of its diversity of ethnicities, cultures and religions.
According to Wikipedia.com and Jewishelectorateinstitute.org, 504,056 Muslims and nearly 900,000 Jews live in California alone.
Furthermore, it is no wild guess to realize that the followers of the Islamic and Jewish faiths also attend Californian schools.
According to a 2022 article by Erudera.com, a study involving “religious student groups at 1,953 colleges and universities in the United States” shows that “there are Muslim student groups at 28 percent of U.S. universities” and “Jewish student groups at 25 percent of institutions.”
But, for many universities, including Pierce College, their religious holidays aren’t celebrated. This needs to change.
Pierce should institute days off school to observe holidays practiced by the religions of Islam and Judaism.
This includes the Islamic holidays of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
By instituting the day off school to observe these non-Christian holidays, Pierce can help accommodate its Muslim and Jewish students while embodying the core principles of “enrichment of community” and “friendliness.”
An example of a California university that promotes the inclusivity and appreciation of non-Christian holidays is the University of Southern California (USC). According to the USC Muslim Student Association (MSA), the Islamic holidays of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha are celebrated yearly on campus, in which a traditional talk is given, a communal prayer is performed and a celebration takes place.
Another example of a California school that promotes the inclusivity and appreciation of non-Christian holidays is the Moorpark Unified School District in Ventura County. According to a Los Angeles Times article, the “Moorpark Unified School District will soon be the third district in the county to recognize Jewish holidays in its school calendar, board members have decided.”
Currently, Pierce does not observe or give breaks on any religious holidays, except for winter break in which Christmas takes place, according to the Pierce academic calendar.
Ultimately, this can be done by establishing days off of school, similar to Christmas.
If Pierce decides to not issue days off school on Islamic and Jewish holidays, compensations should be offered to students who celebrate these holidays.
Teachers should be encouraged to not cover important materials, hold exams, and give coursework on Islamic or Jewish holidays, or provide alternative ways for their Muslim and Jewish students to not fall behind in class.
To work toward a campus that promotes the inclusivity of Muslim and Jewish students, their religious holidays should be observed and given the respect they deserve.
