South Jersey schools opt to close on Hindu holiday next year
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This upcoming school year over 20 New Jersey public schools districts will close on Diwali to observe the Hindu holiday in the fall.
Now, the Hindu community is urging all districts including private-charter-independent schools in the state to close on their most popular festival.
On Oct. 24, Hindus around the world come together for the start of Diwali, a five-day long festival of lights. Rajan Zed, the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that on this day, it is important for Hindu families to celebrate at home with their children.
"Closing schools on Diwali would ensure that and would also display how respectful and accommodating New Jersey schools were to their faith," Zed said.
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For the 2022-23 academic year, 23 school districts in New Jersey will close on Oct. 24, including Cherry Hill public schools. But Zed is now calling on Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey acting education commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan and New Jersey State Board of Education President Kathy Goldenberg to add Diwali as an official holiday in all the state’s public schools, and persuade the private-charter-independent schools to follow.
In the list of religious holidays permitting student absence from school of the New Jersey State Board of Education 21 Hindu holidays are named including Diwali for the entire duration of the holiday celebration.
Zed thanked the districts that will close for students on Diwali for understanding the concerns of Hindu community.
While religious holidays such as Christmas are observed by South Jersey school districts, Zed said holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion.
"If schools had declared other religious holidays, why not Diwali," Zed asked. "New Jersey schools would be a step in the positive direction in view of the reported presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at schools around the state, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils."
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: 23 schools in New Jersey to close on Diwali in 2022
