Holidays
The Asbell Center for Jewish Life offers religious services, meals, and celebration opportunities for all major Jewish Holidays. Join us for High Holiday services, Break the Fast, seders both nights of Passover, and more! Click here to see all our holiday offerings for this year.
Religious Holiday Policy
The Religious Holiday Policy reads: The college (offices and departments) should not schedule public and will not schedule collegewide events on the following major religious holidays: this includes, but is not limited to, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first night of Passover, Eid-al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, Good Friday, Diwali and Holi. The college calendar already excludes events on federal holidays of Christmas and Easter.
Students must make arrangements with faculty members in advance when an exam (including quizzes), papers, and other work are due on major religious holidays. A student will not be penalized for missing class or not handing in work on a holiday due to religious observance. However, students must notify faculty, in writing, at least two weeks in advance of the holiday if they will be absent from class for religious observance for full accommodations to be made. Exceptions may be made, on a case-by-case basis, with special consideration given to circumstances in which the holiday occurs within the first two weeks of the course. Likewise, students who observe these holidays must notify, in advance, their coaches should they have athletic practice or scheduled competition at a time of religious observance.
Faculty and staff are expected to be sensitive to the needs of observant students of all religious, secular, and spiritual traditions when planning for lectures, field trips, work, or other curricular activities. The institution commits to providing an inclusive and equitable religious holiday calendar with enough notice so as to provide faculty adequate information regarding their syllabus creation as a way to prepare adequately for these religious observances. Any course work or other Policy/Procedure obligation that is missed remains the student’s responsibility, in partnership with faculty, to complete. Faculty members are expected to consider reasonable arrangements for students to complete missed work and be sensitive about scheduling one-time events and activities which may severely affect the student’s educational experience. Students must make up the work that is missed.
For questions, please contact Rabbi Marley Weiner at weinerma@dickinson.edu.
Religious Accommodations
Accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis for students who need accommodations to their housing for Shabbat Observance. Please be in touch with Rabbi Marley if you have any questions.