Three Roslyn women asked school Superintendent Allison Brown and the Board of Education last Thursday to officially recognize the Muslim holidays of Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha as well as the Hindu holiday of Diwali.
“We want to show our children that our heritage is represented in our community,” said Parul Chandra, a pediatrician who has lived in Roslyn since 2010.
Meera Arora, a mother of children in the district schools, said the effort aims to affirm “equal rights for the celebration of [Muslim and Hindu] holidays.”
The remarks took place during a public comment period at the end of the board meeting. A formal response was not provided by the board.
Speaking with the women after the meeting was adjourned, Brown said she would go over the holiday schedule for the following year and bring them back for a discussion.
She added, “Whether children get the days off or not, we’ll explain the holidays to teachers so they know.”
School districts throughout the North Shore have seen populations of minority students increase between 2005 and 2015, state Education Department data shows.
The Syosset Board of Education unanimously approved the formal recognition of Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha and Diwali as school holidays on Oct. 17, after community leaders delivered a petition with hundreds of signatures. In mid-November, the Mineola Public Schools decided to formally recognize Diwali, though class will remain in session on the holiday. Teachers will not administer exams or give assignments on that day to allow students who do not attend classes to celebrate. The Herricks and East Williston school districts are also considering recognizing the holidays.
Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy, president of the Roslyn Board of Education, said the district cannot make a decision about the recognition of Eid and Diwali until it receives an annual school calendar recommendation from the New York Board of Regents, a government body that supervises education throughout the state.
“We’ll come back, look at the calendar and look at the designation of days,” she said.
“It’s not as simple as it seems.”
A final decision will be made no later than February, she said.
“It’s very important that holidays which are celebrated in our communities are recognized,” said Isma Chaudhry, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island. “No community should feel it is on the outskirts. And it will be a good learning experience for children of other traditions.”
“Unfortunately we hear bad things about Islam in the media,” said Pegah Shahbazi, a nursing school student and alumnus of Roslyn High School.
“Cultural sensitivity is important.”
