Editor,
Being a Jew is a big deal. I don’t mean to appear arrogant, but when your religion lives by the catch phrase, “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat,” you know your ancestors had it rough. When the Jews were allotted Israel from the U.N. in 1948, a war broke out. Hundreds of relatives I have never met: my great-aunts and -uncles and cousins: were all murdered during the Holocaust, if not prior from pogroms or hate crimes. My grandfather, Dr. Larry Kussin, was one of the first Jews accepted into a Canadian medical school. He grew up with parents who spoke Russian and Yiddish; neighborhood kids would throw rocks at him claiming that he murdered Jesus. He would run back to his parents crying and asking: “Who is this Jesus and how did I kill him?!”
Yom Kippur, hands down, is the holiest day of the year for Jewish people. The premise of the holiday is self-reflection: how you treated yourself and others this past year, and most importantly, what you are going to do differently for this coming year. During the 10 days of repentance before Yom Kippur, Jews are commanded to find all the people they may have hurt and ask forgiveness. On Yom Kippur, Jews fast, pray and reflect.
This is where I confront my current problem. The last time I checked, Whitman was still proud of its “diverse” student population and being a campus of accommodations for all cultures. I, however, feel that Jews have the short end of the stick. Yes, Jewish students will be excused for any class missed for whatever silly holiday they claim it is, but they will be fully responsible for the lectures and class work they missed. If there is an exam, Jewish students are generally told to find time in their week and take the test early. Monday, Yom Kippur, is my first exam. The Thursday prior to the exam would have been my only free day to take the test in order to observe Yom Kippur on Monday. Thursday, coincidentally, was a class devoted entirely for the exam review. So because I am a Jew, I would miss the class review session to take the exam early. Being penalized for celebrating my one important holidays does not seem fair. Does Whitman ask students to show up to school, let alone take exams, on Christmas or Easter?
I am not saying that Whitman is anti-Semitic. Absolutely not. I am just questioning the validity of its claims of being a diversity-friendly campus. I would have definitely thought twice about coming to a school that made it difficult for me to observe my religion and my culture. If Whitman College is a place where everyone can practice their cultural traditions, then students other than the majority: secular Christians: should be able to observe their practices in peace. I should be able to ask my professor for an alternative exam date. Instead of professors questioning if there really is a Jewish holiday for which I have to miss class, I should be able to just mention that there is a holiday and be excused question-free. My culture, my religion and my traditions should not be put on trial. This year, my Yom Kippur will be celebrated in the Olin Hall building. My self-reflection will be my first exam. My repentance will be my solutions to the problem sets. I will be inscribed within the book of life just like every year since I was born, the only difference being that this year I will be denied the opportunity to do it as a practicing Jew.
-Alie Kussin-Shoptaw ’11
