BY ANNA KANE ’20, KATE TURNER ’21 & LIZ LEWIS ’22
As the bells rang to signal Mountain Day on Oct. 1, there was a flurry of controversy among students and alums, as the annual tradition fell on the second day of the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah.
“I didn’t feel personally upset by it, but I think it does add to a general feeling on campus that Jewish students are not very supported,” Anna Morris ’20 said. “Observing Jewish holidays at Mount Holyoke in general is difficult and isolating as there is not a lot of awareness or support.”
In a statement on Oct. 2, President Sonya Stephens apologized to the community for the timing of the holiday.
“I deeply regret that some members of our community had to make choices yesterday between Rosh Hashanah and participating in Mountain Day events. And I am determined that they shall not have to make such a choice in the future,” she said.
She added, “Please know that my colleagues at Mount Holyoke and I are genuinely committed to our Jewish community … We must uphold the values and practice of being the truly inclusive College that we strive to be.”
In another statement to the College addressing the issue, Vice President of Communications and Marketing Charles L. Green II said, “On behalf of the leadership of the College, I apologize for the impact of our scheduling Mountain Day on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. We strive always to conduct our affairs in a way that is inclusive of all members of our community.”
“As we scheduled Mountain Day this year, we were very focused on our current students,” Green said. “We came to the decision, following two days of programming to observe Rosh Hashanah and consultation with campus spiritual leaders, that this day would be one in which we could release all of our students from their regular obligations to gather and reflect in nature.”
“The second day of Rosh Hashanah is not typically deemed as important at least for reform Jews in my area, but I do know Jews, especially Orthodox or Conservative Jews who do observe it,” Myla Brilliant ’21 said. “But we normally don’t have classes off for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur which is worse than having Mountain Day.”
President Stephens assured students that her office would “undertake an in-depth review of [its] planning process” to avoid similar lapses in the future.
“Whether someone is observing the holiday or not, I think that overlooking an important religious holiday in order to celebrate a Mount Holyoke one is a bit insensitive,” said Morris.