The high holidays are just one week away. Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Sept. 22, and Yom Kippur on Oct. 1st, and if you haven’t already asked to get off from work or out of class, no worries — there is still some time.
Not much, because we are cutting it close. So, for those fellow last-minute planners, or if you were just busy with life and forgot, here are some tips for requesting the High Holidays off.
For the College Student:
First, you need to reach out as soon as possible, like I said before, we are one week out. Be polite, and include relevant details and dates. For instance, this would be a good time to ask for Yom Kippur.
Be polite and professional, but don’t beat around the bush, even if it’s on fire (maybe the bush will have some good advice). And be proactive, look ahead in the syllabus, what class lectures are you missing? Is there someone you can reach out to for their notes? Does the professor record their lectures? If they do ask, ask if you can have access to a copy of the recording to review later. Or are there additional readings or assignments due that day? If there are assignments due that day, try to get them done beforehand, and include that detail in the email.
Dear Prof X (not the mutant),
I hope you are doing well. This coming week marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays, and I need to miss class on September 23. I saw on the syllabus that we are covering the Founding of Krakoa, and I have read ahead. I’ve connected (proactive) with TA Summers, and he shared a copy of the lecture notes for that class. ETC ETC
For a great in-depth email template, check out the one from Campus for All.
Now, most likely, if the professor is not a huge jerk, they’ll be ok with you missing class. If they aren’t and are a jerk (which is ridiculous because no Christian student would ever have to do this because Christmas is a Federal holiday; literally, look it up), it’s time to escalate and reach out for help. Start with Hillel, and they can help you advocate for yourself with the dean of students or the head of that department.
For the business professional:
Similar advice to the student, reach out to be polite, direct, and include relevant details and dates. The only difference is this: depending on where you work, you may need to cc HR on the email, and perhaps have a conversation with your manager.
Dear Logan,
I hope you’re doing well. I’m sorry if this is late notice. This coming week is the start of the Jewish High Holidays, and I need to take a couple of days off in the coming weeks. I need to take off September 22 for Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year, and October 2, which is Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
I’ll let you fill in the rest. Be sure to be polite but firm, open, and honest. Because this is America, you’ll likely have to use a vacation day or sick day – at least that’s what this author had to do before becoming a Jewish professional.
You should be prepared to explain what the high holidays are; we only make up two percent of the US population. There are some great sources that can help you find the words to explain, like My Jewish Learning, Chabad, Aish, and Hillel.
Most people will be happy to help and more than willing to accommodate any requests you need to make for the High Holidays. However, if you’re dealing with someone who is unwilling or even hostile, escalating will be a bit more complicated. You can reach out to HR, and then reach out to the JCRC, or even the ADL. While these groups may not be able to solve your problem outright, they will be able to guide you in the right direction.
Hopefully, this guide will help you or someone in your life plan for the High Holidays. Shana Tovah, and G’mar Chatima Tovah.
