From: Patricia Price <patricia.price@qc.cuny.edu> Date: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 5:11 PM To: QC Chairs Fall 2023 <qcchairs@CUNY907.onmicrosoft.com> Cc: Bobbie Kabuto <Bobbie.Kabuto@qc.cuny.edu>, Simone Yearwood <Simone.Yearwood@qc.cuny.edu>, Ekaterina Pechenkina <Ekaterina.Pechenkina@qc.cuny.edu>, Daniel Weinstein <Daniel.Weinstein@qc.cuny.edu>, Maria DeLongoria <maria.delongoria@qc.cuny.edu>, Jerima Dewese <Jerima.DeWese@qc.cuny.edu> Subject: Fw: September Religious/Ethnic Holiday calendar... Dear colleagues: Please see the information below re: September religious/ethnic holidays, and share with your faculty. Thank you (and have a great long weekend!) Patricia Patricia Price, PhD (she/her/hers) Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Queens College, City University of New York [Professional Staff Congress | Queens College] ________________________________ From: CUNY Academic Affairs <Academicaffairs@cuny.edu> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 3:25 PM To: abedford <abedford@brooklyn.cuny.edu>; Antoinette Coleman <acoleman@mec.cuny.edu>; allison.lichter@journalism.cuny.edu <allison.lichter@journalism.cuny.edu>; apease@jjay.cuny.edu <apease@jjay.cuny.edu>; Billie Gastic <bgasticrosado@lagcc.cuny.edu>; Derrick Brazill <dbrazill@york.cuny.edu>; Erwin Wong <ewong@bmcc.cuny.edu>; G Everett <severett@gc.cuny.edu>; Gladys Schrynemakers <Gladys.Schrynemakers@slu.cuny.edu>; Jennifer Sparrow <jennifer.sparrow@cuny.edu>; Joanne Russell <Joanne.Russell@kbcc.cuny.edu>; Jorge Silva-Puras <JORGE.SILVAPURAS@lehman.cuny.edu>; Linda Essig <linda.essig@baruch.cuny.edu>; Luis Montenegro <luis.montenegro@bcc.cuny.edu>; Michael Steiper <michael.steiper@csi.cuny.edu>; Manoj Pardasani <mp4009@hunter.cuny.edu>; Nicola Blake <Nicola.Blake@guttman.cuny.edu>; Pamela Brown <pbrown@citytech.cuny.edu>; Patricia Price <patricia.price@qc.cuny.edu>; Phyllis Curtis-Tweed <Phyllis.Curtis-tweed@qcc.cuny.edu>; raquel.gabriel@law.cuny.edu <raquel.gabriel@law.cuny.edu>; roblin.meeks@mhc.cuny.edu <roblin.meeks@mhc.cuny.edu>; SWANG <swang@hostos.cuny.edu>; Terry McGovern <Terry.McGovern@sph.cuny.edu>; Tony Liss <tliss@ccny.cuny.edu> Subject: September Religious/Ethnic Holiday calendar... Forwarding the below message on behalf of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Denise Maybank. Please share the information with your faculty. Thank you. Dear Colleagues, Below is the September Religious/Ethnic Holiday calendar. Please note that several holidays in this time frame include fasting or other religious practices associated with dietary traditions, including a sunset-to-sunset fast as part of Yom Kippur. As a reminder, CUNY's policy on religious accommodation allows students to request and be granted academic and attendance accommodations based on religious belief. A link to the policy is posted here: VI. Religious Accommodations – The City University of New York (cuny.edu)<https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-resources/reasonable-accommodations-and-academic-adjustments/vi-religious-accommodations/> VI. Religious Accommodations A. Requests for Accommodations 1. Students requesting a religious accommodation should contact the Office for Student Affairs at the College or unit in which they are enrolled. The Chief Student Affairs Officer, or a designee, and the student will engage in an interactive process with the goal of finding an acceptable accommodation. 2. Consistent with New York State Education Law § 224-a, students who are absent from school because of a religious belief will be given the equivalent opportunity, without any additional fee charged, to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. As a frame of reference for anticipating student requests for religious accommodations, CUNY's Interfaith Council has developed the following "Religious & Ethnic Holidays Calendar," which is a helpful resource. (https://www.cuny.edu/current-students/student-affairs/religious-ethnic-holiday-calendar/).<https://www.cuny.edu/current-students/student-affairs/religious-ethnic-holiday-calendar/).T> For questions about CUNY's policy on religious accommodations or to add additional observances, don't hesitate to get in touch with Sophia McGee, Director of Intercultural Student Engagement and Dialogue, at sophia.mcgee@cuny.edu<mailto:sophia.mcgee@cuny.edu>. Thank you for your support and enduring commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at CUNY. Religious Group Holiday Description Obligations/restrictions affiliated with the holidays Dates Traditions or Practices Muslim (Shia) Arbaeen Arbaeen marks the 40th day after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad. N/A 9/6 Traditionally, Shia Muslims would memorialize by walking fifty miles between the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Coptic Orthodox Christian Coptic New Year/Nayrouz A feast day that celebrates the beginning of the Coptic New Year. In addition, it memorializes both martyrs and confessors in the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church. N/A 9/11 Ritual meal in celebration of the new year. Jewish Rosh Hashanah Sometimes known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and is the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection. Refrain from work, using electronic devices, and driving. 9/15*- 9/17 *Jewish holidays begin at sundown. Rosh Hashanah is often celebrated with family. Festive meals are common and there are multiple synagogue services that usher in the holiday. Many people attend religious services, spend time with family and friends, and refrain from work, using electronic devices, and driving. Pagan/Wiccan Mabon Celebration marking the autumnal equinox in the Pagan and Wiccan religions. N/A 9/21-9/29 Practitioners pick apples, which are a common symbol of the second harvest. Jewish Yom Kippur The holiest day of the Jewish calendar, sometimes known as the day of Atonement, marks the culmination of the Days of Awe. The holiday is observed with a 25 hour fast. 9/24-9/25 Observers attend services, and in other ways reflect on transgressions of the past year. Many fast, refrain from work or writing, refrain from using electricity or driving. Muslim Mawlid The celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the Islamic faith N/A 9/27 N/A Jewish Sukkot The first days of an eight day long holiday that marks when ancient Israelites would gather their fall harvest and bring offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Jews observe the first two days of Sukkot by refraining from work or school. During the following 6 days of Sukkot, one is allowed to pursue normal activities. 9/29-10/6 Observers build temporary dwellings outside (known as a sukkah) and are commanded to spend the festival eating their meals and sleeping outdoors in the sukkah. The intention is to connect the abundance of the harvest to the themes of gratitude and hospitality. Hindu Pitru Paksha or Shraadh A 16-day period in the Hindu calendar in which ancestors are remembered through the offering of prayers, food and water. N/A 9/29 - 10/14 Rituals honoring the ancestors, feeding and caring for those in need. Jain Paryushana A festival about forgiveness and compassion. Practitioners may engage in specific dietary restrictions including following a "sattvic" diet. 9/29-10/18 Daily meditation and prayer, daily "vyakhyans" or speeches, intentional practice of nonviolence, celebration on the final day (Samvatsari.) Office of Student Affairs The City University of New York