Conference taveng::bagels

Jim,

It's not as easy as you think for a few reasons.  Here are a the main ones that
I would keep in mind.

1) Not everybody agrees on the extent of the holidays.  The Reform movement
   only observes the 1st day of 2 day holidays.
2) The degree to which people observe the holidays varies.  This is more an
   individual basis than by "movement".

So when determining a schedule for these days, you will have to keep in mind
the preferences of the INDIVIDUALS involved.

Now for some specifics:

All holidays (as a matter of fact, all days in the Jewish reconning) start at
sundown.  A secular calendar will indicate the holiday for the "day time" period
it covers.  Therefore, Tisha b'Av is listed as 17 Dec this year, but it really
began at sundown on the 16th.  For the holidays in which families travel to
get together (ie: Passover, aka Pesach), this can have an effect on afternoon
meeting scheduling.  The less distance people are expecting to travel the closer
to sunset they will be able to be at work.

Chanukah is not a "major" holiday.  It is not biblical and does not require
taking off from work.  That's why you don't here about it.

Rosh Hashana is 2 days (except Reform).  Almost everyone who identifies as
Jewish will take these days off.

Yom Kippur is 1 day.  Because of the fast which starts at sundown, Jews will
need to get where they are going well before then to eat their last meal before
the fast.

Pesach & Sukkoth are both 8 days (except Reform and Israel in which case 7).
The first 2 and last 2 days are full holidays (except Reform and Israel where it
is first and last).  Here is an area where individual practice does not match
the "official" positions.  Pesach is the most widely observed holiday among Jews.
What that means is that a larger percentage of manage to make at least a first
night Seder than any other holiday observance and a very large percentage make
both nights.  However, the Reform practice does not seem to be to stay home from
work on the "full" holiday days.  And a large percentage of Jews affiliated with
the Conservative movement don't either.  Even fewer stay home on the last 2 days
of these holidays than the first 2.  The middle days of these holidays do not
require staying out of work.

The last 2 days of Sukkoth actually have separate significance.  They are
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Shavuoth is 2 days (or one for Reform & Israel).  This is much less widely
observed than the other "major" holidays.

Purim is 1 day and again, its observance does not have the majority of Jews
staying out of work. 

There are various other minor holidays and fast days.  Their effect on
availability for work will, for the most part, be minor.

In all cases, the best recommendation is to get a good calendar listing the
holidays.  If you can get a Jewish coworker to get you a Jewish Calendar, its
descriptions of the holidays will be more thorough.  Once you have this and
know the date of the holidays, ASK THE INDIVIDUALS WHAT THEIR PRACTICE IS.
In the case of large gatherings where you can't ask all the individuals, ask
here about the most stringent requirements for any conflicting holiday and then
assume that all will follow that.

Gav

re .0:

I have a multi-year calendar, published by the Orthodox Union, which
lists all the holidays and gives the kind of information you want.
It's specifically meant for dealing with the issues you're talking about.
I'll probably live to regret this, but I'll send a copy to whoever sends
me mail (please *don't* post a reply to this note requesting a copy).
Include your mail stop.

re .1:

>            Therefore, Tisha b'Av is listed as 17 Dec this year, but it really
>began at sundown on the 16th.

Either you mean Asara b'Teves, which is a dawn-to-dusk fast that *was* on
17 Dec, or you've got the date wrong.  Tisha b'Av, which *does* start
at sundown, is in July or August.

That's what I get for trying to write too much too fast.  I get my thinking all
muddled.

.2 is correct.

Gav

And don't forget that highly observant Jews leave work early every
Friday afternoon.

Dave

Even some less "highly" observant.

Gav

To one+++:
>And don't forget that highly observant Jews leave work early every
>Friday afternoon.

Only in the winter, when Shabbat comes in early.

    
>>Rosh Hashana is 2 days (except Reform).  Almost everyone who identifies as
Jewish will take these days off.
    
    I belong to a Reform Temple and we observe both days of Rosh Hashannah
    as do a lot of Reform Temples - I am sure.... We also have 2 sedars...
    
    Ruth-Ellen

    Same at our schul.  We do not, though, observe as a community two days
    of other holidays, although I think the office may be closed the second
    day of the festivals.  The community second seder got to be so popular
    that we quit going and no hold our own (my mother-in-law makes the
    first night seder).
    
    /Charlotte

    Please see note 1151.0 for Jewish holiday dates from 1992-1999.
    
    Please see 1151.1 for a condensed guide to Jewish holidays.
    
    Please feel free to copy and distribute these notes.  I hope they get a
    very wide distribution over the nets.
    
    Laura