JUST AS IT’S rude to host an office party when some invitees are observing a religious holiday, a high school athletic group shouldn’t stage a statewide track meet when members of one of the state’s major religions can’t compete. Not all public events can cease for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, but organizations would do well to avoid dates when many families are engaged in religious observance. It’s a simple matter of sensitivity.
The Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association showed a lack of good sense when it scheduled one of the first statewide competitions of the season for Saturday, while Jews will be observing Rosh Hashana. Rescheduling at this point is impractical, but the association should avoid conflicts with major religious holidays in the future - and convey its regret if it cannot.
Association officials knew the McIntyre Invitational would fall on the Jewish holiday but did not realize its significance. “There will always be some group that will not be able to attend for whatever reason,’’ the association’s executive director, Frank Mooney, told the Globe. “If I apologized each time, I’d be sending out apologies all year.’’
Mooney’s dismissiveness isn’t justified. Nor is his assertion that there are endless numbers of equally valid conflicts. More than 250,000 Jews live in Massachusetts, and Judaism is the state’s predominant non-Christian religion. The Jewish high holiday, a time of prayer and reflection, is likely to prevent many athletes from competing, as it will eight girls on Newton North’s cross-country team.
To consider the holiday no different than a multitude of competing calendar events signals a failure to embrace the idea that a pluralistic society can respect the beliefs of many. As the association and others like it grapple with the practical challenges posed by scheduling competitions, they should engage rather than alienate large religious communities. Mooney should apologize to the competitors from the Jewish community and promise that the association will strive to avoid such conflicts in the future.
