Conference taveng::bagels

    I think you should call them and tell them about the date conflict.
    This kind of thing comes up every year; it really is hard to schedule
    something during the "Jewish holiday period" from Rosh Hashanah through
    the end of Sukkoth, and non-Jewish people, even if it occurs to them
    that they should check, have trouble figuring out what days have
    problems since the Jewish calendar moves with respect to the secular
    calendar - of course, they manage to figure out Good Friday, as you
    said, which of course also moves around.  Evern when people do figure
    it out, they don't necessarily know things like that Rosh Hashanah is
    celebrated fro two days (by most of us, anyways).  I am still trying
    to get a club meeting I "have" to attend (as secretary/treasurer) moved
    off of the second day of Rosh Hashanah (probably too late to change it;
    someone else will have to do the job).     

    I just got a notice that a "rollout" meeting for one of Digital's
    products (one that I support and am deeply interested in) was scheduled
    for Yom Kippur.  The announcement said that this was the only day
    that the conference room was available (no wonder).  I sent this
    reply:
    
    	"FYI -- October 9th is Yom Kippur, one of the most solemn and
    	widely observed of Jewish Holidays.  Most Jewish people at Digital
    	will be attending religious services and visiting with their
    	families.
    
    	"I cannot expect that Digital will come to a screeching halt
    	for every religious holiday, but you may wish to consider video
    	taping the seminar for those of us who cannot attend."
    
    I feel very strongly that religious needs be considered when events
    are critically important to one's job.  By "critically important"
    I mean that you'll lose your job, or severely limit your future,
    if you don't attend a particular event.  If meetings can't be
    rescheduled there should at least be an alternative way to get
    information or benefit.
    
    I don't expect that every major event that a Jewish person might
    possibly want to attend should be scheduled around the Jewish Holidays.
    I don't imagine anti-semitic intent when conflicts happen, nor
    am I particularly angered (unless there's a consistent pattern of
    scheduling done by the same group of people every year on the same
    holiday).
    
    When one considers all of the things that go into choosing a date for
    an event (availability of facilities, hotel rooms, speakers,
    introduction schedules on products and their respective slips, other
    major events, etc.) issues such as holidays that effect much less than
    3% of the population (especially on Sukkot, Shavuot, and Pesach) are of
    lesser importance.  It's not anti-semitic, it's not discriminatory,
    it's not insensitive, it's just part of life.
    
    The anger that I feel when a special or important event coincides
    with yom-tov is usually not directed against the planners of the
    event.  Rather, it stems from being disappointed at not being able
    to do everything I want, at having to choose between my religion
    and something else that I'd really like to do.
    
    (OK, OK, I'll calm down now.)
    
    (1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10)
    
    Dave

    Re all:
    
    I have two calendars in my office. One is a picture-type with vintage
    military aircraft and the other is a standard off-the-shelf DEC
    desk calendar. BOTH show Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
    
    Doesn't sound like anybody who schedules activities during those
    holidays is checking their calendars if mine are anything to go
    by.
    
    Mark

    I hope that whoever is in charge does videotape the product
    announcement or whatever for you - that seems really reasonable.
    It just can't be done to schedule all events around everyone's
    religious holidays; nothing could ever be scheduled at all!  You would
    think that events could be scheduled around the most important
    religious observances of at least the larger minority religions, but
    even that doesn't always work.  Even when the intent is there, people
    don't know things like that Rosh Hashanah is two days for most people
    who are going to observe it - calendars that even have it (my office
    wall calendar has no holidays at all - photo calendar of the Galapagos
    Islands that I brought back from Ecuador last year) only note the
    holiday on the first day - or that it is a problem to schedule
    something for late in the day the day of Kol Nidre.
    
    And of course some people (a minority, let's hope) just don't care.
    
    I guess if we want to be in the majority, we all ought to move to
    Israel.  (Maybe someday! - I bet my sister-in-law and her family make
    aliyah in the next five years or so, though.)
    
    /Charlotte

    And the Digital Family Outing at Canobie Lake Park for HLO, LMO, DLB,
    APO, ACT, and FXO is scheduled for the first day of Rosh Hashanah.
    This is very poor planning.  If I had children, I would be very 
    disappointed that they would have to miss it.
    
    Bernice

    
    No reason to gripe about that... MLO's outing is for
    erev Yom Kippur and I just asked for a ticked for
    the alternate date.  No problem, I am going the next
    weekend.
    
    They have the place booked for everyweekend for around
    2 months... they are not going to take out three days
    when the people who can't go do have a makeup day they
    can attend...
    
    Amy

    The problem this year is that every weekend is a holiday from now on.
    If you were not in the pre-Rosh Hasanah crowd, then you have to make a
    compromise if you want to go (assuming you are observant of Succot).
    The last day to go to Canobie is 15 Oct.

    Re. -1  I think they could quite easily pick three alternate
    dates in a year.  Some of the pleasure is being with your 
    group, its family and friends and the folks you know from 
    your own site.
    
    Bernice

    .8 is responding to .6

    When I saw the dates for Canobie Lake listed in the DTW and realized
    that I would not be able to attend on my Site's date, the "official"
    alternate date, or any of the October dates I just called the Employee
    services group.  When they gave out tickets they put the date of MY
    choice on the grey "alternate" ticket. Digital does not plan around
    Jewish Holidays... but you can always find some alternatives.  
    
    My family had a wonderful time two weeks ago.
    
    ---Av 

    You are right about Succot, I didn't really look 
    carefully.  But as .-1 said, there are(were)
    work-a-rounds.
    
    Amy
    

    I lucked (finally) out this year and my site went the week before
    the hagim.
    
    --David

    My personel rep told me that I had a choice of the scheduled date
    or  the  alternate date, and since I was on vacation for the first
    and the second was Succot, I couldn't go.

--David

    Your PSA dosen't know what he/she is talking about. Talk to the
    employee services people at your site (they are the ones who sponsor
    the trips and movies, etc.) they admimnister the program.  All they
    need to do is give you a grey ticket (the alterative day ticket) and
    write the date you requested on it.
    
    Av

    gee -- my husband was complaining that he'd have to log in sunday
    night since it was the end of the quarter (he's in a finance-type
    position) -- said it was poor planning to have that happen on the 
    holydays! :>)

    guess you can't please everyone!

    BTW, we're at two different sites, and both of our canobie dates
    fell on the holyday weekends.  wasn't aware of the 15th being sukkos,
    though we might not go for other reasons.  and i was sort of looking
    forward to a not-so-crowded day too.  oh well, there's always next
    year!
    
    /sandy

    The lady that distributed the tickets in my site told me I can go on any
    other day, using my Saturday, Oct. 14 tickets.  She was positively sure
    about that.  I might try this Sunday morning.  You may try too.
     

    I just talked to employee services.  First I was offered Oct. 15 and
    told that I can use my tickets.  I mentioned that it is also a holiday 
    which they were not aware of.  The lady there said that I have to come
    to the employee services office and she eould re-stamp the date on the
    tickets.
    
    You will find the phone in the DEC phone directory under Personnel.

RE: .16

I was told the same thing. If you cannot keep your regular date because of a
religious holiday, you can get your tickets early and use them any day you wish.
I used my September 30 tickets the week before and had no problem.

Dave

    Re: 16
    
    I have been doing that for the past couple of years. I get my tickets
    for the day for my site and then go when I want. I haven't been turned
    away yet. The only problem I see is if your site's date is on the late
    side you might want to make some other arrangements.
    
    Dick