This a loaded question, but one that many people wonder about. The answer is not as simple as many would hope. In fact, there are several reasons why public schools observe Jewish holidays, and the answer starts with your school district. So how does the school district decide which holidays it is going to observe?
School districts have various ways of determining which holidays it is going to observe. For instance, some districts get funding from the state based on how many students are present on a day to day basis. If a district has a large student body of a particular religious group, the district may lose money because many of their students are absent for holiday.
While it is clear that the United States and school districts consider the student body population an important factor in deciding which religious holidays will be observed. The New York City public schools have a very different method for deciding which holidays to take off. According to the New York Times, New York City schools began closing for Jewish holidays during the 1950’s when most of the teaching force was Jewish and would request time off during those religious holidays. Thus, the city decided to observe particular days. Since the 1950’s, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) has modified its policy in which a teacher is allowed to request time off for religious observance. However, if a significant amount of teachers will be absent, then the DOE will try to accommodate the needs of the masses. The New York City DOE finds it an easier process to adjust for the needs of the teachers than it is to for a particular group of students in an ever growing and changing student body.