Dear Rabbi,

Do you think Rosh Hashanah should be a national holiday in the United States? Why?

Dear Shannon Prissel,

I don't think Rosh Hashanah should be a national holiday in the United States. When the Jewish kids get out of school on Rosh Hashanah, while all their friends are in school, it makes the Jewish kids realize that they are special. The same can be said for Jews in a non-Jewish work environment; observing Rosh Hashanah distinguishes them as Jews. In our age of rampant assimilation and intermarriage, making Rosh Hashanah a national holiday might further weaken Jewish identity, removing what for many is the only practice that sets them apart as Jews.