NEW YORK (JTA) — A Massachusetts high school cross country team will boycott an invitational track meet scheduled on Rosh Hashanah.
Eight members of the Newton North girls team observe the holiday, sparking the decision to withdraw the school’s annual participation, the Boston Globe reported.
The Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association officials were well aware of the Jewish New Year’s date when they scheduled the meet, which draws about 130 schools and 3,500 participants each year, according to The Boston Globe.
Frank Mooney, the association’s executive director, said the group “had no real idea how serious that day was,’’ the Globe reported, until Rabbi Susan Fendrick of Newton e-mailed Mooney last week.
“I don’t think [not realizing the date’s seriousness is] a good excuse at all," Shoshana Kruskal, a senior on the Newton North team and Fendrick’s stepdaughter, told the Globe. "It’s on all the calendars. It’s clearly a very important holiday. I find it very difficult to believe they did not know how important it is.’’
Due to scheduling conflicts, the meet will not be rescheduled from its Rosh Hashanah date.
