Roughly 20 observant Jewish teachers in New York City have come up empty after pushing for a dedicated religious observance day to prepare for Passover, with the Department of Education rejecting their request and the resulting grievance. According to teachers, principals and district offices told those affected to tap into personal or vacation days for Erev Pesach prep, a move that has sparked blowback from advocates and teacher groups.
New York Post reporting says the group filed a formal grievance after the DOE refused to grant time off for customary Passover preparations, and that teachers were notified in mid February that the grievance had been denied. United Jewish Teachers president Moshe Spern told the paper the DOE and new Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels' decision "borders on religious discrimination," and pointed to an arbitrator's 1999 directive that the DOE provide religious observance days.
The union's grievance system gives members a formal way to challenge denials and, when necessary, push cases into arbitration, with specific procedures that cover religious observance disputes and in some situations faster timelines, according to the UFT. Those contract tools are where many teachers test leave denials and look for remedies under their collective bargaining agreement.
In a statement quoted in coverage, the Department of Education said it "respects the religious observances of all employees and provides reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and operational needs," while stressing that any accommodation must also reflect staffing and school operations, according to the New York Post. In other words, the city is arguing that respecting holidays has to coexist with keeping classrooms staffed.
Why Erev Pesach Matters
Erev Pesach, the day before the start of Passover, is when many households wrap up cleaning to remove chametz, kasher kitchens and prepare foods for the seder. Those jobs can easily swallow up hours and often need to happen during daytime. Community guides and rabbis note that key preparations traditionally fall on Erev Pesach and cannot always be squeezed into short breaks or late night sessions, as laid out by Chabad.
The dispute lands in the middle of a broader, recurring fight. Last year, local coverage highlighted principals telling Jewish staff to use vacation or personal leave for Erev Pesach, which prompted advocates to demand clearer rules. Similar complaints surfaced again in 2025, with community outlets and teacher advocates raising the same alarm, according to 5 Towns Central.
What Comes Next
If the UFT decides to keep pressing, arbitration under the contract's grievance procedure is the next formal stop for resolving the clash, according to the union's own materials. Beyond the union track, federal and state law require employers to provide reasonable accommodation for religious observances unless doing so would create an undue hardship. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York State Attorney General both offer guidance and complaint avenues for workers who believe they were wrongly denied accommodation, as explained by the EEOC and the New York State Attorney General.
For now, advocates and the teachers involved say they plan to keep pushing through union channels for clearer DOE guidance and concrete contractual protections. The fight has once again put a spotlight on how the school system balances running a massive operation with giving employees space to meet their religious obligations.
