By Megan Sack
Education Contributor

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is observed in 2012 from sundown September 25 to nightfall September 26. The Hebrew date for Yom Kippur is 9-10 Tishrei 5773.

The Day of Atonement, also known as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, is the most important day of the Jewish year. More people go to temple on Yom Kippur than any other holiday.

Yom Kippur marks the end of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of teshuvah (literally "return," commonly understood as repentance) that begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

During the Days of Awe, Jews seek forgiveness from friends, family and co-workers, a process that begins with Tashlich, the symbolic casting off of sins that is traditionally observed on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah by throwing bread into a body of water. On Yom Kippur, Jews attempt to mend their relationships with God. This is done partly by reciting the Vidui, a public confession of sins.

The holiday has the most extensive prayer schedule of the Hebrew calendar and significant abstinence from food, drink, animal-based clothing and sexual intimacy. Communal prayers for Yom Kippur begin with Kol Nidre, a legal document that is hauntingly chanted and emotionally charged. The Book of Jonah is read during the afternoon prayer service on Yom Kippur day. The Day of Atonement is the only Jewish holiday that includes a fifth prayer service, called Ne'ilah, which is a final plea of repentance before the gates of heaven are said to close. The Ne'ilah service precedes the shofar blowing and the end of the fast.

Though Yom Kippur is characterized by fasting and prayers of repentance, it is actually considered the most joyous day of the Jewish year because it commemorates God's forgiveness of the sin of the Golden Calf, and is considered a time to start anew spiritually.

G'mar Hatimah Tovah.

By Eric Carter
Education Reporter

CHICAGO - Children attending Chicago Public Schools returned to school on Wednesday after teachers ended a seven-day strike that made the city a flashpoint in the debate over union rights.

Austin Howard, a 17-year-old student on the North Side, shared his feelings. "While I am happy to be back in school, I am even happier that my teachers maybe will be treated better."

Union delegates voted Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with those in charge of the nation's third-largest school district. They said the contract wasn't perfect, but that it included enough concessions on proposed new teacher evaluations, recall rights for laid-off teachers and classroom conditions to return to work pending a vote by its more than 26,000 teachers and support staffers in coming weeks.

It was also a relief to parents. The strike stranded roughly 350,000 students and left many parents scrambling to arrange alternative care for their children even though the district kept more than 140 schools open for several hours a day for meals and activities.

Some parents expressed hope Wednesday that the tentative contract agreement would benefit students in a district grappling with high dropout rates and poor performance.

"They'll hopefully win from the strike," said Isabela Sanchez, referring to her children as she walked them to a South Side elementary school.

Her son, 8-year-old Jose, said he was excited for another reason: "Learning about planets."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel – who filed a lawsuit this week to try to force teachers back to work – called the settlement "an honest compromise."

Union leaders pointed to concessions by the city on how closely teacher evaluations will be tied to student test scores and to better opportunities for teachers to retain their jobs if schools are closed by budget cuts.

"We said that we couldn't solve all the problems of the world with one contract, and it was time to end the strike," said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.

But the evaluations and job security measures stirred the most intense debate. The union said the evaluation system relied too heavily on test scores and did not take into account outside factors that affect student performance such as poverty, violence and homelessness.

The union also pushed to give laid-off teachers first dibs on open jobs anywhere in the district. The district said that could prevent principals from hiring the teachers they thought most appropriate for the position. The tentative settlement proposed giving laid-off teachers first shot at schools that absorbed their former students and filling half of district openings from a pool of laid-off teachers.

Marion Sticks, a school psychologist, said she is interested in learning how the students she counsels fared over the summer.

"I have so many questions for them," she said. "I'm glad to be back for all kinds of reasons."

By Chuck del Valle
Society Reporter

In the early hours of September 16th, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato, rang the church bell to gather the townspeople. He called for the people of Mexico to rise up against the Spanish Crown, thus initiating Mexico's War of Independence.

Spain ruled Mexico for 3 whole centuries, spreading diseases and creating rigid racial hierarchies that facilitated the attempted annihilation of the indigenous population. While a diverse array of architecture - modeling styles of Baroque Spain - and culture flourished during this time frame, wealth and opportunities were limited to the ruling class: the Spaniards and peninsulares (Europeans of predominantly Spanish and Portuguese ancestry living in the "New World"). During the years that led to Mexican independence, many found themselves devoted to ending foreign rule on Mexican land. Many contributed to the independence movement by providing sons to fight the great battles, donating homes to house wounded families, and providing a safe haven for women and children during.

The country did not achieve independence until 1821, but it is this event, known as the Grito de Dolores which is commemorated every year in town squares across Mexico, the United States, and everywhere with a passionate Mexican population.

The largest Independence Day celebration takes place in Mexico City's Zocalo, which is decorated from the beginning of September with red, white and green lights and Mexican flags. On the 15th, at 11pm the President of Mexico - currently Enrique Peña Nieto -  goes out onto the central balcony of the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), rings the bell (the same bell Hidalgo rang in 1810, brought to Mexico City in 1886) and cries to the people gathered in the square below, who enthusiastically respond "¡Viva!"

The words of the Grito may vary, but they go something like this:

¡Vivan los heroes que nos dieron patria! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Hidalgo! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Morelos! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Allende! ¡Viva!
¡Vivan Aldama y Matamoros! ¡Viva!
¡Viva nuestra independencia! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!
¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva!

The names mentioned are the founding figures of modern Mexico - those that helped pave the way for future generations free of formal colonial rule. At the end of the third ¡Viva Mexico! the crowd goes wild waving flags, ringing noisemakers and spraying foam. Then fireworks light up the sky as the crowd cheers, and later the Mexican national anthem is sung.

The celebrations continue on the 16th with civic ceremonies and parades - the largest taking place in Mexico City - but perhaps the most touching festivities are those in small communities in which school children of all ages participate. In the United States, the Mexican/Mexican-American community celebrate in similar styles, but also use this event as an opportunity to take pride in their Latino heritage.

Like most festivities, certain foods are considered representative of Independence Day. A favorite is pozole, a soup made of hominy and pork. Other foods have the colors of the Mexican flag - red white and green, like chiles en nogada, traditional Poblano-style peppers stuffed with pomegranates and adorned with a sweet cream sauce.

And of course, it just wouldn't be a party without plenty of mezcal and tequila! Mexican Independence not only paved the way for Mexico’s self-determination, it also paved the way for an annual reventón (awesome party) of epic proportions. In essence, it’s really the gift that keeps on giving.

Most Mexicans and Mexican Americans celebrate by gathering the 4 Fs: family, friends, food, and fun. Many folks like to use the word convivir, a Spanish verb roughly translated as "the essence of placing your heart and mind with those you care about", to describe the manner in which the holiday is traditionally celebrated. The Mexican people are a fun-loving, hard-working group of folks that appreciate the joys of strong family unity, respect the importance of friendships, indulge in life's treats - such as sopes, tostadas, enchiladas, and guacamole, and fundamentally know how to have a good time.

On el día de la independencia, Mexicans and Mexican Americans are blessed with internationally-recognized beers, such as Corona, and decadent tequilas that come in over 600 varieties. However, don't underestimate the power of mezcal. This alcoholic wonder is distilled from the maguey plant and packs a powerful boxeo punch, so watch out.

On Mexican Independence day, do as the Mexicans do: eat, celebrate, drink (in moderation), and convive with those close to you - whether at home or at a chic tequila lounge.

By Megan Sack
Education Contributor

What do you know about Rosh Hashanah? Most people have a vague sense of what this means to followers of the Jewish faith, which in the United States alone constitute nearly 5.3 million people.

However, the following things will help you make sense of the Jewish New Year, which begins sundown on Sunday.

1. Rosh Hashanah means the beginning or entrance of the year. According to the Jewish calendar that happens on the first of the month of Tishrei, which occurs this year at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 16. It always occurs in early autumn, but the exact date on the Gregorian calendar changes because the latter is a solar calendar while the former is a lunar calendar which keeps things seasonal by regular adding an extra month to close the gap between the moon’s cycle and solar months. The Muslim calendar, in fact, doesn’t make those additions, which is why the same Muslim holidays occur at different seasons during different years.

2. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birth of the world and humanity. While the number 5773 corresponds to the age of the world, according to ancient calculations, it speaks to a much larger issue which remains central to understanding Rosh Hashanah. By celebrating the birth of the world and of humanity, not the birth of the Jewish nation or of the first Jew, Rosh Hashanah celebrates that whatever particular faith we follow, we share a common origin and destiny.

3. Rosh Hashanah affords everyone a second chance, even if it’s their hundredth one. The New Year also carries the promise of a new you. We are invited to see both ourselves and each other in light of that promise. In fact, Rosh Hashanah teaches that with a bit of work, there is no past that cannot be overcome, and no person who does not deserve the opportunity to do so.

4. Symbolic foods, such as apples and honey, are central to the holiday. The adage that we are what we eat is taken quite seriously on Rosh Hashanah, as those celebrating the holiday break out all kinds of foods symbolizing the sweetness, health, success, and good deeds which they hope the coming year will bring.

5.Rosh Hoshanah is also called “the day of the horn sounding.” The horn referred to is known in Hebrew as the shofar, a curving ram’s horn that is mentioned numerous times in the Torah, always associated with life- changing events. Perhaps the best way to think of a shofar is as an ancient alarm clock, and Rosh Hashanah as the day on which set to help wake ourselves up to becoming the person we most want to be.

6. Rosh Hashanah is about relationships. Whether between individuals and God, communities, and the traditions which define the Jewish people, or simply between individuals, whether any God or tradition is a part of their lives, it’s all about sustaining relationships which sustain us and help us do the same for others. Rosh Hashanah invites us to reconnect, repair, and renew.

Furthermore, on the first night of Rosh Hashanah after the evening prayer, it is the Ashkenazi and Hasidic custom to wish Le'shana Tova Tikoteiv Vetichoteim (Le'Alter LeChaim Tovim U'Leshalom), which is Hebrew for "May you (immediately) be inscribed and sealed for a good year (and for a Good and Peaceful Life)". Shana Tova is the traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah, which in Hebrew means "A good year".

Whether celebrating with family or friends, make sure to bring some fresh apples and honey to indulge on such a sweet occasion.

Happy Rosh Hashanah!