‘Tis the holiday season which means, as a Jewish high school student, once again feeling slightly left out. Don’t get me wrong, Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year. However, even in a public school setting, opportunities continually present themselves regarding religious bias. But at this point in my life, I have learned to just go along with it.

Growing up in a small Jewish community has surely influenced my opinions on the holiday season. For one, I know by now that the selection of Hanukkah decorations at stores will forever be limited to one measly shelf. Some may say that it’s not a big deal, but to a little kid, it leaves a lasting memory of, in a sense, religious inequality.

Yes, I completely understand that being Jewish, I’m a minority and a lot of people celebrate Christmas, and no, I’m not offended when someone says “Merry Christmas” to me. In fact, I’ll usually say it right back. However, as an outsider during this time of the year, I have come to see a different side of things. I guess I kind of stick out during the holiday season, which I’ve come to realize is completely my choice. Sticking out can be as simple as wearing my ugly Hanukkah sweater or as hard as standing up for myself when I see people being close minded. In reality, my biggest takeaway has been understanding that, for me, this season can mean more about giving back than being a Grinch when it comes to my culture being underrepresented during the holidays.

I spoke with guidance counselor Ted Dondlinger about religious diversity during the holiday season. Dondlinger says that he’s not as conscientious as he should be and tends to get caught up during this time of year. He says that it can be harder to be careful around the subject of religion and, with that, he wants people to be aware that the school wants people to have a safe holiday season.

“I can see it [religious diversity] being a place where there might be some uneasiness. And that’s why I keep an open door,” Dondlinger said. “I want to make sure that if students are feeling uneasy about that, like why are we doing these things like the holiday projects, I’m here to help people.”

Personally, I just want people to have an open mind regarding the holidays. There are so many people that simply don’t realize how biased things tend to be. For example, Christmas themed Starbucks cups or winter vacation time always being over Christmas. A lot of people don’t celebrate Christmas and a lot of people do, but it’s not about Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza or not celebrating a holiday at all, it’s more about what the season is supposed to mean as a whole.