Baruch College Alters Friday Graduation to Accommodate Jews

BROOKLYN

Baruch College’s president on Friday turned back by an hour the spring graduation ceremony to accommodate Shabbos observers after lawmakers called on the college to alter the Friday schedule.

The ceremony will now begin at 4:00 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m. on May 27, President Mitchel Wallerstein said. Shabbos begins that day at 7:59 p.m.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who issued a statement calling for the change, said that it came after nearly 1,400 students signed a petition, created by Renée Shemesh.

“This goes much further than graduation; it’s about standing up for your rights and not backing down,” Hikind said. Eleven percent of Baruch’s student body is Jewish, according to a press release from Councilman David Greenfield.

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