I don't know how big of a Jewish representation there is on CD, but for those who are (or people who care about those who are) I just realized that Championships will be on the last 3 days of Passover next year, according to the official FIRST website (see
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...t-championship).
For those of you who don't know what Passover is, it's an 8 day holiday (for most of the world) where Jewish people do not eat leavened bread, or most anything made with wheat and other grains (also corn, peanuts, and other things depending on regional traditions). If you observe the holiday strictly, almost all "normal" food is off limits unless it specifically says it is okay. This means students who religiously (
) follow the holiday will not be able to eat any meals at Champs that they did not bring themselves.
I know this will make it hard for me personally to attend (that is, if my team qualifies). How does this affect you or your team (especially the Israeli teams who are likely to have a higher concentration of Jewish students and mentors)? Is there any possibility that FIRST did not realize this conflict and it can be changed to allow kids of all religions to participate without serious challenges?
EDIT: If it is impossible to move the date, perhaps FIRST could offer a Kosher for Passover meal plan for students. Finding approved food is very hard when you are traveling, as I most restaurants that would otherwise be Kosher are closed over Passover and most approved food requires some level of preparation unavailable in hotel rooms.