“Various alternatives were thought through, each of which was worse than the calendar adopted, bad as it is,” Lewis wrote in an e-mail message.

Benjamin Z. Galper ’02, chair of Hillel and a Crimson editor, said that he appreciated the University’s efforts to minimize the conflict with the holiday.

“I think it’s really a nice move,” Galper said. “I think this shows the University takes diversity very seriously.”

He noted that there have been conflicts in past years between Rosh Hashanah and the University’s academic calendar, particularly in 1999 when the holiday fell on the same weekend as first-year move-in.

While the change in calendar only makes upperclass registration three days earlier than it would be under the traditional calendar—this year it will be held Sept. 11 instead of on Sept. 14—the Houses will open a full week earlier than normal, just like the first-year dorms.

Associate Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman ’67 said the College decided to open the Houses a week early because many upperclass students need to return for first-year registration, particularly to table at the first-year activities fair held the morning of registration. He said that the College decided just providing temporary housing to these students would have created too much of a logistical hassle.

However, the College is not encouraging upperclass students to return early and has in fact made efforts to discourage students from arriving before Sept. 7.