Dear Principals, Administrators, and Mechanchim,
As we approach Pesach, a question that has been on the minds of many parents in our community is: Why are our children home for so long before Yom Tov?
Currently, high school girls are off from Rosh Chodesh Nissan (15 days before Pesach), 6th–8th graders from Vav Nissan (9 days before Pesach), and Morahs with playgroups through 5th grade are off 5 days before Pesach. While this may have made sense in previous generations when children actively helped clean and prepare for Yom Tov, today’s reality is far different.
Instead of helping, most children use this extended time off for costly outings, eating out with friends, or hours of screen time—none of which contribute positively to their growth. We, as parents and mechanchim, know the dangers of excessive downtime and how critical it is to keep our children engaged in meaningful, structured environments.
Additionally, these early dismissals don’t truly help Morahs prepare for Pesach either. With all their children home, they still face the same challenge of balancing work and home responsibilities. And for working parents—especially in today’s economy where dual-income households are often a necessity—this creates an immense strain, both financially and emotionally.
Furthermore, this extended time off comes while schools continue to ask for increased tuition—even as parents are struggling to work while their children are home. At the same time, teachers are advocating for higher salaries, which we fully support. But we can’t have it both ways. If schools are demanding more financial support from parents, they must also ensure that children are receiving the maximum time in the classroom.
It’s time to rethink and evolve. Just as office employees must find a way to balance work and Pesach preparations, so too must teachers. Schools should be a support system for families, not an added stress. By keeping our children in school longer, we would be fostering a healthier environment at home, promoting structured and meaningful days, and ultimately doing what’s best for our children’s chinuch.
Let’s work together, one school at a time, to make this necessary change. Our children’s future depends on it.
Sincerely,
Concerned Lakewood Parents
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So letter writer what is your suggestion?
It’s been this way for decades doubt anything will change. Keep in mind there are barely any off days besides 1.5 days chanukah and 1.5 days midwinter. There are no snow days around here any more. The snow days were days the morahs and kids looked forward to. Now you want to take away pesach vacation as well??
Really nice letter. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. After discussing this in the school we decided the teachers need more time off.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s lunacy!!
It’s gone on for too long. But now with so many financial hardships, forcing employees to take more off days isn’t good… and besides, as the writer mentioned, the teacher now has her/his children home too.
Wow- this was a very well written and expressive letter that sums up all the challenges very well. Thank you for expressing what is in most parents’ hearts in a fair and thoughtful way.
Wow. What a tunnel vision self absorbed thought process. Couching your desire to have schools be your babysitter in some fake altruistic motives. As if.
PS the Hebrew teachers only work till 12 and the English teachers have the morning off… somehow everyone in an office figures out how to make yomtov and have their kids in $100 a day camps and doesn’t get off work till Erev yomtov
Where is limudai kodesh over at 12:00?
If schools want to get paid they need working parents. The same working parents who have to take off or spend a ton more money on top of the tuition which is already paid for the month to send to pre pesach “camps” Teachers need to learn to prepare for pesach on the few sundays before yt just like everyone else that actually has to work all the way until pesach starts.
100% agree with you
Schools are not a babysitting service and teachers are 1 of the most important and hardworking people
Wow so many mixed feelings about this concept. Firstly, teachers need to make/prepare for YT. Yes they can take days off (assuming they can find a sub which I doubt will be easy so close to Pesach, and then who will be teaching your child all about Pesach??)
but why is that any different then a working parent taking days off to watch their own children??
Secondly, high school girls should absolutely be encouraged to help in the home – that’s why they are off and it’s the parents responsibility to be Mechanech their child, not exclusively the school.
Teachers and Morahs get this time off to work on Pesach WITH THEIR CHILDREN HOME – and instead of being greatful you are kvetching that it’s not enough. There are many pre-Pesach camps out there as well that are an option
Apparently your living in the past. This parent, and many others, have noticed that the teenagers don’t help for Pesach. They sleep in, and spend the day hanging out with friends. Thus there’s no reason for them to get off 2 weeks before Pesach. As for the teachers needing to make Pesach, so does everyone else in other professions. We don’t get 2 weeks off for Pesach prep.
Girls these days don’t help as much with the cleaning .
With the cooking -yes.
However -for the average high school girl , it’s on her terms. Aka 11:30 pm and on they want to start experimenting in the kitchen . This is only the actual week of Pesach.
until then -you will find A LOT of them in Miami. I’ve seen it with my own eyes!!!
Miami??? You’ve got to be kidding!!! I hear they wake up late and shop, but go on vacation???
My high school daughters definitely help!! (Even though I have full time cleaning help, and we are considered a balebatish family.) and yes she can go out with a friend here and there. We split the day between a list of jobs and free time. She’s not a machine! The kids who get off from school way before pesach are old enough to stay home alone if the parents are working and babysit the younger kids the immediate few days before pesach. And all the girls I know are very helpful to their parents before pesach, if you see girls shopping or lunching maybe they just baked 5 batches of cupcakes and cleaned out the toy closet, look with an ayin Tova. The ones who are the least helpful to have around are the bochurim, they always want food and are constantly grilling and taking the cars… but they are adorable and hopefully they will run you errands, do the toiveling and keep you entertained.
Teachers in the frum schools are probably the most overworked and underpaid employees. Please dont latch your mean-spirited eyes on the time they need to prepare for pesach. However! A possible solution for parents and teachers is giving a day off every week as prep days right after Purim, and not give a long stretch that can be misused for vacations or plain hanging out. Then all schools can run till 3 days before YT.
I agree, well said.
you are the one living in the past if you really believe that voting in the 2025 WZO elections will swing your yeshiva over and become secular.
If your daughters are not helping, then you are at fault! People who teach make a decision to get paid less but work in educating your children ( perhaps giving them the only chinuch they get , it seems, since you can’t get your kids to help at home). Every profession has its perks. Some is pay, some is days off before a Yom tov. It’s a juggle for everyone. But teachers are human too. If they take off, who is teaching your child. If a secretary takes off, it may be a hole in the office that day, but your child won’t come home affected. Same with accountants, therapist etc. And teachers don’t have greater income to afford more household help.
Instead of dumping your child care on someone else, organize your bratty lazy daughters to make a camp if they don’t want to toughen their hands in water.
Other professions pay a decent salary.
People who are in chinuch don’t expect a decent salary, they do it to emulate HKBH.
They are talented and would earn a lot more in a different profession.
The schools don’t give off because of the teachers. They give off because of the needs of the students.
If you want baby sitting, you should pay for it. Hour to hour, it’s cheaper than tuition.
Don’t know about anyone else, but my girls help. I couldn’t do it without them. I’m thrilled to have the HS girls home from R”Ch and the older elementary girls for an extra day or two.
Believe it or not some high school girls are actually helping for pasach. It’s up to the parents not to spoil their children and pay for all there expensive outings.
Since there are so many high school girls around, you can hire some to watch your children while you work.
Morah’s who have large families do need the time off to make pasach.
I’d venture to say the only people that would (make believe they) disagree are teachers. This should be implemented by a Trump executive order tomo morning!
Pesach Vaca has been out of control, wayyyyy to long the last few years, (tuition goes up, amt of school days go down)…
Wow. I couldn’t have written this better myself. Especially the line about two working parents just trying to pull through and pay tuition. How do we pay tuition if we can’t work when are kids are off every other day?
And for the people who blame us for treating school like babysitting, I’m curious, what should we do as two working parents?
And for the person complaining that the Morah’s are losing their vacation, I’m crying for them. Do you not realize they have an entire summer off! We don’t.
And lastly, for those saying that “this how it’s always been done, it’s not going to change”, well, salaries were low for a long time, and they somehow figured out how to raise tuition and raise salaries. If they could figure out how to change that, they could figure out how to change this.
And although I haven’t seen the mention yet, in case someone asks, “when are they supposed to make Yom Tov?”, I’ll ask you, when do you think two working parents make Yom Tov? They figure it out!
There is no reason why we can eliminate all these off days before Erev Yom Tov. Us parents are trying to pull through and work to pay the higher tuition and through that your salaries. Can’t you help us help you?
PS the Hebrew teachers only work till 12 and the English teachers have the morning off… somehow everyone in an office figures out how to make yomtov and have their kids in $100 a day camps and doesn’t get off work till Erev yomtov
1. If your child is demanding to go out and do activities it’s the parents responsibility to stop that and say sorry this is not the time for it(not the school’s responsibility to be open cause you can’t put down rules and boundaries)
2. School staff work beyond the classroom they come home with work and work weekends to educate your child(office employees usually don’t come home with work)
That’s the problem with the gashmiyus in Lakewood. In Brooklyn this problem is almost non existent. Lakewood has become ground zero for gashmiyus.
My kids help and so do most of their friends. How’s about parents learn to say NO to their children instead of shifting blame to school schedules?!
well written, here are my thoughts: I dont get why your kids dont help and you feed into the costly eating out and daily outings etc… whos fault is that? I think you should look at your parenting skills ..
regarding parents working and kids being home, good point and its super challenging, however, the teachers are entitled to some days off too .. hard call.. I wish everyone so much hatzlacha and siyata dishmaya
It’s interesting how you mention it’s so important to keep the kids engaged in meaningful and structured environments, but you think it’s someone else’s job. You are responsible for your children’s well being. They’re not helpful, going out to eat, using up your money on outings…. That’s a YOU problem. Why do you let that happen? Having school not give off for pesach is saying ” I don’t know how to managed my kids and keep them productive.” And that’s really sad. It’s time to take responsibility for the things we’re responsible for!
Perhaps you have a point with elementary school but high school I completely disagree. If your daughter is wasting time during her time off then that’s improper chinuch in a parent that can’t say the time you have off now is to help. My girls help me tons and never ask me for ridiculous expensive outing during this time. I am self employed but work full time and I appreciate my girls can be home helping me while I don’t have that time.
Ye, as it gets closer to pesach the kids learn less and less. It’s probably better for them to be home….
Why is it that teachers need time off, and Noone ever thought about every other mother in town who has a job??? Teaching isn’t the only profession out there!!
Can someone please explain?
for those teachers that are responding they need days off and its the parents responsibility to watch their kids, do you say the same thing to the grocery store owner. He needs days off too and its your responsibility to find food for your family. My point is we would love to watch our own kids and for you teachers to have days off. But in order for us to pay you your salaries which you insist on increasing we need to work so we dont have that luxury that you have to insist on days off and watch our own kids.
If girls would have a shortened school day until a week before Pesach, many issues might be solved. They wouldn’t sleep late because school would begin when it usually begins. They would daven in school, have 2 periods each day and go home hopefully fully ready to help. I’m in the trenches; I teach high school. I think a change such as this would be very productive.
Absolutely! couldn’t agree more!
Blah blah blah.
Again again, the same characters (or types of characters) complaining about “the system“ as it stands today.
I challenge you to open your own school and stick to the standard. You are demanding of the existing schools.
I give my employees time off before Pesach, and not only don’t I complain about work that doesn’t get done (which it doesn’t, and it costs) but I give a bonus as well. I don’t do this because I’m rolling in the dough (no matzo pun intended) or because I’m super generous, but because of you don’t show appreciation to the people doing the things you need done, they will burn out.
I defy you to not only stop complaining, but to send your child’s Rebbe/Morah a nice gift (money/bottle of wine/cleaning crew/something else that will be appreciated).
Maybe everyone should try every job and see who has it the hardest. Then maybe you can comment on how much “free time” teachers have.
I have actually had multiple jobs in the past 20 years (office & self employed) & now I’m currently a preschool teacher.
And to say this is my hardest job (but most rewarding!) is an understatement. And this is coming from someone who had jobs that ran into the midnight hours.
Being a Morah is a 24/6 job. I prep on Sunday & every night, talk to parents, schools, therapists & random people who need chinuch advice, teach for over 6 hours a day & am constantly looking for ways to improve my lessons, curriculum & ways to reach each student. I am Morah, mommy, therapist & arbitrator. And it’s exhausting. I love what I do but I am human.
I don’t have off in the summer as I can’t afford to not work either. And subs cost me $300 a day. Out of pocket. No rotating sub or secretary to fill the gap. I go to school sick some times. I almost missed my grandfather’s levaya due to not being able to find a sub until the last second. Couldn’t just cancel & have parents be irate (I tried & one father chewed me out over it!)
Every year the children become more & more behavioral & less focused from the amount of screen time they have. So these days off are a catch 22! Parents can’t afford to stay home so they plunk they’re kids in front of some device (the kids tell me all about it!) & then we get difficult kids back that cause us to desire our vacation days.
So please fargin me the vacation days in the school calendar. We haven’t had a snow day in years.
Or you can call me to sub for me & see what I “really do all day”.
You know what else I love? Prepping for pesach with my own children underfoot. We have it down to a science bH.
As a (former) Morah (of 13 years), and having worked in more than one office job before, as well as freelanced, I feel like I wrote this letter!
Every word of it!
This question was addressed by Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg Zt”l at a Chinuch Q&A for TU. He answered that the school is required to be mechanech the children ‘that when there is work to be done at home, they should be there to help. The issue of the parents not being able to get their children to help is the parents problem, not the school’s.’
See the book ‘Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg Speaks’.
Move out of town – our elementary school gives off starting April 9th! I’m sure it would be the 10th but they need to give travel time for those going away for Pesach. (We do also have a whole week off for Midwinter though)
Wowowow. Anyone ever heard of chinuch????? Teach your kids to help out! That’s what happens in my home! I’m actually looking forward to having my kids home. You sound ludicrous!!!
I’m not sure if I truly have an option. Let me think about it……
Doesn’t anyone remember Covid? Hashem proclaimed all schools k-8th grade as “Daycare”. Everyone was so happy with that chap and now its undermining to call a school a daycare?!? In EY school ends at 1pm here at 5pm and the reason is simple. In America the work day ends at 5. The writer is correct about the timing but it is truly unfortunate that we cannot get our kids into the Pesach mode…
Maybe that’s a good compromise. Have the girls go in and come home early, like on a Friday schedule. The teachers can rotate and work one extra morning between all the days off
I couldn’t agree more with this letter! Especially for high school girls, who are sleeping in every day, then eating lavish brunches, taking their time to get dressed and daven and by the time they’re “ready” to start their day, it’s at least 1 PM. Then they want to go shopping. It’s ridiculous. They should get up on time, go to school, daven, learn a thing or 2 and then come home, feeling productive and ready to start their day. No one gains from this set up, except maybe the teachers.
This letter is so well written regardless whether you agree with the writer (which I do 100%) or not..
Many who write in letters should look to this letter as a guide how they should write in the future. This letter is factual, it’s to the point, it’s without any negativity but rather a positive forward thinking letter how as a community we need to make changes to what the writer correctly points out is a broken system.. from the most pleasant letters I’ve ever read. Thank you!
The kids are off to help. My kids help, including with their younger siblings and I rely on it tremendously. It is very difficult though when you only have little kids at home and both parents work full time.
I have had many different types of jobs in many settings. The only job I ever had where people thought I should work more for the same pay was when I was a teacher. The teachers salaries are set for the year based on the expected amount of days they will work. If for example my salary is $25,000 to teach for a half a day, that is calculated BASED ON THE CURRENT WAY THE SCHOOL YEAR IS SET UP. If schools want to add extra days then the teachers will rightfully need to be paid more. Imagine if all accountants were told that they need to work all Sundays for free in April so that you don’t need to file a tax extension and can get your refund quicker. Seriously, get real. Teachers are humans. They don’t get ANY paid vacation. They simply get their pay spread out over the school year in equal increments. And tuition by the way, is calculated that way as well. Schools figure out what they can or should charge based on how many days they are typically open. All of you jokers who want to add days/weeks/months to the school year need to pay for it.
If my two high school daughters are home for almost an entire month, why am I paying for a full month’s tuition ??
You pay a yearly price. You can pay it over 9 months or 10 months or in 2 payments!
When you sit down at the Leil Haseder and your daughters open up their Hagaddah and read their Dvar Torah, when your daughters get down on their hands and knees and clean for Pesach, who inspired her? Who taught her the meaning of Pesach? Appreciate the investment the teachers give to their students’ Neshamos which is priceless. That being said, Lakewood BH is a growing frum community where almost all your neighbors are frum. How about coordinating with your daughters friends and neighbors for play dates while you’re at work, or hire a high school girl to watch a few kids for a few dollars who can use the money to save up for seminary or to buy clothes for Yom Tov. Even though the high school girls who have off, many of their mothers are also working in offices and they become available to start with the cleaning and cooking and supervising the younger kids with their Pesach jobs too. See the forest, not just the trees. Chag Same’ach!
Hashem loves everyone one! Tyh
As a teacher – I make about $25k for the school year. I don’t owe you another moment of my time. As the public is becoming more and more entitled, all the benefits of being a teacher that made the salary ‘okay’, are being removed. I’m out for next year and so are several of my friends. Good luck to you all.
One comment that stands out to have real substance , is that most teachers are working 4 hrs a day leaving the other half for pesach chores, that is a real tayne
When I was a head counselor in bp as a service we opened most Sundays from 10 till 230, and extended friday w swimming , lunch. Till 245 [we did start 930 instead of 9 but went till 430 on reg days
Bottom line the mosdos that are cheaper have less time off
Funny how only the girls help. Such an antiquated way of thinking. And teachers who are qualified and certified to teach make far more than $25k. The problem is none of your teachers are educated. Hence why only the smart few break away from this male dominated way of thinking. Strong women – be them – know them – raise them. Stop living under men’s thumbs ladies!
As an adult who grew up in an unsafe household being out of school for a month was very dangerous. Summer wasn’t as bad because there was swimming where bruises might show but before Pesach was always the worse, especially with the added stress giving my parent more excuses…
It’s getting harder and harder to find people who want to teach, and you should be grateful for those that do. They put their hearts and souls into your precious children instead of making more money in office jobs. They come home from work and still have school preparation and marking to do, and lots of their head space revolves around their students and how they can help them better. You entrust your children to the school, often for 8 hours a day, and rely on them to keep your children happy and educated. So stop bashing them, show appreciation, fagin them their days off. If you don’t like it – you can always homeschool.