Does anyone know when and how midwinter break became a “thing”?
I grew up in Flatbush, attending Yeshiva Torah Temimah. There was no such concept as midwinter vacation for boys in that world. Even us balabatishe kids understood that the limud hatorah of tinokos shel bais rabon was paramount; hence “midwinter” was for the girls’ schools – not for yeshivos. It was also for our “out of town” friends from camp. The ones that had to travel in from Cleveland/LA/Chicago etc. to 13th Avenue to purchase clothing and visit their grandparents. They needed a midwinter break. Oh… and also for the college kids who had breaks between semesters.
Even the girls – their midwinter vacation consisted of traveling to PA for snow-tubing and going out with friends. That was it. Travel to Miami was really the exception – not the norm – you know… the same families that made weekend bar mitzvas in the Waldorf.
Fast forward a quarter of a century to my experience as a parent in Lakewood. My son’s yeshiva gives off. Why????
My daughter’s school gives three days off. Why? At least growing up in Brooklyn, many girls schools had school on Sunday. My sister’s had a full day, including secular studies, every Friday, getting home close to 2PM. My daughters, on the other hand, are home by 11:23 every Friday morning! (definitely another topic we need to discuss).
Does a four-day school week from 9-4 really wear down our girls that much? Let’s be real, Chanuka vacation was barely four weeks ago. Purim is five weeks away. Let’s man up a bit…
This whole vacation creates a financial burden that is totally superfluous. My shul was empty on Shabbos, due to a huge percentage of families departing to hotels for Shabbos. I know that many of them cannot afford the $4-$6,000 for the Shabbos, but they need to do “something” because it is midwinter vacation. It feels like hundreds of girls are going to Florida, some alone and some with their mother’s, leaving the dad’s home with the boys. My wife wants to go with our 6 kids to Orlando. I BH could afford it but …. Why????
The High School girls have anixienty and pressure over who is going where with whom… Why???
Who needs this midwinter mishegas??? We have beautiful Yomim Tovim, Chol HaMoed, Chanukka etc. Do we really need this extra weekend? STOP IT ALREADY!!!
Lakewood is a very efficient society that does not hesistate to adapt with the times. I would love to see The Scoop run a survey polling the parents to see how many people would love to abolish this anachronism of midwinter vacation.
TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via Whatsapp or via email [email protected]
Nuu. Post a poll…
Not disagreeing just adding…. I think a big part of it started from the day school system that gives a big long yeshiva week break, And in comparison this is just a weekend. But ye. Still….
so original (sarcastic) . neve heard this over the last decades.
is there a shidduch crisus also?
what.does it have to do with anything
Maybe I shouldn’t buy a self driving tesla or 6000 sq Ft house, all the newest gadgets and toys for the kids, have a Glatt bite, bun, hamesada, pita king, pizza stores, other eateries and high end luxury steakhouses? Or buy a raffle for a $20,000 watch? Craziness!! What are you asking – that common sense should come back into our heads? $70 for lunch for two people?? Insane. Do nothing and win a new car or $40,000?
I got an idea – let’s spend quality quiet time with our kids – or better yet with ourselves and see if each of us can figure out how to improve our avodas hashem and figure out if what we do is in line with ratzon hashem.
I understand the pressure that it puts on the parents. But let’s think about how the students feel. Students NEED a break. They cant learn for 6 months straight. Especially with all the tests and midterms.There is a reason many young teens are on meds these days. There is too much pressure. A break is CRUCIAL.
I think there is more pressure about where they are going then the pressure of school work!
all they talk about the weeks leading up to vacation is where they are going. You have no idea how much pressure and anxiety the kids get from those conversations. The ones who aren’t going anywhere or “oy vey” have to go to American dream feel so pathetic meanwhile that is no cheap trip either. Pressure on the parents and pressure on the kids. I don’t think mid winter is going anywhere as much as we would like it to. (Including those who go away)
That is very, very true. I’m very surprised at how even yeshivish minded families are giving in to this traveling to Florida, south Carolina, hotels for vacation. They claim there isn’t anything to do. Change that. There isn’t anything exotic to do. Nothing bragging worthy to do. You can chill, go out for lunch, do some shopping, ( clean for pesach) just a different routine. I’m beginning to think I have to ask about family standards for mid winter as a part of my shiduch questions. I don’t want a girl from a family that has those types of values. It’s against torah principles.
the girls do not learn whole 2 weeks of midterms. My daughter was home most days by 11 am. They are off every sunday
Don’t forget about the Rebbiem and teachers. Adults need breaks too! Also as a parent i would rather kids off during midwinter and have school start earlier. What kids DON’T NEED is a week off between school and camp and another 2 weeks off between camp and school.
I work in a yeshiva elementary in Flatbush that stopped giving off. They can no longer refuse when parents want to take their kids on trips, because there’s no official break. The kids all need vacation at this point of the year anyway. The parents end up taking them out at random times for a few day/week. It causes significant classroom disruption over a period of several weeks (Jan through purim time) and during that time the teachers can’t teach normally because there are several boys out at any given time. The only thing they gained is that teachers have no time off at all.
The problem was created by starting mid winter vacation. It’s no different then eliminating all the freebies the politicians started. The cat is out of the bag, while the bag should never have been created.
1000%
It’s our lazy schools with no will power to change it. Why should they?
half the time everyone complains that how dare the school tell us what to do blah blah blah. You can’t have it both ways.
Speak for yourself.
School schedules are their own to make. Either you comply or you don’t.
But let’s see one that can think out of the box.
1st of all all schools Including boys had off unless you went to a chassidishe school. But skip that do you realize back in the day we had many snow days every year where as currently(thanks r kalman) we no longer have snow days. Everyone needs time off, a change of scenery. Admit it the kids need it and so do the rabbeim and morahs/teachers. Are only the rich allowed to go on vacations , build houses, make fancy weddings etc??? How many more kids need to go OTD or on meds ???? LET EVERYONE LIVE!!!
I neevr had mid winter vacation. The only break we ever had was from Secular studies. And that was because almost all the teachers came from Public school and were gentiles. They had break, and didn’t want to work. We only had snow days when there was a blizzard, and no way to get to school. They go OTD because they realize we’re all fakers, because of such backwards ideas.
Oh, come on, do you sit through school? My high school daughter wakes up at 6:45 to make the bus, gets home at 5:45, eats supper, studies for the test for the next day, and repeats. Yes, a vacation is needed. I don’t know how Lakewood gets away with only giving a weekend. I promise the teachers also want a vacation. If you don’t want to take your kids to Florida, explain to them that’s not what your family does, but the whole Lakewood does not have to know!
My sisters did that and had much less vacation. I went to yeshiva and had less vacation. We are rasing babies. Then they get married and have no idea how to be adults.
Who comes home at 11:23 on Friday?! My hs girls come home at 12:10 and this is after leaving the house at 7:30 every morning. On a regular day they aren’t home until 5:30pm. Either give them a lighter schedule or at least let them have 3 days off so they have something to look forward to.
And which boys schools give off? The schools I’ve sent to or currently send to only give off on Friday and Sunday. That’s the grand total midwinter vacation.
The girls get off for one extra day!
I’m happy for them to have this vacation.
personally we don’t spend that much and I don’t know anyone else who does. It’s certainly not the people in Lakewood who have off 2-3 days.
i agree
My daughter in Brooklyn is still in class on Friday after 12:00. Even in elementary school. She also is in class before 9am. My nieces in Lakewood aren’t picked up before 8:45am and are home before my girls finish school. You created an ideaology and wondere why these kids need to go to Florida or california on vacation. My kids vacation in “baal habatish Brooklyn” consists of going bowling. No American Dream Mall or other nonsense that all their Lakewood poor cousins do several times a year.
Which school is from 9-4? You sure you live in Lakewood? My girls are in school from 8:30-5. You’re right, maybe your kids don’t really need a vacation.
Midwinter Vacationer Refuses to Take a Break From Midwinter Vacationing
A dedicated midwinter vacationer whose been taking midwinter vacations for the last several decades refuses to take a break from his busy midwinter vacation schedules because, as he explained, “I feel guilty taking breaks!”
“I realize how important it is for me to take an occasional break from my exhausting midwinter vacation schedules,” he said, “but my conscience won’t let me take breaks. A feeling of guilt fills up my heart every time I think about taking a break from midwinter vacationing.”
“My parents always impressed upon me the importance of sticking to routines and adhering to set schedules,” he said, “hence, I’m just not used to slacking off from my obligatory midwinter vacation plans!”
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I’ve never been a slacker. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. But I’d rather be a bad person who sticks to his mandatory vacation plans than be a good person who throws off the irrevocable yoke of midwinter vacationing!”
Here goes to cookoo responses again.
Your talent is largely unappreciated on this site. I love your satire.Don’t stop.
If you really want, you can reach me at chatgpt.com, and I’ll give you great ideas on how to have your own school at home for 3 days
Every year same old letter!!
Just give up!!
You hit the nail on the head. Decades ago , we had mishmar night on Thursday only, other nights we were busy with homeworks. No working adult puts in the hours of a Yeshiva boy today.
I had night seder, depending on what grade between 2-5 nights a week, in Brooklyn.
My son in Brooklyn is in Yeshiva every single day until 10pm. He doesn’t have or get the Gashmiyus you clowns in Lakewood give your teenage boys. You all kvetch how difficult your life is, but have the gashmiyus lifestyle of hollywood. Lakewood has become the Frum worlds most gashmiyus place on earth. Yet you all claim to be the only makom torah in America. The biggest joke ever. Hashem Yeracheim.
I’m talking about Torah Temima back in day.and maybe think a little longer before you 60,000 people clowns.
I also mentioned my yeshiva days, when I had night seder minimum twice a week, up to every night. I still say the idea of mid winter breaks are an insane joke. In particular when we’re all claiming we’re strruggling to make ends meet, why are we finding new and more ways to go broke?
How does Eretz Yisroel do it? Girls home every day by 1:30. High school girls home by 3:30, a whole week off for Chanukah, Fridays home by 11:30. Ok, school on Sunday… There is definitely more family time there. Israeli’s main meal is lunch – imagine families sitting together in the middle of the day! The American school system was created by American standards – work 9-5 and live a materialistic life. Vacation in Eretz Yisroel is a trip to Tzfas and davening at Meron. Perhaps it’s time to see the American Dream (not the mall…) for what is has done to the frum family system. Enjoy your kinderlach! Much nachas!
In Eretz Yisroel there’s almost no secular studies. High school girls are off on Fridays, to haelp make shabbos. No takeout for every other course. No meatboards. All homemade. Tzefas and meron, is once a year for a family, if they can scrape a few shekels together. And it’s only one place, not both or several.
They do learn math, science, biology, geography, English and history. They just don’t eat lunch in school. They have one morning recess and then learn straight until dismissal. Lunch they eat at home – even at 3:30. In Eretz Yisroel the emphasis is on family. Girls come home from school and watch their younger siblings until parents come home from work.
Math yes. Most other subjects not. At least not in main stream schools. I hav manyin main stream schools, and they don’t learn most subjects. They also don’t get near the amount of vacation we give here in America.
Just say you’re poor.
He writes in his letter that he can afford it.
The stupidity is unreal.who would say they can’t afford it?
I wrote the letter and BH I make seven figures a year. That said, the cost is ridiculous.
Really? If you make 7 figures a year and you are going to Florida it doesn’t cost more then $6/7000 to go to Florida for a few days so I don’t see why you would think it’s ridiculous. Yes it would be rediculous for someone who doesn’t have that money.
I can’t afford it. And all I do is find some cheap bowling alley, though not on a work day. If I’m taking off because my kids are off, I already spent money on them by doing that.
Facts
I understand your perspective.there are parts I agree with and parts I don’t.
but I think the bigger deal is improving the chashivus for education. Girls Schools having school on Friday is a much more important poll than getting rid of Mondays for winter break.
Also, my son needs a break ( and their school doesn’t give off). Not every boys school is giving off but many many boys need a break.
in my childhood the secular world was struggling with men’s and women’s roles in the world.
today they are struggling with what and who is a woman or a man.
that being the case, our children are being pulled by gravity in that direction and the result of that ( in my opinion) is what you are looking at. A loss in gender identity and roles. Just like the girls need a break so do the boys.
just like the girls need a special dance for the kallah the boys need a special dance for the
Choson. They eat out and buy clothes like girls. There are a lot of trends trending that show a slight loss in gender identity and roles. This might be one. But it might also be needed in the generation. It also might be needed for the teachers.
The girls schools getting out at 11:15/30 ( and starting at 930!?)on Friday, weekly, is a bigger burden on parents than that one Friday and Monday in the winter.
fridays are weekly. also it means a real loss
in the education for the girls.
they are missing 20 percent of their English classes.
id love to see a poll on this!
Unfortunately some people can’t tolerate having their kids home for a few days. And some people feel bad telling their children that they can’t afford going on vacation like XYZ so the only solution they can think of is cancelling vacation so the problem is gone.
Bake cookies. Play board games. Make a paint night. Create family memories! Your kids will remember those days more than all the days they had school.
Agree – vacation is a wonderful break from the routine for your children. Just do it differently thank the crowd – what’s the problem? Your kids should know that that’s ok!
OK. If I and my spouse can’t take off from work, what should we do? Quit? Will I get free tuition for the rest of the year?
Please give recognition to the heard working Morahs, Rebbeim, Office staff and other amazing staff members who could us a little time off.
I’d love to. But I don’t get time off. Neither does my spouse. In the real world, you get vacation for the holidays, maybe a few more days. Which we use for days when we can’t work, like Yom Tov, but the company is working. Or for when the children are sick, which kids do get sick duringthe year.
And should we also stop all the Yarchei kallahs that the men take a week off to go “learn” all day in eretz yisroel?? they spend one full week with their friends-like bochrim-“learning” all day in a 5 star hotel with all meals served and tours of gedolei yisroel and other places around EY-real party time!! when do the wives get that?and they leave their wives and kids for a week?? why cant they just park themselves in BMG for the week and stay home?? only the men need a break?? kids and wives dont need a lousy day or two off to have fun together and take a break from the Lachatz of everyday??? Cmon?! every other couple is flying every other week to eretz yisroel to visit their daughter in seminary. whats one organized day or two gonna hurt? tickets to florida are cheaper then crossing the outerbridge and Verrazano going to brooklyn-and if u dont have extra to go somewhere-so make a small shabbaton/weekend for ur kids at home and their friends and let them sleep late or play in the frigid sand by the boardwalk-why do people care so much to give the girls off a drop??
Maskim 100%!!
wow very shtarka raid!
I disagree. Kids need a day off every once in a while so they don’t get burnt out. We live not far from Lakewood and my son travels in to Lakewood for school. The school I work in gives some time off while Lakewood doesn’t. It’s hard for a kid who’s young to have to be in school from 8:30/45-4 then has to do the mounds of homework that the school provides and doesn’t have much of a break. As much as everyone hates them I pray for snow days so he gets a day off. Now I’m not saying to give a ridiculous 10 day vacation, but a day off once in a while to recharge is very beneficial for not only the kids, but the teachers too
It’s only hard because you tell them it’s hard. I did it and didn’t get vacation days all over the place. I had school on days they no longer give school. I had less chanukah vacation. Stop telling them how overworked they are, and they will stop kvetching how difficult and long their day is.
it seems to me that the problem is what people do with the vacation time rather than the fact that they have some vacation time. Having some time off is not necessarily a problem – as a lot of people mentioned in the comments – it’s the focus of what am I going to do and gain from the time. Is this ratzon hashem to take my family to wherever you want to go? Can you feel comfortable looking back and saying that the time money and place you went to was an uplifting experience for you and the people you took with you. Make responsible choices. That’s the real challenge.
Yes and no. Many people can’t afford to take the few days the kids are off. They don’t get paid for not working. Plus they now are expected to entertain their kids, for a nominal fee. Yes, even going to chuckee cheese adds up. Depending on family size and income level, it can come out to as much as your income for the day, which you already lost. No one is saying you need to take a 10k family vacation.
That picture you posted makes me wanna go away.
All kidding aside it’s cold this winter and nice to go away a few days in the warmth and spend time with family. Midwinter has been shaved down to a few days, and really it’s the teachers who need a break , who’ve been taking care of ur bratty kids who’ve been cooped up all winter long o doorss
Sorry don’t appreciate (especially if you’re a teacher) calling our kids bratty kids. If that’s your definition then don’t teach! And teachers get off the whole summer. Yes most get another job for the summer but they still do get off.
You do realize that in 5 towns and other non Lakewood area the children have off all week and not just 3 days? You can’t completely ignore the rest of the world. I agree with the issue. But that’s sadly the modern day struggle in 2026. And on Pesach it’s now a fight why we can’t go to Orlando at least for chol hamoed. It’s all one thing.
Rabbi Bender gives off a full week for Mid Winter a month after Chanukah?
So for the guy that can afford to go away insists he doesn’t want to. While other families that are barely scraping by have no problem spending money on a vacation. Hmm. something doesn’t make sense
Exactly the problem. People who can barely feed their families are under the impression this is chiyuv from the Torah.
Yes.