Dear Matzav Inbox,
I have a question that I honestly can’t understand: Why do day camps close at midday on Erev Tishah B’Av?
Yes, I understand ending camp a little earlier. Counselors need time to get home and prepare for the fast, and families need time to get organized. Nobody is arguing with that. But noon? Seriously?
There is no issur for children to play on Erev Tishah B’Av. You can’t learn Torah, but kids can play ball, do activities, and have a perfectly appropriate camp day until a reasonable hour.
Instead, camps send thousands of children home before lunchtime while charging parents full tuition. Day camp tuition has become astronomical. Every year, the prices go up. Parents are paying premium rates, yet somehow they’re getting less and less.
What makes this especially frustrating is that the day camps aren’t the only ones affected by this decision. They’re forcing everyone else to deal with it too.
When camp closes at noon, thousands of parents suddenly have to leave work early. Offices lose employees for the afternoon. Businesses have to close early. People burn vacation days. Others scramble to find babysitters at the last minute. Some simply can’t leave work and are put in an impossible situation.
Why should day camp owners get to decide that the entire local workforce has to shut down early?
If there’s a real halachic reason that camps can’t operate past noon, then explain it. But if there isn’t—and I’ve yet to hear one—then this policy makes absolutely no sense.
It feels like the attitude is, “We’re closing, so everyone else can figure it out.”
That’s not fair to the families who are paying the bills.
Parents are not asking camps to stay open until six o’clock. But 12:00? That’s ridiculous.
For years, parents have accepted endless fees, shortened schedules, and more days off. At some point, enough is enough.
The day camps seem to forget that they’re providing a service that families depend on, not just entertainment for children. Working parents build their schedules around camp. Pulling the plug halfway through the day creates unnecessary headaches for thousands of families.
The community deserves an explanation and frankly it deserves better.
A Very Frustrated Parent
Not as bad as investing in SpaceX stock. How low will it fall?
Camps close at noon because they’ve learned.
They learned that if they stay open late on Erev Tisha B’Av, no matter what they do, they lose. If they do full program — parents say “How can you have music on Erev Tisha B’Av?” If they do no program — parents say “Why did I pay for you to watch my kids do nothing for 3 hours?”
Noon is the only time where everyone is safe, everyone gets home, and no one can complain that you disrespected Tisha B’Av or hurt a child.
Why are so many kids in the picture playing off the field and without a ball. Don’t they realize it doesn’t work that way.
What exact time would make you happy? 1:45? 2:15? 3:00? Not sure how much of a difference it would make. My gut feeling is that you’re frustrated about other things.
Camps have Staff members, staff members are almost allows adults who are Mechuyav to fast.
When did it become ok for society to demand that staff members who get treated like garbage from the campers parents and head staff each and every single day work like a dog after chatzos (probably a time that no Rav would permit showering).
Maybe Tisha b’av camps should be open for Erev Tisha B’av too but saying camps should be open is wrong no matter what.
Not sure which camps you send to my child have camp until 2 and my neighbors children as while
Did you not know this in the beginning of the summer? You don’t pay per day. Just like you don’t drive your car on shabbos and you still pay insurance, this is similar. Why aren’t you complaining about Tisha bav and shabbos that they aren’t open?
Try opening your own camp, then you can make whatever rules you want.
12 might be a drop early but I’m sure they have their reasons. The day camps I’m familiar with ended at 1:30. They need time to make sure all the busses finish their runs and everyone gets home safely. This can take well over an hour. And if there is an issue they need time to resolve it. The bus drivers need to park the bus and get home at a reasonable hr….
Also had to leave seder early….We thank the schools for offering times even erev yomtov thankyou for not neglecting our children, even when ur pregnant, or angry or tired.
Vos dreizde ah kup?