As someone who grew up outside of NY and now live in Eretz Yisrael I find this whole thing laughable. The Catskills has gone from being a vacation to being kodesh kodoshim. My boys start Rosh Chodesh Elul (from 3 yrs. old and even if it falls in early August). We work our summer vacations around that, we always go away as a family but only between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Chodesh Elul, who says you have to go to the mountains? And if you don’t? Is this the message for your children that your vacation is more important than Torah learning. I would never consider taking my children out of school to take a vacation no matter how badly needed, this is a terrible message we are giving them. Can a true New Yorker please explain this to me?
Menu