Kindergarten teachers in Bnei Brak are up in arms at having to teach during Bein Hazmanim. The kindergarten teachers are upset that the city of Bnei Brak has decided to keep daycares open even during the week after Tisha B’av.

According to the Education ministry, camps and daycares will stay open until the 13th of Av, one week after Tisha B’av. However, according to a report in Kikar HaShabbat, other Chareidi cities are negating the decision and closing the camps before Tisha B’av. Bnei Brak, however, is heeding the instruction. The reasoning given by the other city councils is to avoid harming the teachers who require these days as vacation days to be at home with their families.

The camps in Bnei Brak will continue until July 22nd, the 13th of Av, similar to other non-Charedi cities around the country. Thus, the teachers in Bnei Brak will still need to work those four days, while their husbands and other family members are at home.

One teacher complained to the reporter at Kikar Shabbat saying, “The entire Chareidi community is at home. My sons, my husband, everyone. Why do I as a mother have to go to work?”

The city of Bnei Brak responded to Kikar HaShabbat and said, “The Education Ministry has decided that schools and funding should continue until the 22nd. We as the city see it as improper and inappropriate to cut the extra days from the calendar and take this right away from the parents, many of whom sorely need this framework for their children during this time of the year as well. Why should they have to pay more money and high fees for private camps, when they can receive the service for free as provided by the Education Ministry. Even with factoring in how this will affect everyone, including the teachers, we cannot revoke this right of the parents to receive what they are entitled to. It is superfluous to say that all of the teachers working in the camps provided by the ministry are paid adequately, thus no one will be losing any salary or benefits from these days.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)