Succot, Holiday and Vacation for Some but Not For All

On Jewish Holidays, like Succot, when children are on vacation from school, Jerusalem is one big festival.

Not all the grownups are lucky enough to be on paid vacation. Many stores are open for business, even if just shortened hours. When I worked in Yafiz, we were expected to be at work. It wasn't easy for those with young children, so people like myself ended up with extra hours, though there wasn't any bonus pay.  So, I'd like to remind you to be extra polite and grateful to those who have to work when there are holiday vacation days for most everyone else.

Since You Shop on Passover and Succot Chol HaMoed, We Work

Some people, who are obviously used to those wonderful jobs with generous paid Jewish Holiday vacations, act so surprised that I've been working almost straight through Succot. 

In Israel the schools made a "bridge" from Yom Kippur to the end of Succot/Simchat Torah giving the children and teachers a two week break.  For the teachers it's a paid vacation.  They (I was once a teacher, too) get paid by the month, whether they teach or not, whether there's a vacation or cancelled lesson for whatever reason.

Parents of the students who don't have the same vacation schedule are forced to either take unpaid vacation or pay babysitters or "camps" so their young kids won't be left alone.  And sometimes they take their kids to work.

I work in a low paying job with bare minimum benefits and almost no paid vacation days.  Chol Hamo'ed (the "interim" days of)  Passover and Succot are busy days at work, because shopping for clothes is a necessary and productive activity for families.  That's especially because the Jewish Holidays are season changers.  Passover is the beginning of spring/summer and Succot is the beginning for fall/winter. 

So it's good news/bad news that I've been working.  Good news is that I'm getting paid, and bad news is that I don't have many opportunities to enjoy the holiday.

I'm not writing this for sympathy, but it is important for those who get paid vacations to realize how lucky they are.  And when they go to places, like stores, the bank, the museum, a bus etc.  please be especially appreciative to the people who make it possible, those who are working while you're on vacation.

Granny, "Savta," Day at the Israel Museum

When my kids were little we went to the Israel Museum an awful lot. For two years, before we moved to Shiloh, the two older girls were students there and learned all sorts of arts and crafts.  After we moved to Shiloh I kept up family membership for a number of years so that we could visit unlimited times when they had vacation from school.  So, of course it's the place to take the grandkids when on vacation.  Yesterday was the day.

As you can see, we weren't the only ones with that idea.  And when the kids were at the "illusion" craft activity you could hear "Savta," granny, more than "imma," mommy.