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