I don't remember as a child when we had winter vacation from school. Was it during Hannukah? by Christmas (which often overlapped with Hannukah)? after New Years? I don't remember.
As an adult though I wonder about the [winter] vacation schedule in my kids schools...
It just does not make sense to me that on the holiday in which we celebrate overcoming the attempt to stop us from learning Torah our schools should go on vacation and our kids should stop learning Torah for a few days to a week.
I am not begrudging them their winter vacation. I would suggest making the winter vacation just that - a short winter vacation rather than a Hannukah vacation - make it 2 weeks after Hannukah or whenever. No matter when it will be given, the working parent will have the same problem they currently have- kids on vacation while parent has to work. But symbolically it does not make sense to give the vacation on Hannukah itself.
And it is not just schools. Adult learning programs are also on vacation now. Shiurim are canceled for the duration of the holiday. Do people really have so much to do during Hannukah that a regular, consistent, shiur must be canceled? Maybe take a night off and make a Hannukah party. Maybe somebody has to miss because they have a family party. But to cancel a regular shiur because of Hannukah? I just don't get it.
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