Are Summer Vacations Too Long? The Surprising Reality in Israel

Every Israeli parent counting the days until the beginning of September knows the feeling: the summer vacation stretches on, summer camps are prohibitively expensive, and the whole family struggles to survive the summer. But this feeling is not unique to Israel—it just arrives here in a format different from that practiced in most of Europe.

Is there too much vacation in Israel?

According to the Ministry of Education's calendar for the 2026/2027 school year, the number of potential school days off is 38 for institutions with a six-day week and 30 for those with a five-day week. Including summer vacation (62 days for elementary/middle schools and 72 for high schools) and Saturdays, Israeli children study between 177 and 230 days per year.

Compared to OECD countries, the number of mandatory study hours in Israel is well above average—over 900, while the average is slightly above 800. The number of school days in elementary schools is the highest in the OECD: the Ministry of Education mandates at least 221 days, compared to 162 in France, 180 in the USA and Luxembourg, and an average of 185.

Distribution is the problem

In terms of the total number of school days, Israel is not lacking—on the contrary. The problem lies in the distribution:

The number of school weeks here is lower than in most countries—36.5 compared to an average of 38. Summer vacation lasts about 9 weeks in elementary and middle schools and over 10 weeks in high schools. In Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria, the longest vacation lasts about 6.5 weeks; in Sweden and France, about 7.5 weeks.

The main difference between Israel and the rest of the OECD lies in the distribution: we have 9 vacation periods a year (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, Independence Day, Lag BaOmer, Shavuot, and in the coming year, elections). In other OECD countries, vacation days are divided between 3-4 concentrated periods.

Methods for reducing vacation pressure

There are "tricks" that allow other countries to reduce the side effects of vacation peaks:

• In Germany, the federal government coordinates vacation dates between states using a "staggered vacation" method, where each region goes on vacation at different times to spread the load on roads and tourist sites.

• In France, the country is divided into three zones (A, B, and C) that take vacations in different weeks to prevent simultaneous tourist and traffic congestion.

Bottom line: the length of summer vacation in Israel is not significantly different from the rest of the world. The main difference is the distribution of vacations throughout the year and the lack of regional staggering, which causes roads and beaches to become overcrowded all at once.