Dear Matzav Inbox,
I am writing with a sense of outrage about the tipping practices that have become an untenable burden for parents sending their children to camp.
I’ve just forked over nearly $400 (!) in tips for my two boys, on top of the already exorbitant camp fees.
Let me be clear: I paid over $3200 per child for the privilege of sending them to camp, not to mention the additional costs of transportation, canteen, and various other expenses.
So, why am I expected to cough up even more for tips? It seems that the camp demanded that every person involved in the camp experience—counselors, co-counselors, rabbeim, nurses, waiters, and who knows who else—receive a tip from is. Where does it end? When did paying thousands of dollars for camp become just the beginning of a never-ending stream of financial demands?
In any other job, my boss either pays me a fair wage or doesn’t. I don’t get asked to tip my colleagues or supervisors, nor do I see any justification for it. If the camp’s staff needs more compensation, then the camp should adjust its fees accordingly—not demand extra payments under the guise of tipping.
This tipping culture is not just a minor inconvenience. It’s an outright exploitation of parents who are already stretched thin. It reflects a broader trend where service providers feel entitled to double-dipping into people’s pockets. We are not customers in a restaurant, but parents investing in our children’s summer experience. The expectation that we should supplement the camp’s revenue with tips is both insulting and infuriating.
Enough is enough. It’s time for a reckoning. Camps need to rethink their policies and acknowledge that the fees they charge should be inclusive of proper compensation for their staff. Until then, we, the parents, will continue to be the unwilling victims of this outrageous tipping racket.
Sincerely,
A Frustrated Parent
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