Alternative Activity for a Pool Visit That Was Postponed

Hello and blessings,
I am the principal of a girls’ seminary. I ordered a water park for the students through the Batyah movement, which brokers activities in exchange for a percentage.
From the outset, we wanted only midday hours
and we did not finalize the pool booking until it was clear that we would receive midday hours, because I was concerned that the girls would be too cold in the later hours.

We were supposed to enter the park at 3:00 p.m.
The day before the activity, they called to inform us that there was a problem with coordinating the times, and therefore they were delaying our entry to 4:30 p.m., but they would provide us with a performance for the time between 3:00 and 4:30—they did not straightforwardly say that the activity was being postponed to 5:00 p.m.

When we arrived, it turned out that the performance had been changed to a film—there was no signage indicating which hall to go to, and it took a long time until we found the hall, which was extremely crowded.
In practice, the film did not start until a few minutes before 4:30.
When we left the film hall, we were told that entry to the water park would be at 4:45.
In fact, we entered the water park at 5:00, after very disrespectful treatment.
No one arranged the entry in a reasonable manner.
There was pushing and chaos—really unpleasant.
In summary, two hours were dragged out for us in extreme heat without any reasonable activity.
In the end, instead of entering at 3:00, we entered at 5:00,
and it was indeed much colder.
A significant portion of the girls left well before the end of the activity because of the cold,
and several girls refrained from entering because of the cold.

Up to here is the seminary’s side.


And from here are the words of the Batyah movement:
We broker summer activities at the water park.
The day before the activity, the park management informed us that the stay in the park would be delayed by two hours,
and therefore they would provide a performance during the time that had originally been scheduled, and afterward they would bring the girls into the park.
We informed everyone that there would be a change in the times, that the park management was adding a free performance, and that each institution could choose whether to delay its arrival by two hours or to arrive at the venue.
Toward evening it became clear to us that the proposed performance did not meet with rabbinic approval,
so we brought, at our own expense, a film to watch.
At the venue there was indeed disorder and confusion, and they indeed entered only at 5:00,
but we insisted with the park management that the girls receive four hours, as had been promised to them from the outset.
In practice,
the promised activity took place for four full hours,
the free activity that we added as compensation did not take place as planned.


We are awaiting a ruling as to how much we must pay.
Thank you

Hello and blessings 

The response of the dayanim of the Beit Hora’ah: 

In summary: The seminary’s claims are: 1. That entry to the pool was moved half an hour later than the second agreement. 2. That the alternative activity was not conducted properly.

A reasonable compromise must be found.

Therefore, it appears that half the price of half an hour of the pool should be deducted, proportionate to the hourly payment. And for the alternative activity, only half should be paid.

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