Following the tragedy in Meron klal yisroel looked for ways to improve as they always do in a eis tzara. Several yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael and in America took upon to be mechazek the Friday sedarim in yeshiva. Erev shabbos is usually a challenging day and more lax in shmiras hasdorim than the rest of the week.
In Lakewood, Fridays have become shorter as far as school and playgroup dismissal times which in turn affects the youngeleit learning, as they must leave seder to make a 12;00 pm pick up.
The girls' schools barely have 2 hours of class on Friday because of busing schedules, dismissal begins at 11:15 am when they first get to school at 9:15. The boys schools end earlier as well It used to be a 12:30 dismissal for the girls.
There is no reason that schools can't go until 1:00 pm on Fridays there is still plenty of time to prepare for shabbos. Employees in Lakewood businesses during the summer leave work at 1 or 2 pm. The husbands in yeshiva must leave seder early to pick up the kids who are dismissed at 12 because the schools dismiss at 11:30. There are less couples travelling going away for shabbos in NY that may have been a factor for a shorter schedule. If everything is moved up an hour it will help strengthen the Torah learning in the yeshivos. Transportation should not dictate and rob children of precious learning time or force parents to leave work or yeshiva.
Erev Sabbos yid