Do Jews take vacations? Of course they do! would be the obvious answer. The truth is, it all depends on your concept of vacation.
In modern society, the idea of vacation is that one works hard all year with the goal of taking a few days off. The harder and better one works, the better the quality of the vacation (farther away, more extravagant, higher-class, etc.). It turns out that one lives much of the year with one's mind fixed on those few days of vacation. And the rest of the year? It doesn't matter. These aren't Jewish holidays.
Otra de las ideas de las vacaciones es que uno no hace nada. Claro, durante todo el año uno se la pasa trabajando, estresado por la rutina, no alcanza el tiempo para todo lo que uno tiene que hacer. Reuniones de trabajo, cenas con amigos, juegos con los chicos, oficina, viajes de trabajo, rutina y más rutina que no le deja a uno tiempo para descansar. Las vacaciones, en este contexto, significan desconectarse de toda la rutina y reemplazarla por una rutina un poco diferente: playa o montaña, según el gusto, vaso de jugo de naranja o whiskey – respectivamente – y nada. No hacer nada. No preocuparse por nada. Estos son dos extremos, o la rutina desenfrenada o la rutina inmóvil. Los extremos no son buenos, dijo Maimónides. Estas tampoco son vacaciones judías.
Jewish holidays are about balance. We spend all year taking vacations, and yet we never actually take vacations. We must find within our daily routine a space of time that disconnects us from the all-consuming material world and connects us with God. A moment of rest within the work itself.
In other words, a Jew's work never ceases; we must always serve God, in one way or another, but always. Vacations mean finding moments within the context of divine work itself where one can take a break. Examples of this include praying, enjoying Shabbat, and studying Torah.
Yes, Jews do take vacations, and more often than you might think.