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September 07, 2006
Flying while Hassidic
Karol links to this story about passengers being weirded out by an orthodox Jew davening on a plane.
The airplane was heading toward the runway at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport when eyewitnesses said the Orthodox man began to pray. "He was clearly a Hasidic Jew," said Yves Faguy, a passenger seated nearby. "He had some sort of cover over his head. He was reading from a book. "He wasn't exactly praying out loud but he was lurching back and forth," Faguy added.. . . . . Jewish leaders in Montreal criticized the move as insensitive, saying the flight attendants should have explained to the other passengers that the man was simply praying and doing no harm. Hasidic Rabbi Ronny Fine said he often prays on airplanes, but typically only gets curious stares. "If it's something that you're praying in your own seat and not taking over the whole plane, I don't think it should be a problem," said Fine. The Jewish group B'nai Brith Canada has offered to help give Air Canada crews sensitivity training.
Noooooo the crew does not need sensitivity training. We want passengers to be on the alert. We want passengers to tell the attendant when something looks fishy to them.
As a Jew, as a Jew who prays, as a Jew who prays who doesn't despise Jews more religious than me ..... still, I say this: The average passenger is not used to some bearded guy with a cloth on his head shuckling in his seat, and have every right to be suspicious, and if passengers complain about things of which they are suspicious that's good.
The guy can realize he's on an airplane in a year when air passengers are justifiably jumpy and he can pray for once without shuckling. Shuckling is not halacha, it's minhag, AFAIK. Even if it's halachic, he can do it imperceptibly. Like Chana praying for a son. Then the passengers might think he's drunk but they won't demand he be thrown off the plane. (See this is a Yamim Noraim post.)
If B'nai Brith insists on sensitivity training then CAIR will insist on sensitivity training and we will have guilt-tripping jokes about "flying while Muslim" and everyone will be too intimidated by political correctness to complain to the attendant when they think something is wrong.
Speaking of "flying while Muslim," do Muslim passengers spread out their prayer rugs in the aisle? I bet a few do, but I would have heard about it if it was pervasive behavior. If they can accomodate the nervousness of the flying public so can the Hassidic male population.
Have some sense, mein Yidden.
Judith | 09/07/06 at 09:50 PM | Categories: - Antisemitism watch
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Comments
I totally agree with your support of people who just want a normal atmosphere on airplanes with nothing suspicious. I don't see, however, why it would not be a good thing for people to have more familiarity with what male Orthodox Jews look like when they pray in the morning. I just have to daven in airports sometimes. People should know that it's no big deal. Let's not even use the label "sensitvity training"--just call it knowledge.
Yitzchak Goodman | September 8, 2006 02:26 AM
In an ideal world, everyone would be informed on the myriad customs of everyone else. But we live in a time when everyone is justifiably jumpy about riding in a plane. I think everyone who doesn't want to be singled out is responsible for not doing anything that would look eccentric and possibly threatening to the majority of passengers.
If he sat quietly and murmured to himself and nodded his head, most people would see he was praying. But "lurching back and forth." I know what that kind of davening looks like, and it's just not necessary. In that kind of environment it's self-indulgent, it's not respectful of the legitimate nervousness of the other passengers.
Also I would draw a distinction between davening in an airport and on the plane. If you stand in a corner and rock back and forth in a busy airport, most people passing by are not going to feel they are cooped up with you as in a plane. Any odd behavior is heightened in a confined small space.
Judith | September 8, 2006 03:09 AM
I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often. There was an incident I read about within weeks of September 11, but this is the first I've heard about the problem since.
If they were about to take off, why couldn't he stay seated? Maybe they'll have to have a rule that says no davening until 30 minutes after takeoff or for 30 minutes before landing.
Except when it's right before shkiah.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) | September 8, 2006 10:04 AM
According to the article in Jerusalem Post, he WAS in his seat, not in the aisle and not standing. This issue is sad enough without tossing in red herrings.
Most likely he was saying tefilas ha'derech, which cannot be said in the airport or on the ground -- it has to be said after the trip is under way. That is halacha, not custom. Many people say it when the plane starts taxiing for takeoff, both because that's one of the more dangerous parts of the trip, and because that's the earliest opportunity to say the prayer.
I've davened shacharis in my airline seat on US flights, wearing tallis and tefillin when there wasn't time to do so at the airport. (Again, the time frame is set by halacah, both as to when it's too early and when it's too late) and have never had any problems. It is not a comfortable feeling, and I speak English and dress modern. If I know I may have to daven publicly, I try to write out an index card first explaining what I'm doing and why, and explaining that I am not allowed to interupt the prayers to talk to anyone.
Yankev | September 8, 2006 03:05 PM
I know he was seated. I am not saying he can't pray at any time he wants. The other passenger said he was "lurching back and forth." He could daven without doing that. I am saying one can pray unobtrusively, even with tallit and tfillin.
What prompted this post is that it sounded like the guy had no awareness that he could be making passengers nervous.
Judith | September 8, 2006 03:18 PM
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