Jews on a Plane

In case you don't follow the sort of travel news that I do, a US Air plane from LaGuardia to Louisville, Kentucky was diverted to Philadelphia because a flight attendant saw a young man " with wires connecting his head and hands." Except that actually what she saw was a 17 year old Orthodox Jew wearing tefillin while saying his morning prayers. How somebody could possibly believe that leather straps (which are separate for head and hands) are wires connecting the two is somewhat beyond me. Why the teenager's sister, who was traveling with him, didn't say anything is also not exactly obvious. What is obvious is the boundless possibilities of cultural misunderstanding.

I will suggest that those who plan to use tefillin on an airplane (other than El Al) might want to explain to say something to a flight attendant first.

To counter this, here is a nicely heartwarming story about a Jewish experience on another flight.