a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Well, flying on shabbos and serving non kosher… all EL Al has to do now is be courteous to its passengers and it will be like a regular airline.

Rim shot!

Due to the strike in Israel. El AL flew on shabbos from Miami to Israel and served non kosher sandwiches on a flight from MOscow to Israel due to the kosher food being spoiled because of the flight delay that resulted from the strike in Israel.

That has to be the longest sentence I’ve written in weeks.

Well, naturally the hareidim are calling for boycotts and urging people to fly israir….

I personally would like El Al not to fly on shabbos…BUT…. is it better for them to lose money and raise ticket prices? Is it a cause for boycotting? I’m not sure how many people would switch airlines. Never for a moment do I think to Fly El Al bec. they dont fly on shabbos. If it wasnt cheaper and convenient I would not fly with them.

When israir flys often… I’ll switch to them. Does El Al have shiurim on the plane? I don’t think its a very jewish experience when I fly with them. Its a non issue for me. THe flight attendants are not shomer shabbos for the most part. I never saw one with a kippa. The men either.

I just can’t see the significance here. In the US you see jewish people and most are shomer shabbos.

Why?

Because the people that you see that are jewish are mostly religious.

In israel the average person walking down the street is jewish. When you go to the park in Tel Aviv and you see only a few people with kippas or dressed tznius… that means that most people are going to be here shabbos and not at a seuda. Its the way it is. SO if the airline has a flight on shabbos… doesn’t mean much to me.

KOSHER on the other hand is different. Because it CAN affect me. If non kosher is served. Does that mean that the regular food is not kosher? (same oven). Can I trust the drinks are kept seperate from non kosher utensils?

The reality is the strikes at the airport are the reason for all this. Cutbacks to staff, benefits… when there is a strike there is just no way to cope. Nothing new. I think this is the second strike at el al since I made aliya. THe post office went on strike. The teachers went on strike the year before I made aliya.

I think if they made the strikers eat the food they would cave and get back to work..

I think serving the non kosher food is worse and sets a bad precedent. Just recently it was found out that non kosher was on the planes due to flight attendens bringing in their own non kosher food. This is why people order the glatt kosher meals. Its double wrapped. The regular kosher is not. THe stuff looks the same (almost like food) probably tastes the same (almost like food) but without a double wrapping…. problematic.

A friend of mine eats the regular meals on he flights. I’ve been blessed in where I eat before and have enought wine that I can fall asleep before the meal comes.

If a tray is in front of me…. I eat it. Theres like nothing else to do on the plane for 11 hours… hey, if I eat… thats only 10 hours and 45 minutes left…..(assuming Im not 3 blatt behind.. which I usually am)

This weekend I was in Baltimore and it is getting COLD….. Shabbos I chose places to eat that were close by so I wouldnt have to walk far AND where I could get a nap in the afternoon.

Didn’t work out that way.

Not only did the meal go through the afternoon……

“so….. lets sing another song.. while the dessert is almost ready……ZZZZ.zzzzzz..”

“Er, I know I’m a guest.. but can I please leave… I don’t want pareve ice cream….. or rainbow cake”

“SO…… can I ask you a favor”

I knew it was coming…I think people are friendly to me NOT because they are friendly. But because they want things taken back to Israel.

“Sure”

“Can you take something back to israel for us.”

“Of course, just next time servce me oats and hay because I’m just a mule. My real name is Moishe. Moshe Movers.”

Small Granite item. Small but weighs 10 pounds easy.

Actually, its no big deal. I should have said.

“well, the dessert was subpar and there was only a little meat in the cholent.. so I’ll take something that weighs 1 pound.”

Maybe next time.

Turns out I went from shul to the seudah. Back to shul. No nap.

On sat. night I went to a Blast game… and I had a blast…

Indoor soccer.

Not as boring as regular soccer. (Neek is going to kill me for this). Regular soccer. There is 30 passes for every shot. Guys with long hair falling and flopping all over the place. ..and one goal every 3 weeks.

Indoor soccer haas 5 players plus a goalie and the field is alot smaller.

Like a hockey rink I think… without the ice..

SO there is more scoring and more shots on goal. The blast won the game and I got to meet a player afterwards.

Lee Tsanreit… or something…. used to play for the Staten Island Vipers.

Who?

Soccer team that played in Staten Island where I was the balloon twister and mascot for a season (blame Korn for that one). … This Lee guy is a year older than me… and he plays with the most intensity. … runs …. gritty player.

Kind of the way I play… except the intensity, gritty, and running part.

Sunday I went for a run…. as I’ve been getting into recently… I did my best run ever.

7.3 miles… whew….

Then watched the JEts beat up the packers and the giants lose to the cowboys. I mean… what a day. I actually have to pat myself on the back. I held myself back. I think Im maturing.

My friend avrumi strauss, the american one, was at the game with his boys. I called to speak to him on his cell when the game was tied.

I did NOT call when the g-men lost. I didn’t hassle him. Thats part of the fun of the people who can’t make it to the games.

You can be there.

WE can call and harass you when they lose.

I knew he was going to have a long ride home. Its not easy to cry in front of your sons. I hope the strauss boys can appreciate the mesiras nefesh their father has by counting the tears on his face.

I think I’m going to cry.

J