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AviK
The traditional boundaries have blurred with the advent of cable TV and the availability of Red Sox games on about 23 of the 27 cable franchises in the state.
In the early 1960s, my father had 15 children’s clothing stores throughout CT. In the Hartford, West Hartford and Bloomfield stores they stocked Yankee Baseball caps and zip up poplin jackets, in East Hartford and Manchester they stocked the items with the Red Sox logo. His stores in New Haven county only carried the Yankee items and his two branches in Springfield, Mass carried Red Sox.
There is ONE major Exception city in CT. New Britain (west of Hartford) was heavily Red Sox territory. It was a predominantly Polish-American city and they were Loyal supporters of Carl Yazstremski who starred for the Red Sox from 1961-1983.What any of this has to do with Jewish Pilgrims, I don’t know, but many Jews are proud New Englanders
Twisted….
no apology necessary. My parents and older siblings left NYC for Nerw Haven in 1952 and I was born there. They did not live in rural CT. Mid 1950s New Haven had more than 20 shuls, 12 kosher butchers, 12 kosher bakeries, shotchim, mohelim, sofrim, yeshivos, etc and more than 30,000 Jews (1/4 of the population.My next older sister married a boy from New Haven, whose mother and grandmother had been born in the farming community of Colchester. The orthodox community lasted about 75 years.
AviK….
there is a dividing line in CT called the CT River. West of the River are NY baseball fans, east of the river are Boston fans. This goes back to the days of watching ball games on TV using a rooftop antenna. You could not receive the other games in the wrong half of the state. at
I live in Fairfield County, where many residents commute daily to jobs in NY. I can be at Yankee Stadium in 75 minutes by car, Fenway Park is more than a 3 hour trip.Traditionally, people sought government employment for job stability and benefits and traded that for a pay scale about 15% less than private business.
In the past 10 years, government employees have found that contracts have been renegotiated resulting in givebacks, unpaid furlough days to help balance budgets and large-scale layoffs.
New employees are often hired with different benefits and pension schemes than long term employees,
Government work still pays less than the private sector with the major exception of education. A public school teacher will earn far more and have much greater benefits that a teacher in a private school or Yeshiva.
In our community a teacher holding a Master’s Degree and 18 years of service (top of the contract scale) has a base pay of $92,000 per 186 workday year. This is not even close to the top pay rates here in Fairfield County.At the other extreme, town janitors start at $11.35 per hour while the local McDonald’s pays 18 year old part time beginning workers $13.25 and help spay for college after 9 months employment.
I am painfully aware of local pay rates and benefits, as I’m a member of our Town Council and we have finally passed out budget which starts the fiscal year beginning July 1. New hires in management no longer are part of the Town Pension plan, instead they are forced into a defined benefit plan that is portable like a 401K. Unions lost their previous medical plans and are forced into the state employees plan which costs the employee more out of pocket and has less coverage. Except for classroom teachers and police, vacancies are not being filled…we still don’t know what funding form the State will be for the coming year, as they have not passed a budget in Hartford. We do not have municipal fire service, but volunteer fire companies.
Obvious that you don’t have SubZero refrigerators
Our combination units (fridge/freezer) in our 3 kitchens would cost in excess of $36,000 certainly not worth it, I just removed the bulbsThen we’d only celebrate Jewish calendar birthday
My almost 29 year old started up about half birthdays when she was seven. I quickly reminded her that her birthday was June 25 and her half birthday would be December 25…we don’t celebrate anything about that date.
Avi K
I do my best not to use ‘weasel words’ and other non-concrete legalese. I was an early proponent of the move for all legal documents to be written in simple English, that is easy to understand by most Americans. This is especially important in my practice of family law.Being too vague is grounds for a law/regulation to be found unconstitutional.
Mr. Berra was known for his butchering of the English language. He was a fine person with a great heart. As a child I enjoyed watching him play for the Yankees.
Agutyar….
My late mother A”H, had the BEST advice for being a good mother in law:
KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND YOUR REFRIGERATOR OPEN.When she died 2 years ago she had lived to see all of her children reach at least 40 years of marriage. Her daughters and sons in law adored her, she never interfered or offered an unasked for opinion. She was always there when she was needed, but never intrusive in our lives.
Meno
I’m all in favor to another 6 shots of whisky in a quart bottle.AviK……….
Lawyers know that it is important to be precise in speech and written words.
If I were alone in a room and speaking to someone on my phone, I might say that there is nobody else in the room with me. I would not say nobody is there(here), because I am somebody.RebYidd23
My grandchildren’s day school has Almond and Rice milk for the lactose intolerant and a dairy free choice every day (it may be the Soy Butter sandwich, or a pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables).The public schools in our area communities are all peanut free
The day schools do NOT allow any students to bring food (including snacks) into the buildings so it was easy to institute a peanut free rule.Both public schools and day schools have soybutter and jelly sandwiches as lunch choices for those not wanting the hot meal.
ZD…
I am aware of migration patterns
Many could not afford the passage all the way to America
Many could not get visas for the US
Many who lived in the eastern fringes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire headed for the capital, ViennaMy eldest SIL is a child of a father born in Vienna to parents who migrated their from southern Poland which was ruled by the Habsburgs/ The parents had been refused an American visa. SIL’s mother was born in Warsaw, but was lucky enough to get a visa for the US in 1923 before the immigration shutdown of 1924.
Warsaw had a higher percentage of observant Jews than Vienna, which had many adherents of the German Reform movement.
BUT, in the 1930s when the Germans moved in all Jews were considered the sameAvi………….
DIRECT COPY AND PASTE OF YOUR WORDS:
“Until Torah uMasora was established after WW2 there were no day schools …”What about ‘NO’ means a few?
NO means NONE, it would be far more acceptable for you to simply admit that information has been provided to disprove your claim than to try to change the meaning of the word.BTW….there were many “frum” Jews who attended government schools in major cities such as Vilna or a Gymnasium in Germany. Where admitted, some also attended University..examples include the late Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rav J.B Soleveitchik.
Every sthetl didn’t have a yeshiva, often the average youngster have a couple of years at a cheder and then worked on the family farm or in their trade. Hundreds of thousands were so poor they needed every source of income and only the brightest were sent off to yeshiva for an education. If life was so great in the alte heim, many of million Eastern European frum Yidden would not have sacrificed so much to reach the Goldene medinaH (USA).@lesschumras
How do frum kids go to shul parks, relatives etc. on Shabbos and YT?
I assume you mean because of lack of sidewalks
The are taught to be very careful and usually accompanied by a responsible adult or older sibling.
We have only 1 ortho shul in town and the police commission knows the service schedule for Shabbos and YT. They tend to send officers out on the walking routes who will assist in crossing major intersections, etc. Local drivers seeing walkers in Shabbos finery will automatically slow down and give right of way and let them cross streets. So few people walk in the suburbs (not talking about those dresses for running/exercise) that drivers take notice and are careful.The town is very proactive to serving he needs of all residents. This is still small town America, the town has approx. 35,000 residents and 28 houses of worship that I know of. Every one’s beliefs and practices are respected.Avi K
No on said it was easy, it does however continue to disprove your statement that there were no day schools in he US prior to WWII and that they did not serve girls
Members of my extended family have attended both day schools I mentioned in CT and Mass.BTW, in my father’s generation (born 1920) day schools, elementary Yeshivos were not considered so important, the kids went to public schools and learned Torah from 2:30 on and Sundays with private tutors. In my father’s case he learned/was taught by his paternal grandfather who was educated at Brisk in what is now Belarus. My great great grandfather had a storefront school on 15th Ave Boro Park from 1925 until his death in 1938. Most of the students attended public school in the morning. They went on to a year or 2 of full time Yeshiva after high school then college and professions or business. They became successful enough to help found the modern day schools of the post WWII era
Avi……………
again, while I mentioned New Haven, you can’t ignore the Maimonides School, founded by The Rav (J.B. Soliveitchik) way back in 1937…still serving Jewish boys and girls 80 years later/Joseph,
Many would argue that a large part of the Torah world also stands on the shoulders of Rav J.B. Soliveitchik. YU was not always as ‘liberal’ as it is now.lesschumras…………………….
In my town there are 5 public elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school
Almost 98% of students receive bus transportation (as does virtually every student in private schools in town).
We live on the same street as an elementary school, 3/10th of a mile away. Every student on our street except for those living in the same block as the school gets bus service.WHY????? SAFETY…here in small town CT outside of the immediate town center there are no sidewalks and it is unsafe to walk. Public school rules do not permit students to ride their bikes to school for the same reason. Our taxpayers would rather pay more in taxes than endanger walking children
Yes, more than once
BUT, as a family law attorney, it would be expected, as one partner deciding or revealing after marriage that they did not want children often leads to divorce.Avi:
Hate to burst your bubble, but this is NOT true:
“Until Torah uMasora was established after WW2 there were no day schools (all of the yeshivot you cite were for older boys – there was nothing for girls)”The New Haven Hebrew Day School (now Southern CT Hebrew Academy) started classes in 1944
My brother-in-law’s eldest sister was enrolled in the first class. his next older sister and he attended through 8th grade. He went on to a yeshiva in NY, and last June he retired after a career as a pulpit rabbi in Massachusetts.Over the years, that school had a boys high school which closed, but has had a girls high school since the 1960s in continuous operation.
Geordie………
I know the Shapiro family, we are not related
My family moved to New Haven in 1952 just before my birth. They had lived in NY since the 1860sThe Shapiros were well known in the community, but we lived in a different neighborhood and belonged to different shuls. I met the patriarch in about 1970 when I was fixed up with a tenant in their 3 family house and she was not allowed to go out with me until Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro met me and approved. we didn’t hit it off, (as a side note to you..her cousin was Chazan in Durban in the late 70s).
MW…
I see others answered before I saw your post.
There was a yeshiva started in my hometown of New Haven prior to 1920 and it operated for several decades, it was followed by others over the years.
Unfortunately, one of the current Yeshivos in New Haven is mired in scandal and has lost its student body and almost all faculty, while the other has continued to expand and grow.
New Haven had Jewish settlers in Colonial Times and a synagogue chartered by the State of Connecticut in 1840…all religious institutions in CT had to receive charters from the state until the first quarter of the 20th century. It was a center of Jewish learning in the early 20th century as a successful orthodox merchant and manufacturing class wanted to provide the best for their sons, they imported and supported rabbonim, melamdim, shotchim, sofrim, etc. and funded the construction of Jewish institutions. In addition to the yeshiva, a Home for the aged and an orphanage were established in the nineteen teens.Joseph like to present his views as facts, no back up
Joseph//////////////////
Inventing Facts with no backup…Alternative Facts like TrumpI am one of 972 observant descendants of a frum couple who arrived in NY back in 1872
I grew up in New Haven, which had a long tradition of learned Rabbis leading congregations and yeshivos/day schools since the 1890s
Not all learned rabbis came from Europe. RIETS started training American rabbis back in 1896…they may now be too far left for your taste, but were frum back then.Lots of Frum Jews in Europe had descendants that were no longer frum by the 1930s..this is not solely an American occurrence..
NO, Special Ed students are NOT entitled to be taught in their own native language forever. This is a myth. Title One the federal act that regulates special education does not supersede state regulations that permit bilingual education to be restricted to two school years. If there are less than 15 students in a school needing a particular language, a class in that language need not be instituted, but the student can receive services x hours per week from an ELL (English Language Lerner) teacher.
It is possible to mainstream non-English speaking SPED students into an English speaking SPED class, by hiring a paraprofessional to assist in the class who can translate, this is no different that hearing impaired students who are provided with signers who assist in learning.
As a family law attorney and child advocate, as well as a local government elected official, I have had to deal with many requests to stretch the limited school budget for special interest groups. Government does not equate multi-generational US citizen families who choose to speak a language other than English in the home in the same way as new immigrants who have not yet learned English.
Today, with the state of electronics and computers, new arrival non-English Speakers, both ‘normal’ and Special Ed are often placed in regular classrooms. They do much of their work on Chromebooks with programs in multiple languages and are pulled from the class for specific help by specialists about 5 hours per week. School districts no longer have to bankrupt themselves or cut services to the vast majority of students to meet the needs of the few.Spoken like a greenhorn………………..
There was NO mass migration of frum Jews to the US in the run-up to WWII. They were blocked by the changes in immigration laws of 1924.Far more non-frum, than frum Jews arrived as refugees after WWII and they were more than happy to take the economic help provided by agencies/groups established by non-frum American Jews such as HIAS and B’Nai B’rith.
My maternal side arrived in the US in the 1860s, they came for economic opportunity reasons…my great-great grandfather was sought out in Germany for his particular manufacturing and management skills.
My paternal side came in 1872 from the Pale of Settlement. They were proactive Jewish Pilgrims. Although living in a very frum-Jewish area, they reacted to the Odessa Pogroms of 1871 and the fear that pogroms would spread throughout the Russian Empire. My great-great grandmother’s letters back to the old country (which were used in visa applications by other relatives) explained this fear.
Joseph and many newcomers (defined in my family as those who entered via Ellis Island–we old timers arrived at Castle Garden in Mnahattan) perpetrate this revisionist history that the US was a frum wasteland before WWII. Yes, Jews could easily go OTD, but that happened in Europe as well…especially in the western lands such as Germany with the rise of the Reform movement. Rabbonim were imported, shuls and yeshivos were started in the US. This was mostly the misnagid community. Chassidim were loathe to leave their geographically based dynasty courts. There was no chance of being appointed ‘chief rabbi’ of a city or area in the US. With freedom of religion, the government did not need to have official contact with these rebbes running insular communities of Jewish residents with limited rights.
I come from a long line of misnagdim, but in the 1930s, 40s and 50s they did all in their power to apply political pressure in the US to allow in more Jewish refugees from Europe and sponsor them economically. There was no differentiation by American Jews between frum and non-frum Jews when trying to rescue Jews from the shoah.
liable, not libel…darn autocorrect
I have resigned from the BOD of Yeshivos who refuse to comply with the law. I will not be held personally and/or criminally libel if they think they can ignore what education is mandated for ALL students, public and private.
Read the law, know the law, follow the law…work within the system to change the law, BUT don NOT break the law.
I recently took action against a public school principal who told teachers to keep students from attending, gym, art and music if they had not completed all homework assignments due that day. Threat of a lawsuit, cancelled the policy, Principal is on probation and will likely lose her job. More than 1100 hours of lost PE was discovered last fall semester in that one school.
Joseph…WRONG AGAIN
Physical Education (gym) is mandated in NY State. The minutes per week varies by grade“1. Can school districts eliminate or reduce the day/time requirement for physical education?
No. Education Law 803 requires instruction in physical education and instructs the Board of Regents to adopt rules on how this must be achieved. Commissioner’s Regulation 135 (PDF 65.0 KB) are those rules. School districts are required by Education Law and Commissioner’s regulations to implement a physical education program that meets or exceeds the specified instructional requirements.
2. What are the New York State requirements for physical education?
All students in K-12 must attend and participate in a physical education program.
All pupils in grades K-3 shall attend and participate in physical education on a daily basis.
All pupils in grades 4-6 shall attend and participate in physical education not less than three times per week.
All pupils in grades 7-12 shall attend and participate in physical education for not less than three times per week in one semester, and not less than two times per week in the other semester.
3. What is the time requirement for physical education per calendar week?
120 minutes per calendar week exclusive of any time that may be required for dressing and showering.
4. Are there any waivers or exemptions for physical education?
No. All pupils shall attend and participate. Individual medical certificates of limitations must indicate the area of the program in which the pupil may participate.
School district plans must indicate steps to be taken to insure that each pupil meets the requirement for participation in their physical education program.
5. Must students earn high school credit in physical education?
Yes. Students entering grade 9 until graduation must earn the equivalent of two units of credit in physical education to be eligible to receive a diploma….”
FROM THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE…CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION SECTION.I just waged a similar fight on behalf of our grandson whose day school tried to cut back on PE time stating it was not a state requirement. We warned the board that they could lose accreditation and all public funding for non-compliance with the law.
They won’t run out of names because they use a 6 year cycle to repeat names, only retiring names when there is a storm of scientific significance that will continue to be studied and taught about.
Thus Katrina was retired and won’t be back as scheduled in 2 years (if we reach K)The first ‘modern’ weather professional to name Hurricanes/tropical storms was in Australia and named Clement Wragge
He initially used the Hebrew and Greek Alphabet to name Cyclones and Typhoons, when he ran out of letters he switched to women’s names. His rationale is explained:
For tropical cyclones he chose women’s names
Particularly the “soft dulcet names of the dusky beauties of the South Sea Islands”
Hoped to encourage Australian women to name their daughters with these “pretty, bubbling” appellations rather than ‘Susan’ or ‘Jane’
Cyclones in the Pacific are what we call Hurricanes in the Atlantic. Wragge’s system spread worldwide in the professional weather community.Become a Talmid Chochom in your own right and you may be an acceptable choice for a Bas Talmid Chochom.
Otherwise, having lots of money and being able to support her male relatives that learn all day doesn’t hurt…………….You do not forfeit your ability to find a shidduch because you came from a MO background and have moved to the right. There may well be a girl with a similar background who would love a husband with the ability to relate to her family and be comfortable relating to yours.
Personally, I would have been happier with a son-in-law with your background than someone who grew up in an isolated, insular rebbe led community.
Joseph…………
the President ordering someone to Prosecute does NOT make the President a Prosecutor no matter how many time you try to spin it. He also can’t order Civil Service personnel within the DOJ (which is Executive Branch) to do anything. He can only order political appointees to act.
Trump ios NOT and will never be the Chief Prosecutor of the US. He might be prosecuted for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, but it would be by the Legislative Branch. That is called Impeachment and trial.Joseph…………
wrong again.
The President can tell appointed members of the Judicial Branch what he’d like them to do..NOT any employee. Politicians can’t give directions to civil service employees.
Prosecutors don’t investigate so the President can’t order them to do so, investigators investigate. SO, contrary to your false claim, the President is NOT the Chief Prosecutor and can’t prosecute anyone. His influence might cause a prosecutor to prosecute someone, but if Trump attempted to bring an indictment it would be thrown out of court because he is not an attorney. President Obama OTOH is an attorney and member of the bar, should he have wanted to prepare court papers, they would have been valid.The only low level federal employees who must respond to a direct order from the President are members of the Armed Forces (not civilian employees) because the President is Commander in Chief.
You simply say, No, thank you…then either hang up the phone, or turn your back to the salesperson
Syag………..
Pointing out truthful information is not the same thing as defending someone.
There are many things that Bill Clinton did that I find abhorrent and do not defend. HOWEVER, having a student deferment and not being called in the draft lottery by luck of the yearly draw is not abhorrent behavior.Bill Clinton did NOT dodge the draft.
While in college he had a IIS student deferment which existed for all full-time college students at that time.
When in Law School, he was subject to the draft, then conducted by lottery. You were assigned a number matched to your birthdate (randomly picked) and if that number was not reached during the year of your exposure, you were no longer subject to the draft. Clinton’s number was 311. The highest number drafted that year was 135.Your casting aspersions is despicable and an insult to every American, myself included, who registered for the draft, was assigned a lottery number and subject to call up to active duty.
Joseph……………..
Wrong again
The President is NOT America’s Chief Prosecutor
All Federal Prosecutors are part of the Department of Justice
The DOJ is part of the Executive Branch, it’s head is the US Attorney General
The AG is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate
Jeff Sessions is the Current AG…and de facto CHIEF Prosecutor.Any government prosecutor MUST have a law degree and haved passed/be a member of the Bar
Trump does not have a law degree and is not a member of the Bar…he does NOT meet the minimum qualifications to be the lowest level federal prosecutor.I commented early on in this thread that it is not enough to be impeached, the Senate must convict.
Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached, BUT neither was convicted by the Senate and they finished out their terms of office.
Nechomah…………………..
It shouldn’t always be about the money.
I believe (as a long time dog owner) that dogs don’t belong in apartment buildings where they have limited time/opportunity to be outdoors and possibly to run free.
That said the vast majority of frum families live in apartments in concrete laden cities, not single family homes with fenced yards and space.
Caring for a dog teaches children responsibility.
My elderly, infirm MIL now lives with us. our smaller dogs give her a great deal of comfort and companionship and a sense of belonging.
I’d rather not go on vacations than give up having dogs. It is a matter of priorities.Here it goes again………………….
Living OOT in a house with large fenced in grounds, we have 4 dogs at the current time.
We don’t have issues of walking them on a leash on Shabbos or having to pick up after them, as we open a rear door and they have a fenced 1/2 acre to romp and play undisturbed.
Years ago, our LOR preached against having dogs because one might buy and have treif to feed them. We cook for them and use no commercial pet food.
They bring great joy and comfort to our family, especially when Mrs. CTL was so ill last year.In more than 6 decades of living, I have always had at least one dog and imagine I always shall have them.
DY…………
I have repeatedly said on this forum that people should only buy what they can afford.If you can’t afford a diamond, don’t buy one.
This is different than an opinion expressed that no one should buy a diamond engagement ring.BTW…your ‘good health tips cuts income from undertakers’ FAILS the ‘post hoc ergo propter hoc’ logic test. After this, therefore because of this.
Being healthy delays death, it doesn’t eliminate it. If there are 100 people they ALL die eventually and become business for the undertaker. A longer, healthier life does not equal immortality.
DY………..
There is a Huge difference between suggesting people curb wedding expenses. which merely reduces the amount spent, than stating not to buy a product that eliminates all money spent.OOT. the chances are much greater that the florist, photographer and union musicians are not frum yidden or even Jews at all.
I married off one daughter last year and another will be wed I”H this August at our home. The caterer is a frum yid coming from NY. The florist, photographer, table and chair rental company are all local businesses, not frum. They do business with me and Mrs. CTL and we in turn do business with them. There is no local frum alternative and no reason to import these items or people. The chosan and his parents are providing the band. I have no information yet as to the name of the band, only know that it will be 6 men.
I know that the engagement and wedding jewelry are coming from frum craftsmen, but this is a purchase I am not involved in.@Joseph
The diamond engagement ring has been en vogue since the diamond strikes in South Africa circa 1866 which made diamonds plentiful and more affordable to the emerging middle class in western society.Your suggestion to not buy diamond engagement rings could hurt the economic livelihood of many frum yidden in the diamond trade…from importers to cutters,setters and retailers.
Real Jewelry…diamonds, high karat gold, precious stones (Emeralds, Sapphires and Rubies) are high value, low weight, easily transportable, hidden wealth that may be concealed, used to buy one’s way to freedom, greasing the palm of a border or prison guard or visa granting official.
My family may have arrived in the USA back in the late 1860s and early 1870s, but until my parents bought their first house in 1951 always rented and kept gold and jewels on hand should an instant flight be necessary as was too often the case in Europe. My generation all own real estate, but all keep ready gold, gems and cash in easy reach should the need arise.
I owned a garment factory in that city in addition to a departments store. About 25% of my employees in the factory and 15% of my customers were immigrants from that country. Most were not yet US citizens. I was approached by some prominent members of the community and told that they had lobbied their embassy in Washington for a Consul in the city. They put forward my name, an attorney born in the a good working relationship with the immigrant community who could read, write and speak the language.
This was just good citizenship by providing service to that community and at the same time helping with applications for relatives to come to the US and many became employed in my factory. This was a time when most Americans were no longer interested in the needle trades.
It is now 30 years since I stopped doing business in that city and gave up the Consul’s position. I made many business and political connections that have been useful over the years. Most satisfying was helping more than 400 immigrants become citizens and 250 potential immigrants to come legally to the US with Visas I helped facilitate.No special license plates.
BTW…The US State Department does not issue Diplomatic license plates in the assorted states. You register your car and get a plate issued by the Motor Vehicle Dept in your own state. No special designation. No ability to be a scofflaw and not pay parking tickets.
No tax breaks, etc.
Being the Consular representative cost me out of pocket money. I operated out of my office and a secretary on my staff handled calls and took messages. I had open office hours one afternoon each week from 2-4 when I assisted with travel visas, those nationals who had stayed long and needed to renew passports, etc. All I did was collect the documents and send them on to the embassy in Washington for processing via a weekly courier.
There was a large immigrant community from this country and I was the ‘polished’ local face of authority. Appearing at cultural events, speaking at Chamber of Commerce and Business Industry association meetings trying to facilitate trade. I was not responsible for stimulating the leisure tourist trade, that was handled by regional sales reps from the national airline.DovidBT……….
No fancy uniform.
I rec’d bilingual business cards
I was invited to meet their President when he came to NYC for the opening session of the UN one year.
When Mrs. CTL and I flew to Europe on their National Airline we were given First Class tickets and all we paid were the US airport taxes/fees. We traveled on our US passports, but were met at the gate by a member of the foreign ministry and bypassed customs and immigration control lines.