El Al will begin a trial on organized in-flight minyanim during its long-haul flights between Tel Aviv and the United States.
Under the trial, the minyanim will be held in the galley in the back of the aircraft and will not allow the tefillos to spread out of the galley and into the aisles. The tefillos themselves will commence once all passengers have been given their meals.
The exact time that the minyanim will take place will be announced before the flight, but early reports suggest that shacharis will be held at netz; it isn’t yet known when the mincha and maariv tefillos would be held. El Al also makes clear that despite the new arrangement, mispalelim will be ordered back to their seats in the event of severe weather.
The trial is intended to determine whether organized tefillos on El Al’s aircraft would help to eliminate scenarios in which flight staff and frum Jews get into spats over minyanim, including complaints about flight aides being rude to those davening and, conversely, mispalelim crowding aisles and hampering the smooth operation of the flight.
RECEIVE YWN BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME:
YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status.
YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZQOBWlL3hb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
19 Responses
People have no business davening with a minyan on a flight. Whether flying Elal or any other airline. Frum Jews are a minority and need to behave like a minority. There is absolutely no halachic requirement to form minyanim on a plane where there is a lack of proper concentration, no partition between women and men and causing major resentment from non Jewish passengers. I’m sick and tired of the total disregard to the required rules. Many frum people create havoc and chaos while flying. It’s time they learnt some basic etiquette how to behave while on a plane.
Good idea. I’m impressed
Hope they’ll be more than one Minyan when needed.
I also think they should have real time Zmanim on the infotainment system.
Daven ביחידות and you will be fulfilling רצון ד by not causing discomfort for the other passengers which ends up resulting in חלול ד – ח”ו
Its about time this was long overdue and will benefit everyone!!!!
Here’s where the fight begins: What Nusach?
I dont understand why people complain that they are forced to daven sitting down. We see and saw many Gedolim and Poisim , when flying, they davened sitting down and never ever made a fuss about this. We should learn from them and not from some of our brothers who think they are more frum than the Gedoilem.
It would be a lot easier if they simply issued a rule to Daven at your seat. Trying to “manage” these minyanim is a fools’ errand and will only result in more broigas and potential mid-air confrontations.
The friendly skies of El Al are already a war zone at times. Authorizing these minyanim will only make it worse.
Finally!! united and delta were always more pleasant to deal with, and understood Jewish needs, only these Israelis self hated Jews always made problems, maybe now that a Frum Jew bought off the company things are starting to change
On a long flight this seems like a very reasonable accommodation for a minyan. But if there are more frum yidden than the galley can handle, I can imagine chaos. After a few months of balagans El Al will say “we tried, but we cannot assure passenger safety unless people daven at their seats (as Gadolhadorah recommended). Which may be what El Al is expecting to happen regardless.
“Here’s where the fight begins: What Nusach?”
How about an MO nusach with a woman as shaliach tzibur. That approach should go over really well among the more woke and progressive yidden who fly El Al and have been demanding a more egalitarian flight experience.
@Git Meshiga you are 100% correct. My father זצוק”ל who was one of the גדולי הדור used to daven by his seat. Because it is the same הלכה as עומד על גבי האילן
On another note ElAl got the message. Their competitors who are not Jewish set aside time and place for those that want to daven with a minyan. Being a very frequent flyer (just landed in Israel) I was notified more then once that prayers are starting in 2 hours…
I don’t get most of these comments. Elal is making a very reasonable innovation to have organized minyanim and everyone shouts HEY NO MINYANIM ON A PLANE! WE’RE THE MINORITY WE’RE BLOCKING PEOPLE!???? This organized minyan is specifically intended for the minority; it won’t block anyone. What’s this animosity all about? You’re anti minyanim in general? I really can’t understand it.
Hopefully these comments were in response to the last paragraph, and they’re only guilty of being extremely off-topic.
Simply stated, the concern is that flying has become extremely stressful and challenging for the flight crews. Having minyanim in the aisles or galleys will be one additional issue to deal with. Given that so many rabbonim have said its OK to daven at your seat, why encourage people to get up and cluster in the back of the plane.
For the last 2 years I have been ravening at my own outdoor minyan here in Monsey. Can we organize one possibly on the wing so that no one is inconvenienced? If not, why don’t they just buy a few of these 380’s that all the airlines are selling off and dedicate a whole floor or section as a Bais Medrash. Maybe we can even put in a mikva. @MMK, who was your Father? Should we just take your word for it that he was a great Gadol?
1. Have those rabbonim OKed it even in the event that there became an official minyan?
2. Have any of those rabbonim state that it’s still preferable to daven standing up?
3. Have any rabbonim disagreed with the rabbonim you’re quoting?
4. Maybe let el al decide what issues they should take on, and save your discretion for your own issues.
Sorry, let me rephrase that. Obviously, you’re “letting” el al make their own decisions. What I mean to say is why state your opinion as to what issues el al is ready to take on?
It’s very nice that you have all these “rabbonim” and “gedolim” who daven in their seats, but I’m not required to follow their example. If there is a minyan available I will join it, and I don’t care what they say.
One thing I don’t agree with is making a minyan an hour before landing, when there is plenty of time to make one after landing, in the baggage claim area. A lot of time is wasted there anyway, while waiting for ones baggage to come down. Why not use that time to daven? By the time the minyan is over all the bags will have come down, and you can just collect them and go through customs. Plus, the crowd will have dissipated and the lines will be shorter.
Also, why do people on planes to and from Eretz Yisrael daven facing the side windows? Are they davening to the penguins at the south pole, or the polar bears in the north?! Obviously on a plane to Eretz Yisrael, it is toward the front of the plane, and on a plane from EY it is toward the back!
I just came off El Al flight this week, and was impressed to see on the TV options, hearing Frum Shiurim including Gemoro amongst other options, both in עברית and in English