No Hatzolah Air transports are ever ordinary, but some are indeed extraordinary. That was the case on Wednesday when a cross-country Hatzolah Air flight united a kehilla near Lakewood with a sefer torah it had long been waiting for.
The story began several months ago, when a couple from Los Angeles sought to send a Sefer Torah to Lakewood for their childrens’ shul to use. However, the logistical and halachic challenges of transferring a Sefer Torah from the West Coast to the East Coast posed an enormous obstacle. Several options were considered, including a cross-country drive and a first-class commercial flight for the Sefer Torah, but all were nixed due to concerns that it would not be treated with the utmost kavod befitting it.
But then, Hatzolah Air came to the rescue, literally and figuratively. The couple contacted Malkiel Gradon, a Hatzolah Air official from Los Angeles, asking if he knew of a solution to this confounding issue. He informed them that there would be an upcoming medical transport from New York to Los Angeles, and it was likely that the Sefer Torah could be flown to the East Coast on the flight’s “empty leg” return to New York.
The medical transport took place on Wednesday morning, transferring a seriously ill patient from the New York region to a hospital in Los Angeles. Upon its conclusion, the couple was told to come to the airport with the Sefer Torah, which was then placed securely on its own seat and strapped in.
For the next 5.5 hours, Hatzolah flight paramedic Benjamin Diamond ensured that the Sefer Torah was properly cared for as it made its 3,000-mile journey across the United States.
At 10:45 PM Wednesday night, the Hatzolah aircraft touched down at Westchester County Airport, with the flight paramedic carefully removing the Sefer Torah from the plane and transferring it to a waiting family member at the terminal, bringing Hatzolah Air’s memorable mission to a close.
Hatzolah Air shared the story on Instagram, writing: “We were so honored to say ‘YES’ immediately to this Mitzvah and placed the Torah in a secure seat, making sure that it was treated with the ultimate respect… Today we have a new definition of ‘One Team, One Mission.’
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24 Responses
No doubt this beautiful story of genuine kovod Hatorah and a tremendous display of bein odom lachaveiro and much more must bring a real nachas ruach to the RSO… and isn’t that our ultimate goal? A touching story! Thanks for sharing!
Here’s a easier and cheaper way to do it, buy 2 seats on a commercial flight. One of the person and 1 for the sefer Torah. Even if you do first class, that would still be cheaper than a Learjet flight. No?
Yocheved is right and I have once encountered it. One seat dedicated to the Torah. Much cheaper than this special plane flight. Use the huge difference to help poor families.
Amazing! You’d only find this by Yidden!
I thought of the idea @YochevedSz and @HolyMoe though of as well, but I’m assuming, being that this schlepped quite a while, they probably thought of that and for some reason wouldn’t work. Besides this flight was destined to happened, it was on the planes return flight to NY from what i understand, so i don’t get the issue….
Given the current state of affairs on commercial airlines, over-booked flights, etc., they were smart to use a private jet given that it was headed back to NYC anyway. Even you purchased an extra seat to keep it open, the airlines reserve the right to preempt such purchases if it is necessary to get avoid bumping a confirmed passenger. It has happened to a musician friend who booked the extra seat for an expensive vintage viola.
HOLY MOE- READ THE ARTICLE IT WAS AN EMPTY LEG FLIGHT WHICH MEANS THE PLANE WAS COMING BACK TO NYC ANYWAYS. THEREFORE, IT WAS TECHNICALLY CHEAPER THAN 1 COACH SEAT…
All are correct. This is a touching story, although the same could have been accomplished with 2 seats on a commercial flight. In this case it seems the plane was flying anyway for unfortunate reasons, however this private plane flying thing has become a new way for many in the frum community to squander a lot of money in order to prove that they “made it”. This is part of a very scary trend of magazine ready houses, meat boards, fancy parties and kiddushim and the like.
Forgive me for not agreeing with the 2 previous comments , but the Hatalah rep in LA Malkiel Gradon specifically said ,the was an “empty leg back to NY “
Crazy that not what people donat their money to hatalah for
I am not sure why this is a touching or nice story. It just speaks to extreme meterialisim in our communities. Are there not enough Sefrei Torah in Lakewood? This is such a confounding problem that needed such dire attention. It is impossible to go 5 minutes davening in a shul without some begging for money for a family member. How about we take our money and put our heads together to solve actual problems.
I don’t get it…..a family was motivated to donate a sefer torah for its own emotional reasons. It was transported at ZERO cost because the plane was flying back to the NYC area from the West Coast and had empty seats. Yes, I agree there are more than enough sifrei torah in Lakewood but there are also more than enough shuls and batei medrashim although no one complains when some Rebbelah comes along and feels motivated to start his own kollel or open another small shtiebel.
Bottom line: Its a wonderful story that illustrates the unique strengths of yidden to find a way to achieve whatever motivates them.
Pure Clickbait.
Sifrei Torah are constantly transported by plane without the need for a whole story, private jet etc.
Some attention seeking people, and an attention seeking news outlet joining together.
The Viznitzer Rebbe shlita (and others too, I think it’s to do with the Halocho that a Melech B’Yisroel needs to always travel with a ST, but i could be wrong) travels everywhere with a Sefer Torah. Makes several international flights a year, never seen a whole story about it.
I myself transported a Sefer Torah on a flight from TLV to NY, just booked a seat next to me (u can book a seat without a name for extra items, SPK to ur travel agent) and strapped it in. Had a letter from a Rabbi in NY addressed to airport staff to treat the ST with respect tru security etc, and only to be handled by me, and everyone respected it.
Don’t see the big deal here.
Pathetic.
And the need for all the pics and videos? What for??
Pure attention seeking individuals.
Is really worthy of “World News?”
(This is besides for the fact that pics of that size object wrapped in a tallis in/out of a Hatzolo Aircraft looks horrific.)
It’s amazing how even when there’s a pure mitzvah with nothing done wrong at all there’s still some people that are just so sour and rotten that they have to try to find something negative which they didn’t. First off for all of the Karen’s go write a 1 star review on your Amazon order and then come back here. Second this was an EMPTY LEG FLIGHT. Would you be happier if the private jet flew back empty and accomplished nothing? This was used to transport a sick person and was not needed on the way back but solely to get back to its destination. This is a pure example of mitzvah gorreres mitzvah. Please get help all negatives!
its easy to discern which individuals responding above are so far removed from anything holy, their eyes and ears are stuffed with garbage that they cant see the beauty and light of yiddishkeit
May Mashiach come speedily in our days and lift us out of the dump we are sadly falling into
Hock 101 (and everyone else)
I don’t think people in the comments are against the fact it was flown in, on an empty leg.
The complaints here are about the fact that YWN feel the need to make a headline story out of a common occurrence. Which at this point makes people believe it was an attention seeking stunt
It’s no secret that there is a serious problem with materialism in the frum world. Didn’t it bother anyone that it was an actual thought to buy a first class ticket to fly a sefer Torah across the county for no reason. There are people who are seriously struggling to support their families. The idea of buying a sefer Torah, let alone flying it first class is foreign and out of touch. We don’t need to publicize the escapades of the wealthy. They can do what they want but please keep it to yourselves.
Real Mesirus Nefesh in the terrible American galus!
The saddest part of this article and all of the comments is NOBODY focused on the most important issue – KAVOD HATORAH. When transporting a Sefer Torah it should remain doubly covered at all times. True, the picture on the runway shows the Torah was properly covered with a tallis. Nevertheless, on the plane, greater stress was placed on optics, rather than KAVOD HATORAH. The Torah is sitting without the proper covering. Imagine, a Rosh HaYeshiva traveling and being photographed improperly dressed in a T-shirt. Hopefully, all would understand that the kavod of the Rosh Yeshiva is more important that the photo-op. In this picture, the photo-op was obviously more important to the photographer. To add insult to injury, not one of the commenters mentioned a word. I am willing to give the highest honors to the family who donated the sefer Torah, to the organization that sponsored the flight and to all of the fervent commentators worried about wasted money, etc. But above all, I am interested in giving greater honor to KAVOD HATORAH – by wrapping the Sefer Torah with a tallis during travel.
Over the past few months, all other transport ideas were nixed due to concerns that it would not be treated with the utmost kavod befitting it. So instead the Torah is sent with a man not wearing a honorable hat and jacket and as mentioned earlier is not properly covered with a tallis during transport? Humm . . . I am left scratching my head on this one. Go figure? Most poskim agree that it is sufficient to put the Sefer Torah carefully and respectfully in the overhead compartment, as long as it is placed in a way that is respectful.
I understand the flight was free. I understand everyone meant well. I don’t understand how this story made the news.
YaGottaBeKiddin:
The only reason in the need to cover a Sefer Torah in a tallis is because of improper or immoral sights, e.g. not tznius ladies etc.
When the Sefer Torah in this case was on a private jet with (I’m assuming) Jewish men only, u don’t see the need for a Tallis.
TorahJewfromNY:
The Kaf HaChaim (135:83) doesn’t agree with you. Rather, it is customary to cover a Torah with a tallis whenever it is transported. Additionally, the Tzedaka U’Mishpot 16:2 note 3 writes that although he could not find the source, the minhag is to cover a Torah with a tallis during travel. A Sefer Torah is considered the most holy object in Judaism and is treated with the greatest respect. One aspect of respect entails a proper cover while in transit.
@ruchi and yagotta be kidding…so frum that you don’t even have the ability to be dam lcaf zchus…how about looking at the picture again…notice anything there like maybe a tallis…..I’m sure you will do your utmost to try and get it touch and ask mechilla…or maybe you can quote something that says you don’t need to.
The guy is literally walking off the plane with the sefer torah covered in a talis…