Breslov officials who deal with travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah are concerned with this year’s reality, with yomtov beginning on Sunday night. The problem surrounds a Transportation Ministry regulation prohibiting takeoffs from Ben-Gurion International Airport from 1:30 AM – 5:00 AM, which means many mispallalim wishing to get to Uman after Shabbos will be cutting it close. There are fears that the schedule will chas v’sholom lead to chilul yomtov.
Flights to Uman on Sunday morning erev Rosh Hashanah will begin at about 6:00 AM. That means some flights will begin landing in the Ukraine at 9:00 AM. Then travelers will have to get through passport control and baggage claim, which can take another hour before being able to leave the airport. The trip from the airport to Uman can be 3-4 hours, which means mispallalim arriving on later flights are cutting it dangerously close to yomtov. This schedule does not leave time for delays of any sort.
Last month officials have turned to the transportation Ministry seeking permission to permit flights to take off during the night of motzei Shabbos.
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush has sent a letter to Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz as well, seeking to persuade him to accommodate the erev Rosh Hashanah crowd heading to Uman. Porush has also contacted the head of the Civil Air Authority as well. He explains there are seven El Al flights scheduled to take off, with the first flight leaving after Shabbos at 9:30 AM and the final flight at 1:00 AM.
Porush details that Shabbos ends late, and there are many persons that have to leave in time to reach their destination before Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Sunday evening. He therefore asks to permit flights to take off during the nighttime hours.
The ministry is unwilling to permit flights to take off during the night despite the small window during which thousands of persons wish to travel from Israel to Uman in time for yomtov.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
Perhaps these people should skip Uman and stay home with their families for Rosh Hashana. Now there’s a chiddish for you!
Interesting that those going to Uman believe that geneivas sheina of the more than 100,000 people living in the flight path is less important that their getting to Uman.
I would have thought they shouldn’t go at all rather than steal the sleep of fellow Jews, Erev Rosh HaSHana, no less.
Sounds pretty selfish to me.
Wonder what the Baal Shem Tov would have said.
I have a great idea….
STAY HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY!!
So, not only do they break Halacha by leaving Eretz Yisroel, but they also risk chilul shabbos. I’m sure that Rebbe Nachman is rolling in his grave!
Flying from Israel to the Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah is synonymous with flight delays. I davka bought my ticket this year for a few hours earlier than I wanted to fly adjusting that by the time I can actually get on the flight it will be closer to the time I really wanted to go. I also brought to fly in before Shabbos, not between Motzei Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov. I have no intention of spending Rosh Hashana stuck at Ben Gurion or in Kiev. Eizehu chacham, haroeh et hanolad
Shlomo 2…. really?!? Please do tell us exactly how many plane tickets you yourself have purchased where before you bought it you first made cheshbon on whether your flight would be disturbing anyone’s sleep. I want an exact number
To #6 assurnet:
Flights are banned during those times out of consideration for the sleep of yidden living along the flight path.
Those flying to Uman want the gov’t to put their own interests above those whose sleep is now protected.
Care to cite a halachic source for why this is permitted, al pi halacha and why this is anything other than a Chillul HASHEM of selfishness and entitlement?
“Flights are banned during those times out of consideration for the sleep of yidden living along the flight path.”
Oh really? That’s funny… maybe international air carriers missed the memo on that ban. Do a quick search for tickets on Delta’s website and you will find flights leaving Tel Aviv to Atlanta at 1 AM and 4:50 AM on a regular basis. I guess any Jew who happens to be on one of those flights is also over on genivat sheina and chillul Hashem as well eh?
You still didn’t answer my question – how many flights have you personally ever booked that you first took into account who you might be waking up before you bought the ticket?
#8 — If I understand you correctly, you are saying that no such ban exists and the following article is wrong, rather than there is a ban in place (at least applying to El Al) and for some reason, Delta was allowed an exception.
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Early-morning-flights-at-Ben-Gurion-airport-banned
YWN article say flights are banned between 1:30 and 5:00. Delta flights are at outer edges of that period. Uman chevreh want there to be flights DURING that period.
So, where am I wrong?