| Home > Education > Voice Articles > The Cantor's Voice > January 2008 |
|
| | | |
|
| |
Voice Articles
|
|
| ||||
|
The Cantor's Voice January 2008 
If you have ever had the opportunity to fly to Israel on El Al, I'm sure
you've noticed that when the time for Shacharit (morning) services arrives,
religious men move to the back of the plane, don tallit and tefillin, and
pray the morning service. It is certainly a sight to see, observant Jewish
men davening on the back of an airplane. It is, however, El Al -- Israel
Airlines, so this is neither unusual nor unexpected.
When I read the following, from ynetnews.com, the online edition of the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot, I think that perhaps the practice of davening in a public area had gone a little too far: A Jewish passenger on a Chicago train was arrested after fellow passengers accused him of being a suicide bomber. The incident took place on a train that left Chicago early in the morning Ð when Jewish men are obligated to put on tefillin (phylacteries). The passenger began strapping the head-tefillin to his forehead and passengers unfamiliar with the custom rushed to the conductor and told him there was a man on board who was fastening a box to his head with wires dangling from it." The conductor approached the passenger but the latter refused to answer him as he was in the middle of the prayer, heightening the conductor's suspicions. Meanwhile, the passengers grew even more frantic when they noticed that the passenger sitting next to the Jewish man had a Middle-Eastern appearance and wore a turban. The passengers panicked and the engine driver stopped the train. Police officers rushed into the train with a bomb-sniffing dog. Police investigators soon realized their mistake and apologized to the passenger. "This incident has given us all an opportunity to learn about other religions and their customs," said the chief of security. I'll leave it to your judgment if you think that this man perhaps should choose another time and place to daven... Keith Miller Hazzan Director of Education |
About Us | Activities | Education | Support KM | Web Stuff
Copyright © 2007 Kehillat Ma'arav
www.km-synagogue.org