As Heathrow Powered Down, Shabbat in Bermuda Shone Bright

by Tzali Reicher – chabad.org

When a major power outage plunged London’s Heathrow Airport into darkness last Friday, March 21st, few could have predicted the ripple effects that would reach all the way to the small Jewish community on the island of Bermuda.

The unprecedented blackout at Europe’s busiest airport occurred when a fire at an electricity substation left Heathrow in darkness last Friday, disrupting more than 1,000 flights worldwide and creating chaos for travelers across the globe.

For several Jewish business travelers who had completed vacations and meetings on the island and were scheduled to depart on British Airways—the only airline that flies directly from Bermuda to Europe, and has to go through Heathrow—the airport closure meant an unexpected Shabbat on the island.

“Being ‘stuck’ in Bermuda might sound like a blessing,” said Rabbi Chaim Birnhack, who established Chabad-Lubavitch of Bermuda with his wife, Menuchy, just over two years ago. “But for Jewish travelers without kosher food or a place for Shabbat, it presents real challenges.”

Many people imagine Bermuda to be somewhere in the Caribbean. While it is a beautiful island, it is in fact a rock in the North Atlantic, about 650 miles east of North Carolina. Tourist infrastructure there is not nearly as developed as in most of the familiar Caribbean islands, and the weather can even get nippy in the winter months. High season on the island doesn’t begin until May.

The stranded travelers reached out to the rabbi, seeking assistance for their impromptu Shabbat stay.

Chabad of Bermuda is still growing and doesn’t yet have access to catering or a reliable kosher infrastructure to direct visitors to.

But that did not stop Menuchy Birnhack from springing into action with the resources she had.

“A couple hours before Shabbat, my wife said, ‘It can’t be that there are people on this island who won’t have a proper Shabbat,’” the rabbi tells Chabad.org. “She immediately began preparing a full Shabbat meal.”

Before long, the Birnhacks’ kitchen was filled with warm challah, fish, meat, salads and traditional Shabbat delicacies, which they packed into containers, together with wine for kiddush. Racing against the setting sun, Rabbi Birnhack managed to deliver complete Shabbat packages just before candle-lighting time.

The travelers were deeply appreciative, as what began as a stressful travel disruption transformed into a beautiful island Shabbat experience.

“Every challenge is an opportunity,” says Menuchy Birnhack. “This situation was another reminder to us why we’re here—to be of service in all things Yiddishkeit for all Jewish people in Bermuda, whenever they need us.”

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