Israir Airlines on Board with Chabad
Ever since Israir Airlines came to the aid of Chabad’s Hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans in 2005, the airline has become well-known to Lubavitchers as a company that cares about Chabad and its causes. Since the launch of their first flights between New York and Tel Aviv, Israel’s second largest airline has been closely connected with Chabad in Israel and New York. The airline’s officially appointed Rabbi is a Lubavitcher himself, and therefore all aspects requiring supervision are executed to the strictest of standards.
Rabbi Pini Althaus, Rabbi of Schunat Rasko in Cholon, Israel, and representative of the Chief Rabbinate of Russia in Israel, holds the position as Rabbi of Israir Airlines. Included in his duties is the selecting of companies that supply food for distribution on Israir’s aircrafts, and for ensuring that each item selected possesses a proper hechsher according to the strictest standards.
When asked about the benefits of an airline employing an Orthodox and Chabad Rabbi, Rabbi Althaus explained, “Currently, Israir is the first and only arline to offer Glatt Kosher food, prepared under Rabbi Moshe Landau of B’nei Brak’s stringent hechsher. Unlike other airlines that utilize various unknown catering services with many different hechsherim, we provide a service and level of convenience to our Orthodox passengers, who enjoy the opportunity to eat all meals on board the flight without having to worry about doing research on the hechsher, or bringing their own food.”
Other aspects of the airline’s activities are enhanced by the Chabad Rabbi’s supervision as well. Before Pesach, the aircraft is prepared and thoroughly cleaned according to standards that an orthodox Jew would expect. Rabbi Althaus also provides training sessions to all flight attendants, many of whom may not be familiar with the practices of religious Jews, with detailed instructions and explanations of the different needs and customs of the Orthodox passenger.
Indeed, these measures are especially important for a company such as Israir, given that more than 40% of their customers are Orthodox Jews.
On an individual level, as well, Rabbi Althaus has personally come to the assistance of Chabad passengers in need. In one instance a passenger who required extra seats for his flight due to a condition which prohibited him from keeping his legs in one position for long periods of time. Israir’s personnel arranged for him to be seated near a few seats that were kept unoccupied, so he could travel comfortably with his feet elevated and not endanger his health.
When it comes to supporting the Shluchim of the Rebbe, Israir Airlines has proven to be a great friend to Chabad as well. Through the assistance of Mr. Stuart Katz, Managing Director of Israir Airlines, Lubavitch World Headquarters was able to send tens of thousands of meals to victims in the affected areas of New Orleans and Florida following hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. Israir was also a corporate sponsor of the 2006 International Kinus Hashluchim, and working together with representatives of Merkos, was instrumental in providing greatly discounted fares to shluchim from Eretz Yisrael so they could participate in the Kinus.
Rabbi Sholom Wilhelm, Chabad’s liaison to Israir Airline’s New York headquarters, officiated at the Chankas Habayis celebrated at Israir’s new offices this April. “It’s wonderful to be working with a company that is so helpful and understanding of Chabad’s causes worldwide,” he says of Chabad’s close relationship with Israir. “It’s nice to see a company take a genuine interest in what Chabad stands for, and who constantly looks for ways to help others and make a difference.”
This summer, as Israir celebrates the launch of regularly scheduled service between New York and Tel Aviv, they are prepared to accommodate the many hundreds of people who will fly to New York for Gimmel Tamuz. And, come September, hundreds of Yeshiva and Seminary students will fly with Israir to Eretz Yisrael, enjoying the special student rates Israir offers to students. As Israir Airlines continues to grow, it’s great to know that Chabad has a friend in the skies.
and Eduardo Marcus, Director, Israir USA Call Center
chaya
very nice
moshiach
sichek aota
CHer
"Chabad’s liason to Israir" did I read that correctly?
Moish / Eretz Yisroel
Well, I am sold.
In any future trip I will do my best bli neider to patronize Israir over other companies. At last Baruch HaShem we got a company that values Tora-true Yidden and their money, not like El-Al who I can personally attest gave me and the only other observant passanger of our flight back home to Israel the worst of treatments. This included taking us in the middle of the night from Toronto, where the plane got stucked due to technical difficulties, to New York on Erev Yom Kippur. Threw us to the Park Ave Hotel in Boro Park without any food arrangements to be able to face the Yom Kippur fast (though we requested this be done and were dismissed with a sure there’ll be food even when we tried to explain to those insensitive creatures that a frum hotel just a few hours before Yom Kippur for sure closed the kitchen already). We had to scramble for anything with a hechsher in two of the only minimarkets open in the area and had as a pre-fast meal some fruits and a chocolate cake. The comptent El-Al has for frum customers shouldn’t go unnoticed. Maybe now with competition El-Al will stop making us daven next to the toiletts an will provide some dignified space.
But for now, Baruch HaShem we have Israir!
haim
To "Moish / Eretz Yisroel":
Are you paid to write these comments?
moshe
on the price of old planes, uncomefortable seat, small legroom, minute abount of ground persnel……..]
elal – àéï ëîå ááéú
Moish / Eretz Yisroel
Dear Haim:
No, I am not paid to write these comments.
There is nothing wrong with me encouraging people to patronize a company that seems to care for our sensitivities.
What I wrote is just one of many sour experiences with El-Al. Would you like me to tell you about my mother’s last trip with them to Israel in which THEIR OWN security officer broke and made a mess of my mother’s make up, perfumes and other belongings and then they "settled the claim" for mere peanuts that wouldn’t cover even one cream and all these because the Warsaw convention doesn’t obligate them to pay anymore and I didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer to put them in their place. Or do you want me to tell you about their Israeli employees in JFK who are absolutely comptentous of relgious customers?
moshe
I recently am debating to us Israir or
some other non-jewish owned airlines.
I am puzzled by the differences of opinion on the subject of using an airlines that flies on Shabbat. I am curious to know Chabbads position on this, thats all.