New York – NYC Flight Delayed After Ultra-Orthodox Passengers Refuse To Sit Next To Opposite Sex, Exit Plane

    63

    REUTERS/Lucas JacksonNew York – Ultra-Orthodox men and women caused over a one hour delay on a Delta flight Monday night at JFK airport when they de-boarded the plane rather than sit next to members of the opposite sex.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    Haaretz (http://bit.ly/127d8c9) reports Delta flight 468 from New York to Tel Aviv was delayed when the Haredi passengers de-planed and their baggage removed.

    This is one of many flight delays over the last month occurring with ultra-Orthodox passengers refusing to sit next to the opposite sex. Several El Al flights were disrupted or delayed, prompting a petition to circulate requesting that El Al put a procedure in place to stop the harassment of women by ultra-Orthodox men on flights to Israel.

    El Al has stated it has no plans to establish a policy for dealing with this situation.

    Information taken from Haaretz


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    63 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    9 years ago

    Tickets should be sold on justified hope only basis.

    This is getting ridiculous.

    Bugs in their salad causes less commotion.

    How horrible!

    mgrunberg
    mgrunberg
    9 years ago

    This just creates more chilul hashem berabim. If these passengers book their tickets knowing that they may be seated next to the opposite gender then what claim do they have? If on the other hand they were guaranteed specific seating then they would have a right to deplane! So which one was it? The odds are the former since no airline can guarantee seating for non reserved seats and only assign these seats as people check in.
    Therefore it would seem on the surface as a chilul hashem let alone causing a delay for hundreds of passengers!

    9 years ago

    Are any Rabbis going to stand up and say these people aren’t following Jewish law? Sicker and only getting sicker.

    LiberalismIsADisease
    LiberalismIsADisease
    9 years ago

    Considering Ahm Haaretz is telling us the story, I would like to know the truth because I am sure as anything that this IS NOT the emes, since they cant do that when it comes to Shomrai Torah U’Mitzvos.

    “This is one of many flight delays over the last month occurring with ultra-Orthodox passengers refusing to sit next to the opposite sex. Several El Al flights were disrupted or delayed, prompting a petition to circulate requesting that El Al put a procedure in place to stop the harassment of women by ultra-Orthodox men on flights to Israel.”

    Really? This is one of many flight delays over the last month?? More than normal? DOUBTFUL!!

    I wouldnt even wrap my smelly ten year old fish in this fishwrap!

    ayoyo
    ayoyo
    9 years ago

    Judaism has no place for the super frum. there is no reason to cause a delay of a flight because a frum person won’t sit in his seat.let him pay the cost of his delaying the flight and see how fast the ruckus will end

    Benjey
    Benjey
    9 years ago

    They will end up ruining it for all of us chassidim.

    I fly every year I never have this problem.

    I sit down and I hang a big sign that says i davind selichos sacharis mincha mariv mussaf
    in front of my place.

    And if a women sits next to me that’s to bad on me.

    anonymous23
    anonymous23
    9 years ago

    Kudos to this charedi man that deplaned, perhaps the women who he was going to sit next to could have been violated s e have seen with other charedim on long flights sitting next to the opposite sex.

    boroparkermom
    boroparkermom
    9 years ago

    Sickening! & this is called “ultra” orthodox??

    9 years ago

    How ridiculous! Chillul Hashem!!!
    I am Chasidish and I would never cause a commotion. These people need to book an aisle seat and can always change with another passenger if they ask nicely. There is also an option to buy 2 seats if it’s that important to them. There are people who do it for comfort. If you can’t afford it, there is also the option of staying home!
    Oh, and btw, not all “haredis” are this crazy. it’s the few crazy ones who make us all look bad.

    yosher
    yosher
    9 years ago

    make special flights for them and their Moslem behave-alikes

    Mark Levin
    Mark Levin
    9 years ago

    Ultra shmultra. That’s just a label from the media. They don’t know their donkey from their elbow when it comes to Jewish titles.

    newtransplant
    newtransplant
    9 years ago

    I can understand trouble on elal as they do their best to seat people in the worst way possible.
    To cause disruption on other airlines is a chilul Hashem and can easily be avoided by prebooking seats for a small fee, definitely preferable to causing a chilul Hashem.

    zelig
    zelig
    9 years ago

    To number 4
    Two weeks ago I flew from JFK to Eretz Hakodesh on a stopover flight in Europe. Four “chassidim” were on the flight. They started out by one cutting the check-in line with not even an “excuse me.” The first flight had enough empty seats for them to sit together. The eldest of the group took the opportunity, while his friends used the facilities, to leave his seat, go towards the back where I had a perfect view of him, rush to the pocket of an empty seat, whip out the magazine (not Der yid, or even Mishpacha,) start flipping the pages, when, alas, one of the others came out of the facility earlier than expected. He dropped it back in the seat pocket and ran.
    Lo and behold, on the next shorter flight, the plane was packed. The four refused to be seated, stood in the aisle while the pilot announced take off. The plane was full of non Jews on a tour, none of them were ready to leave their pals and change seats, the Chillul Hashem was great. There was a loud buzz of discontent and displeasure from the non Jews and lehavdil few Yidden on the plane, the staff was plotzing. I couldn’t see how it was settled but the plane was delayed at least 15 minutes.

    fashedenagrintzin
    fashedenagrintzin
    9 years ago

    The egregious part of this is that a passenger with a “special requirement” gives no advanced notice to the airline when booking the flight, but fully expects the “special requirement” to be adhered to when already on the plane, even at the expense of inconveniencing hundreds of others…more than a chillul Hashem…simply outstanding in the annals of stupid things that a Frum person would do… (notwithstanding the fact that you can’t pre-purchase a seat guaranteed not to be next to a woman)…..
    I don’t see why this person was not arrested for disturbance…..

    yid613
    yid613
    9 years ago

    If the story is true then obviously it should be condemned as a Chilul Hashem.

    BUT… All the self righteous people here who are indigent over the “Chassidic” abuse, are equally guilty of being judgemental. It’s completely hypocritical. You don’t know the full story!! Yet you jump to criticize in the harshest terms.
    There is only one word for such brash actions
    Pompous!!!

    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    9 years ago

    Why does this only happen to NY-TLV flights? Are these people not flying anywhere else in the world? Or is it only Israeli chasidim who have this mishegas, seeing as it is only Israeli chasidim who throw rocks and spit at little girls?

    Anominous
    Anominous
    9 years ago

    People should not judge the chassidim negatively until you have all details. How dressed were those women? In the bank where I work, there is a dress code and if you don’t come dressed properly, you are sent back home. It is not right for women to go on airplane “undressed” in short skirts – it is offensive to some. If the women were not properly dressed the chassidim did very well in getting out.

    The morality levels in the secular society is so low that they are very insensitive to true moral values. Have respect for your religious chassidic brothers.

    Realist77
    Realist77
    9 years ago

    They should travel by boat like in the old shtetl days. What a chillul Hashem.

    PaulinSaudi
    PaulinSaudi
    9 years ago

    This was not a problem last year. I bet you it will not be a problem next year. This is a fad.

    LondonMan
    LondonMan
    9 years ago

    Whilst I personally would not kick up a fuss if seated next to a woman, I have witnessed occasions where seats could easily be swapped to accommodate the charedim, but those who could do so refuse on a point of principle. However, almost always if the request is made in a respectful and pleasant manner people cooperate.

    9 years ago

    i dont see why others should suffer for your chumras. and its not the airlines fault, you should have asked from the beginning, and they cant force others to switch their seats for you. and its not anyone elses obligation to change seats for your chumros, especially a non jew. and it is a chillul hashem. maybe ask a rabbi before you make headlines all over the world, if this is what hashem wants from you.

    Stickpick
    Stickpick
    9 years ago

    Something is odd..!
    “Delayed 1 hour????” Over what??? A seat??? Ain’t make any sense..
    I travelled with kids….I waited 15 minutes to reorganize my seats as we were completely scattered around the plane. A 3yr old in one end. 5 yr old the other… T’wad sorted out in 15 mins…I have a hard time believing the delay wasbfor one hour. Probably not more than 15 mins.

    9 years ago

    Unlike El Al, the American carriers which fly to EY will not tolerate this nonsense; they will order those causing problems to leave. If they refuse, the cops will be brought onboard, and escort them off.

    9 years ago

    They should rent a plane and fly togerther Something for the travel agents to
    arrange

    Liepa
    Liepa
    9 years ago

    If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. If you expect other people, who paid the same price for their airline ticket as you did, to accommodate you with seating arrangements, you’re in for a big surprise and if you CAN’T live with that, I have two small words for you, “DON’T FLY”!

    bahby
    bahby
    9 years ago

    Could the person who penned this article please use the word ‘gender’ instead of ‘sex’ in the future?

    9 years ago

    One can only wish that these dreche yidden are found head down in a dumpster somewhere in meah shearim which is probably where they are headed. At a minimum, their tickets should be cancelled without refunds and a smart lawyer should sue them for the costs resulting from the delay. Maybe if a court judgement would bankrupt them, they would learn a lesson to sit down in their assigned seats and shut up and mind their own business until the plan arrives in EY.

    barbaabba
    barbaabba
    9 years ago

    He was probably hoping he was going to be seated next to a little boy ….
    so many of them charedim who spit at a woman’s face as if it was some kind of a plague but then get caught with little boys
    it is all the fault of the Rabbonim who created this atmosphere and left out any possibility of discussion of the negative effect it could potentially cause in the real world outside of the shtetle, but then again these rabbonim are not living in the real world so why should i expect anything like that

    ALLAN
    ALLAN
    9 years ago

    This type of fanatical behavior

    sighber
    sighber
    9 years ago

    Lev Tahor seems to be going to Israel.

    9 years ago

    This is a bigger Chillul Hashem than hoping your day is innocent when you switch your lights on on sabbath or even help yourself to a non-kosher restaurant. Who thinks that Israel has a right to delay any air travel because the directions on their mood are not consistent with the realities of some of their “selective” hopes of their heart. I am mortified that this sort of lead weight religion will give every orthodox jew a singed development in human history. We do need tolerant rabbis to speak up. Horrible feelings over every story like this. An aliyah is not supposed to begin with shackles for the community that flies.

    Disgusted.

    shvigger
    shvigger
    9 years ago

    What isn’t being reported?

    jakyw
    jakyw
    9 years ago

    Simple solution – fly with your wife! Not your charadei boyfriends.

    savtat
    savtat
    9 years ago

    You know, I think it’s part of their entertainment that they can delay a plane and make a ruckus. If they would ask their local Rabbi – he would tell them to book their tickets together and pick seats together. Pretty easy to do. Or, of course, they could stay home.

    I was once on a bus in Israel. I am over 65 – my husband needed a seat, so someone got up for him in the front of the bus. There was a Hassid sitting opposite and he moved over too, so I thought he was being nice, so I took the seat. He flew out of his seat in such a rage that it took my breath away. There is something very wrong here.

    mosheklass
    mosheklass
    9 years ago

    My Rabbi, Rabbi Swift in Pittsburgh paskened that it is mutar to sit next to your wife on a plane. He didn’t specify if you can sit next to her at home or in public.

    ALLAN
    ALLAN
    9 years ago

    This type of fanatical behavior only breeds Anti Semitism. Lock up a block of seats and be happy. We are not alone on this planet and imposing your way on others only breeds hatred. This is no better than the Muslim fanatics wanting the world to obey Sharia Law.

    misslydia128
    misslydia128
    9 years ago

    They should be placed on a no fly list and swim to Israel next time.

    9 years ago

    I would LOVE to see you try to pull this crap on a rush-hour NYC subway.

    BTW, all of this garbage presupposes that it is ossur to sit next to a woman on a plane. You morons who think so are completely wrong!

    PMO
    PMO
    9 years ago

    I can accept that for some this is a very serious issue. Most poskim don’t agree, but let’s accept this is what it is.

    We pay double to as much as quadruple for our meats and cheeses because we want to ensure reliable kashrus. Because this mitzvah is so important to us, we are willing to pay more.

    We pay more for the perfect esrog.
    We give up most of our vacation time at work to cover for each day of yom tov throughout the year.

    The reality of being Jewish is that we have to pay more, in one way or another, to live the life we choose to live.

    That brings me to a simple solution: If you want to be sure you are not seated next to someone of the opposite sex, simply buy the seat next to you. If you are willing to risk being charged with a crime and taken to jail over it, you should be willing to pay a few hundred dollars more to satisfy your requirement.

    barchaim
    barchaim
    9 years ago

    I flew delta a while ago and it took the chassidim an hour to sit down and stop going to the bathroom luggage overhead shmuzzing and going back and forth to the bathroom. the flight attendants said repeatedly to sit down and were ignored. another orthodox flyer complained to them and he said whats the rush. I just flew Aeroflot from isreal at 1 am in the morning. it took a half hour for these chassidim how to sit and where. when we were in the air the women didn’t stop gabbing in for 2 hours till 3 am in the morning. the children were running in the aisles repeatedly (A REAL hazard) . There are halochos so many of tircha dtzibur and robbing ones neighbor of sleep. How do you expect nonfrum and non jews to have a favorable impression of frum jews with all these incidents and more?