ATT ALL KOHANIM TRAVELING TO/FROM BEN GURION AIRPORT

[dealvr]

Call guy in Brooklyn. Forgot his name

Ok. I'll google "guy in brooklyn" to get his number.
 

[Briut]

Hi, folks. I'm a kohain and still confused. (And ticketed for next week!) Help?

I always heard El Al only took living pax at EWR (no coffins). Can't see how to get a _reliable_ answer from El Al cargo. But I'm flying BE"H (with Divine help, as if there's anything that's not??) next week, and uncertain because:

1. I hate bringing a Q to my Rav w/o facts.
2. If El Al promises EWR is safe, there's no Q for the Rav anyhow.
3. (And unless I'm somech (= follow) on anything my Rav says -- even a body bag !? -- I don't want to ask.)

I once heard it's otherwise best (or even required) to fly through Europe (except for France and maybe LHR). But changing my ticket is expensive.

Help?
(But PS: what a great ad campaign for El Al - "you need a neshama to fly us from Newark" -- way better than "the homey-est place in the world (ha'chi ha'bayis ba'olam)."

[Emkay]

Hi, folks. I'm a kohain and still confused. (And ticketed for next week!) Help?

I always heard El Al only took living pax at EWR (no coffins). Can't see how to get a _reliable_ answer from El Al cargo. But I'm flying BE"H (with Divine help, as if there's anything that's not??) next week, and uncertain because:

1. I hate bringing a Q to my Rav w/o facts.
2. If El Al promises EWR is safe, there's no Q for the Rav anyhow.
3. (And unless I'm somech (= follow) on anything my Rav says -- even a body bag !? -- I don't want to ask.)

I once heard it's otherwise best (or even required) to fly through Europe (except for France and maybe LHR). But changing my ticket is expensive.

Help?
(But PS: what a great ad campaign for El Al - "you need a neshama to fly us from Newark" -- way better than "the homey-est place in the world (ha'chi ha'bayis ba'olam)."

elal from EWR is totally fine.
Source= much research

[Briut]

elal from EWR is totally fine.
Source= much research

EMkay: Wow, thanks for the speed and accuracy of your response.

How should we define "much research." I'm sure El Al would tell me their promise is still valid (Bnai Aharon find no Ahron @EWR <grin>). I can almost see the protest signs now: "Kohains, not coffins!"

But my Rav is likely to say, "I don't keep up with this, so what's the status?" I'd like to provide a full report.

So, have you called El Al cargo lately? Any special proteksia to ensure the veracity of their response? Is there some rabbinic council that monitors this? Did you see some noted halachic authority Kohain on LY28?

I'm not sure telling my Rav that "Reb Emkay told me so on DD" is conclusive proof. Any help you could offer would be great.

Note:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/207689/alert-for-kohanim-flying-to-eretz-yisrael.html includes a comment of "gr8" on 12/26/13: "Just to perfectly honest, when my dad was niftar a few years ago, we flew to Israel on ElAl from Newark (on the afternoon flight), with the aron in the cargo section."

Again, thanks for your help. - Briut

[Emkay]

EMkay: Wow, thanks for the speed and accuracy of your response.

How should we define "much research." I'm sure El Al would tell me their promise is still valid (Bnai Aharon find no Ahron @EWR <grin>). I can almost see the protest signs now: "Kohains, not coffins!"

But my Rav is likely to say, "I don't keep up with this, so what's the status?" I'd like to provide a full report.

So, have you called El Al cargo lately? Any special proteksia to ensure the veracity of their response? Is there some rabbinic council that monitors this? Did you see some noted halachic authority Kohain on LY28?

I'm not sure telling my Rav that "Reb Emkay told me so on DD" is conclusive proof. Any help you could offer would be great.

Note:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/207689/alert-for-kohanim-flying-to-eretz-yisrael.html includes a comment of "gr8" on 12/26/13: "Just to perfectly honest, when my dad was niftar a few years ago, we flew to Israel on ElAl from Newark (on the afternoon flight), with the aron in the cargo section."

Again, thanks for your help. - Briut

Much research means countless hours on the phone with every rabbinic authority familiar with this along with wasted hours on the phone with airline and airport reps.
Did you read the other stupid comments on that article and are still going to be swayed by an anonymous individual who is part of a group of unfortunately ignorant YWN commenters who I believe are in a category of their own.
You can contact the very knowledgeable kohanim organization
1143 Sage St.
Far Rockaway, N.Y.
718-305-4545
Fax: 1-760-588-3363
Email:info@hakohanim.org
Israel Office
P.O. Box 58008
Jerusalem,Israel,91579
972-2-585-0779
Halachah Hotline: 866-589-1019
Email:questions@hakohanim.org

P.S. don't make the same mistake as me and assume that a rav that's a kohen and flies frequently to Israel will know anything about this.

[HowYaDoin]

@Briut, you gotta post more often im loving the humor

[Ergel]

As i posted earlier in this thread, I have a friend who's FIL took a meis on the afternoon flight from EWR.

ETA: Sorry, that was on UA

[gold]

Before listening to some Israeli Ban-happy Rov, I suggest you call your American Rov, the airplane is a Rshuas Hayachid, which is also sealed, even though tumah goes all the way up to the skies, it is sort of the same as a kohen walking in a cemetary with people surrounding him....

Also many ELAL flights going to Israel have a Meis on-board and it is not a halachic problem because of the way the do it, they worked it out with the Poskim

הזהרו בגחלתם

[Briut]

As i posted earlier in this thread, I have a friend who's FIL took a meis on the afternoon flight from EWR.

ETA: Sorry, that was on UA

Oh!! UA!!! That makes more sense. UA would take ANYthing for a buck. LY answers to a higher authority, at least when a profitable class of passenger is involved... which sorta makes them just like UA, I assume.

[Except LY's friendly skies are only friendly on the inside, like any sabra fruit.]

But EMkay, thanks loads for the halacha hotline for kohanim. If they say they have an answer, I'm feeling on comfortable ground. And if I ask my Rav if that's comfortable ground, I expect he'll put my mind at ease. End of story.

Anyone want to buy an unused plastic body bag with a tefach at the bottom (only kidding). - Briut

[Briut]

@Briut, you gotta post more often im loving the humor

Oh, no! Can't do that! Thanks for the encouragement but if I get involved in this site, the compulsive side of me will start getting into credit card offers, and best ways to use miles, and having to ask my authorities where the line crosses from creativity (kunst) into fraud (shtick). In other words, a full-time job. Not a good career plan IMHO.

No, no, no. Better to let me stay on the sidelines and get a few bonus miles from time to time, while keeping my hypomanic urges at rest.

But flattery will get you anywhere. At least, if I can't resist.

[joeb1]

EMkay: Wow, thanks for the speed and accuracy of your response.

How should we define "much research." I'm sure El Al would tell me their promise is still valid (Bnai Aharon find no Ahron @EWR <grin>). I can almost see the protest signs now: "Kohains, not coffins!"

But my Rav is likely to say, "I don't keep up with this, so what's the status?" I'd like to provide a full report.

So, have you called El Al cargo lately? Any special proteksia to ensure the veracity of their response? Is there some rabbinic council that monitors this? Did you see some noted halachic authority Kohain on LY28?

I'm not sure telling my Rav that "Reb Emkay told me so on DD" is conclusive proof. Any help you could offer would be great.

Note:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/207689/alert-for-kohanim-flying-to-eretz-yisrael.html includes a comment of "gr8" on 12/26/13: "Just to perfectly honest, when my dad was niftar a few years ago, we flew to Israel on ElAl from Newark (on the afternoon flight), with the aron in the cargo section."

Again, thanks for your help. - Briut

if this is your source I am checking out of this conversation. The guy doesnt know his left hand from his right. Chances are it was JFK or a diff airline.

[Briut]

if this is your source I am checking out of this conversation. The guy doesnt know his left hand from his right. Chances are it was JFK or a diff airline.

Yep, folks already clarified this for me -- it appears it was UA after all. Thanks for checking in.

It DOES sound like LY from EWR is safe. Do you have any proof to the contrary? Thanks. - Briut

[Briut]

EmKay:

1. I believe everything you've said about the "safety" of the LY EWR for Kohanim. I appreciate it. I'm leaving in a few days with G-d's help, LY28 EWR. (Not, I don't say IY"H but BE"H because it's not a question if His ratzon is to get to E"Y but whether I'm zoche to His ezra. And sorry to those who can't understand my lingo, but there's no way to translate.)

2. I apologize to anyone who saw my questioning of earlier press reports and assumed I was reporting on their veracity. No way. In other words, pay no attention to anyone saying they saw an aron loaded beneath the Bnai Aron on a plane.

3. I tried the hotlines you mentioned, and the phone numbers seem to be "disconnected accounts-beep-click." So if you think they still exist, please post or PM me new contact info.

Otherwise, I'll try my own 3PM (three phone-call method <grin>) -- if I can't connect to the person/info I need from the frum (Torah-observant) world within 3 phone calls, I'm probably not entitled to the answer.