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An elderly Jewish couple from Brooklyn, NY [my hometown] was removed from an American Airlines flight in August because they refused to place a sacred religious prayer shawl on the floor. They are suing the airlines and I hope they put them out of business.
Had the item been a Quran or a cross, you can bet your butt the flight attendant would not have said a word. But this couple are Orthodox Jews and the shawl is not to be put on the floor, just like Qurans are not meant to start a campfire, or a cross put on the ground to be stepped on.
Roberto and Elana Birman were heading home from Miami on Flight 322 when the “humiliating” incident occurred, they told The New York Post.
Roberto and Elana Birman were heading home from Miami on Flight 322 when the “humiliating” incident occurred, they told The New York Post.
Roberto is 76, and his wife is 71--easy targets. They had only a briefcase, a purse, and his Tallit bag--to hold the shawl known as a Tallit. The bag is about 8.5 inch square that holds the shawl and also contains Roberto's prayer book [known as a siddur]. The couple sat in aisle seats across from each other, The Post reported.
An American Airlines flight attendant began checking overhead bins ahead of take off, pulled the Tallit bag from the overhead bin, and asked, “Whose is this?”
When Roberto claimed it, she allegedly threw the bag on his lap and said it had to go under his seat, the couple said.
“It’s a religious item, it cannot go under the seat,” Roberto explained, removing his baseball cap to reveal his kippah, aka yarmulka, covering his head, and explaining that as an Orthodox Jew, he is forbidden to place the precious shawl on the floor.
An American Airlines flight attendant began checking overhead bins ahead of take off, pulled the Tallit bag from the overhead bin, and asked, “Whose is this?”
When Roberto claimed it, she allegedly threw the bag on his lap and said it had to go under his seat, the couple said.
“It’s a religious item, it cannot go under the seat,” Roberto explained, removing his baseball cap to reveal his kippah, aka yarmulka, covering his head, and explaining that as an Orthodox Jew, he is forbidden to place the precious shawl on the floor.
“It doesn’t matter,” the attendant allegedly said indignantly and was unmoved.
“She was screaming at me and pointing her finger,” Roberto said.
The couple, who are married 52 years and have four kids, came to the U.S. in 1985 from Argentina, where they encountered frequent anti-Semitism, because anti-Semitism is frequently encountered throughout the world, because it's apparently more acceptable than certain statues and Trump voters.
“I couldn’t believe this was happening to me in America,” said Roberto, noting, “We use these items every single day to pray.”
“Nobody said a word. Nobody defended us. It was embarrassing,” she said, naive to the fact that most people are cowards and don't want to get involved.
There is a strong taboo in Jewish law against putting an item such as a Tallit bag on the floor, two rabbis asserted.
“It’s considered disgraceful,” said Rabbi Mitchell Rocklin. “It would be like taking a Bible or a Quran and dumping it on the floor,” he told The Post.
The American Airlines pilot approached the incident but didn’t speak to the couple, the Birmans said. Eventually, a ground crew member was called and urged them to follow him off the plane, they explained.
As soon as they were ushered out, the crew member allegedly told his coworkers, “Close the gate!”
“What are we, criminals?” Elana recalled thinking. She said her husband “was devastated.”
The couple, who are married 52 years and have four kids, came to the U.S. in 1985 from Argentina, where they encountered frequent anti-Semitism, because anti-Semitism is frequently encountered throughout the world, because it's apparently more acceptable than certain statues and Trump voters.
“I couldn’t believe this was happening to me in America,” said Roberto, noting, “We use these items every single day to pray.”
“Nobody said a word. Nobody defended us. It was embarrassing,” she said, naive to the fact that most people are cowards and don't want to get involved.
There is a strong taboo in Jewish law against putting an item such as a Tallit bag on the floor, two rabbis asserted.
“It’s considered disgraceful,” said Rabbi Mitchell Rocklin. “It would be like taking a Bible or a Quran and dumping it on the floor,” he told The Post.
The American Airlines pilot approached the incident but didn’t speak to the couple, the Birmans said. Eventually, a ground crew member was called and urged them to follow him off the plane, they explained.
As soon as they were ushered out, the crew member allegedly told his coworkers, “Close the gate!”
“What are we, criminals?” Elana recalled thinking. She said her husband “was devastated.”
“It was out of proportion” to what had occurred, Roberto said, adding of the flight attendant who started it all, “She made me so nervous. I was shaking.”
The couple is suing American Airlines for damages.
They were left without Roberto’s diabetes medications, which were in the checked luggage, got no help from the airline for securing food or a place to stay that night, and were forced to take a taxi to a friend’s home as a hurricane swept in.
“My clients were ejected from the flight based on the prejudices and complete lack of sensitivity of American Airlines employees for reasons wholly unrelated to security,” said their lawyer, Brad Gerstman, adding, “The flight attendant and pilot’s conduct was as offensive as it was illogical.”
An American spokesman said the airline is reviewing the lawsuit just like CNN reviewed Chris Cuomo's situation.
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They were left without Roberto’s diabetes medications, which were in the checked luggage, got no help from the airline for securing food or a place to stay that night, and were forced to take a taxi to a friend’s home as a hurricane swept in.
“My clients were ejected from the flight based on the prejudices and complete lack of sensitivity of American Airlines employees for reasons wholly unrelated to security,” said their lawyer, Brad Gerstman, adding, “The flight attendant and pilot’s conduct was as offensive as it was illogical.”
An American spokesman said the airline is reviewing the lawsuit just like CNN reviewed Chris Cuomo's situation.
Don't fly on this airline if you respect the religious rights of all people, and if you want, you can tell them how you feel about anti-Semitism and religious hatred wherever it exists.
good one Robert
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