I'm writing to you from London, and wish to tell you how
highly I rate your outstanding airline, which has proven:
"El-Al Umei'eiver" ("El-Al and Beyond," the company's
slogan).
This year, like every other year, I prepared to buy airline
tickets for myself and my family. I was concerned not only
about our physical safety, but also about the spiritual
safety of our children. All year round, we make great efforts
to raise them in an atmosphere of kedusha and
tsnius, far removed from speech and sights which
negate our conscience. We wanted the children who alighted
from the plane to be the very same children, ruchniyus-
wise, who had boarded it.
We learned about the arrangements made in conjunction with
the Committee for the Purity of Our Camp and the directors of
El-Al from the notices circulated by the rabbonim. A month
before our flight, I tried to find out whether matters had
been arranged. I was sent from office to office, and in the
end reached the right address: Mrs. Tannenbaum. From our
conversations, I found her to be dedicated, responsible,
understanding and attentive. I received precise details on
flights which had already implemented the arrangements, and
those which still hadn't done so, as well as those which
would be ready before the holiday. On this basis, I booked
tickets on flight 272 for 29.3.99, with the hope that
everything would work out as planned.
On the day of the flight, Mrs. Tannenbaum told me that she
was completing the arrangements. As a result, we organized
ourselves for the trip calmly and in a good frame of mind.
When we arrived at the airport however, the clerk at the
counter said that there was no such arrangement on the flight
we had booked, and that they knew nothing about the matter. I
said that I had been promised and they tried to check, but
their efforts were in vain, because at the control center
they said there was no possibility of such an arrangement.
It is difficult to describe how exasperated and confused we
felt. We tried to phone the pertinent offices, but the
reservations had already been deleted from the computer. With
a heavy heart I went upstairs, but just before we got onto
the bus, the supervisor (I think his name was Amos) called us
over and said that our reservations had been mistakenly
exchanged. He took care of the matter, and when we boarded
the plane we were pleasantly surprised to find a lovely
curtain around our seat. We couldn't believe our eyes.
We know that many long hours and the good will of kind people
who wanted to help were behind this arrangement. Many
chareidi families on the flight though, claimed that they had
also wanted to book such seats, but had been told that there
were no such arrangements on this flight. Some were even told
that there is no such arrangement all. To their good fortune,
a number of rows at the back of the plane were empty, and
after the plane had taken flight, many people along with
their children, simply got up and moved over to the vacant
area. In the end, we had a wonderful time. Our children
relaxed, and played to their heart's content. It's impossible
to describe how gratified and elated we felt during those
hours.
I would also like to cite the stewards who, on seeing our
mesirus for this important matter, went to the trouble
to cover the last movie screen at the back of the plane, on
their own initiative. We felt the true meaning of the slogan,
"El-Al and Beyond," and saw that with good will it is
possible to achieve mutual understanding.
But we still must ask why many people had been unable to
secure such seats in an official manner, and why the clerks
at the checkout counter didn't know about this arrangement. I
met many friends in London, and learned that after all of the
anguish of the flight abroad, and all of the efforts they had
made, they approached their return flights with a sense of
dread. It seems as if greater efforts should have been made
to inform all of the crews and all of the clerks in the
reservation departments and the various offices, about the
arrangement. With a bit more official plugging on the part of
our friends, it will become clear that the investment is
worthwhile, and that one receives great spiritual dividends,
and good service too.
I close by thanking all of the directors for their effort.
Have a pleasant summer, and fly El-Al and beyond.
