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12 Iyar 5759 - April 28, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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The Admor of Belz Dedicates the El Al Terminal in New York

by B. Rabinowitz

Last week, the renovated lobby of the business section of El Al's New York terminal was dedicated by the Admor of Belz who honored the event by affixing the mezuza at the entrance. The Admor's participation in the ceremony, expresses the gratitude of the chareidi community to El Al for its efforts in accommodating the needs and preferences of the chareidi community with its film-free sections and other arrangements.

The Admor, who arrived in the United States on an El Al flight, is visiting there for two weeks. The Admor decided to fly El Al out of his appreciation for the new arrangements for chareidi passengers.

During his stay in the United States, the Admor is visiting the Belz Torah and chessed institutions located throughout the country. Thousands of Belzer Chassidim from all over the continent spent Shabbos with him in Boro Park.

Rabbi Avrohom Lazerson (UTJ), as well as all the heads of the Belzer Chassidus in Eretz Yisroel, the directors of its various institutions, and throngs of Belzer Chassidim, went to the Lod airport at 1 a.m. last Tuesday to bid the Admor farewell. At the stairs leading to the plane, the Admor met senior service crew members of El Al and thanked them warmly for the new arrangements which the company has made on its flights to and from Israel.

The secretary of the National Committee for the Purity of Our Camp in Eretz Hakodesh, Rabbi Moshe Sholom Raziminski, accompanied the Admor to the seat reserved for him in the first class section of the plane. The secretary of the committee told the Admor about the new and special arrangements of Darka Achrita, which are much appreciated by the company's chareidi clientele, and which have enabled bnei yeshiva, kollel students and their families, and all Torah observant passengers to fly El Al during bein hazmanim, and throughout the entire year, from the United States, Antwerp, London, Manchester and many other destinations

The administration of El Al has made considerable efforts to accommodate the chareidi community which represents a considerable portion of its clientele on many of its routes. At this time El Al Boeing 747-200, Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 757 planes are configured to offer film-free areas, which are thoughtfully augmented with many special touches to provide a Torah atmosphere. On El Al planes chareidi passengers can order kosher lemehadrin meals under the supervision of the BaDaTz of the Eida HaChareidis, read the latest chareidi newspapers, listen to shiurim on the current daf hayomi, and to chareidi music. In addition all personnel of the company have been specially briefed on the needs of the chareidi community. Currently, the company's administration is also working to arrange for a film-free area on its Boeing 767 Jumbo jets.

The Admor of Belz blessed the Committee for its initiative and untiring efforts, undertaken at the behest of maranan verabonon gedolei Yisroel and all of the botei din tzedek in Eretz Hakodesh, to help with the new arrangements. The Admor stressed that "one who comes to purify himself is assisted from Above."

Signs were posted in Belzer botei medrash all over the world advising Belzer Chassidim to fly in the special sections made available by El Al, which has made a great effort on behalf of the chareidi community and Darka Achrita, and joining the many other companies that offer these services. The Admor also expressed his wish and that of the gedolei haTorah vehaChassidus that chareidi passengers travel only in such sections in order to avoid transgressing the prohibition of lo sosuru, and to prevent chillul Hashem.

When the plane landed in New York, the Admor was received by the heads of El Al in America led by the director of the terminal, Michael Meir. After the plane landed, the Admor was ushered into a special guest room to rest from the trip. At 5 a.m., he headed towards El Al's new terminal and, in the presence of the company's personnel and the crews of the departing flights, he affixed the mezuza on the terminal's entrance. The moro de'asro, moreh tzedek and dayan of the Belzer community of Boro Park, HaRav Shlomo Hacohen Gross, made a special trip to the airport the day before the Admor's arrival to determine the precise spot on which the mezuza would be affixed and to examine its kashrus.

At the end of the ceremony, the Admor wished the El Al company much success, and safe and kosher flights. The heads of the Belzer community who had come to the airport to welcome the Admor thanked El Al for the new arrangements which it has made, on behalf of the entire chareidi community.


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