A group of prominent Boro Park dayanim and Misaskim
representatives had a face to face meeting with a senior El Al executive on
Monday to discuss a serious problem that arose last week for kohanim and
to ensure that concrete steps are being taken to prevent future
recurrences.
Misaskim arranged the meeting between El Al Vice President
for North and Central America Yoram Elgrabli and the Karlsburger Rebbe, Rav
Yechezkel Roth, the Debrecziner Rebbe, Rav Moshe Stern, Rav Herschel Ausch and
Rav Moshe Roth in Boro Park in light of the December 16th discovery
that aronos were no longer being placed in special boxesthat
prevented issues of tumah for kohanim on JFK flights. That
revelationprompted Rav Yechezkel Roth to retract a previously given heter
allowing kohanim to travel on flights that were carrying niftarim
to Eretz Yisroel.
While the immediate issue was resolved within 24 hours and was
determined to have been caused by a shortage of the special boxes at JFK
Airport and not a change in El Al policy, the senior rabbonim spoke with
Elgrabiin Boro Park to further discuss the matter and the many
intricate halachic details involved.
Elgrabli assured the group that El Al has instituted a new policy in its
cargo division requiring niftarim to be flown only in the special boxes,
with a supply of extra boxes stored nearby in Misaskim’s Boro Park warehouse to
prevent any further shortages. Going forward, El Al will no longer transport
any aronos without the special boxes and steps have already been taken
to ensure that the same measures are being taken in Miami, Los Angeles, Paris
and London, while continuing the airline’s policy of not flying niftarim
out of Newark.
“There were many shaylos asked at the meeting to
guarantee that this mistake won’t happen again,” said Rabbi Yanky Meyer, founder
and director of Misaskim. “The rabbonim
left feeling confident that El Al was taking the necessary steps to halachically
allow kohanim to travel on those flights and we are grateful to the
airline for treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves.”