Insane! Unlimited Flights for a Month on JetBlue: “AYCJ” – all over the U.S. & Carribean

JetBlue is at it again … and I wish I could take advantage of this. That doesn’t mean that you can’t!

JetBlue is offering “AYCJ” or All You Can Jet – unlimited travel for 30 days anywhere the airline flies for one low price.

Purchasing the AYCJ Pass can be done online only at jetblue.com/aycj. Enjoy unlimited travel from September 7 to October 6, 2010. JetBlue has more than 60 cities to choose from. It’s just $699 for the AYCJ-7 (travel any day of the week) and $499 for the AYCJ-5 (travel any day of the week excluding Friday & Sunday travel).

The great news is that so many of the places available in the AYCJ deal have Kosher options, the Kosher Traveler can easily take advantage.

Learn more about Kosher Travel to some of JetBlue’s destinations:

• Aruba
• Austin
• Boston
• Burlington
• Chicago — coming soon to YeahThatsKosher.com
• Cancun, Mexico
• Ft. Lauderdale / Miami
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• New Orleans
• New York
• Phoenix
• San Jose, Costa Rica
• Seattle
• Washington, DC

✈ Greenville, SC

Contributed by Jay Yudie Akselrud | Last Date of Travel: July 2010

Kosher Info: You’re on your own here. No kosher restaurants in Greenville, South Carolina or in the vicinity to save you the trouble of making your own meal. Don’t fret. You will not go hungry. There are plenty of supermarkets that have the basic kosher foods: milk, cereal, tuna, coffee, pasta, frozen vegetables. There is even kosher pastrami at Costco, so its not the end of the world. I would recommend finding Publix and Wal-Mart in the vicinity. There are several around town.

Travel Info: As far as visiting Greenville, it’s actually not a bad place. There is a very beautiful downtown park and waterfall. The town built a park that goes above the Reedy River, which is quite nice. There is also a minor league baseball team, and in the fall, a minor league hockey team will be in town. There is a zoo and a lot of parks for sports. Tennis, softball and the like.

Jewish Info: There is a Chabad house in Greenville, but there is only a service one Shabbat a month. Only the Rabbi is orthodox and there are approximately 300-400 Jewish families, so a minyan during the week almost never takes place. They just started building the mikvah this summer (2010).

Tags: carolina, greenville, jewish south carolina, jewish travel, kosher sc, kosher south carolina, kosher travel, sc, south carolina

JetBlue & EL AL Announce U.S. – Israel Interline Partnership

Hey guys, I just saw the following announcement online, and I was super thrilled! So, whatever your thoughts on JetBlue or EL AL, you can’t deny that this is extremely convenient, especially for those Americans who find that in order to get to Israel they had to fly to New York anyways. Now, it’s all in one built in cost, one ticket, one purchase, and you don’t have to transfer your baggage. I highlighted some key points below in italics.

Please comment below and let us know what your take is on this? Will you benefit from this agreement?
~Dani

JetBlue Airways, which has a great flight map throughout the American Northeast & West Coast, and Israel’s national airline, EL AL, announced today that they intend to sign an interline agreement, providing new and convenient connecting options for both EL AL and JetBlue customers wishing to travel between the U.S. and Israel. Beginning in September, customers will be able to purchase a single ticket for travel on flights of both carriers in one simple transaction, and enjoy seamless connecting service to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport from most JetBlue cities via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

New York’s JFK Airport is EL AL’s leading gateway into the United States, with as many as three daily flights to/from Tel Aviv, and is also JetBlue’s main hub with service to 50+ cities across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. JetBlue is the #1 domestic airline at JFK, carrying more travelers to this key global hub than any other airline.

Customers traveling on the two carriers will enjoy the convenience of purchasing and traveling on a single e-ticket. In addition, on the day of travel, customers will benefit from simplified one-stop, through check-in and easy connections at JFK Airport. Customers will receive boarding cards for both carriers’ flights upon check-in with either JetBlue or EL AL and their baggage will be checked to their final destination.

From: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jetblue-airways-and-el-al-israel-airlines-announce-interline-agreement-to-connect-customers-between-us-and-israel-99014739.html

Tags: boston, buffalo, burlington, chicago, denver, el al, Israel, jet blue, jewish travel to israel, los angeles, miami, New York, orlando, Puerto Rico, rochester, salt lake city, Seattle, syracuse, tel aviv, travel to israel, washington dc

9 Days Menus

As we know, eating meat is considered festive and therefore forbidden (without a siyum) during the 9 days. Thus, many meat restaurants have created special pareve (non meat or dairy) menus to stay open during the 9 Days. To learn more about why we don’t eat meat (or drink wine) during the Nine Days, click here. (Thank you to Great Kosher Restaurants for compiling this list)

Be aware that most of the links below will open PDF files.

(UPDATE: See the comments section below for more restaurants, please comment if you have restaurants to add)

NEW YORK

MANHATTAN

• Eden Wok- Nine Days Menu
• Eighteen Restaurant- Nine Days Menu
• Le Marais- Nine Days Menu
• Mike’s Bistro- Nine Days Menu
• Mr. Broadway- Nine Days Menu
• Talia’s Steakhouse- Nine Days Menu
• Wolf & Lamb- Nine Days Menu
• Chop Chop- Nine Days Menu

BROOKLYN

• Back to Nature- Nine Days Menu
• Carlos & Gabby’s will be closed during the 9 Days and will reopen on Wed., July 21st at 1pm
• China Glatt- Nine Days Special (Buy one sushi, get one free – Note they will be closed Sun, Mon & Tues of next week)
• Dougie’s BBQ- Open with pareve dishes
• Estihana- Open with a pareve menu
• Glatt A La Carte- Nine Days Menu
• M Restaurant- Nine Days Menu
• Orchedia- lunch buffet for $20 is available during the 9 Days

LONG ISLAND

• Chosen Island- Nine Days Menu

NEW ROCHELLE

• Eden Wok- Nine Days Menu

NEW JERSEY

• Fish of the C’s (Teaneck) – Nine Days Menu
• Fumio Sushi & Steakhouse (Livingston)- Nine Days Menu
• Smokey Joe’s BBQ (Teaneck)- will be open Sunday July 18th with a special 9 days menu. Smokey Joe’s will be closed Mon, July 12 through Thursday July 15.
• The Pasta Factory (Teaneck)(soon to be Nobo Wine & Grill)- Nine Days Menu
• The Reserve (Lakewood)- Nine Days Menu

PHILADELPHIA, PA

• Max & David’s will be open with plenty of fish and vegetarian options

MIAMI BEACH, FL

• Rare Steakhouse will be open for the Nine Days, featuring their full line of sushi as well as several daily fish specials

SKOKIE, IL

• Slice of Life has a Full Dairy, Fish and Vegetarian Menu available, with all Three Dining Rooms will Open for Seating to Accommodate Any Size Group

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

• The Kitchen Table- Nine Days Lunch Menu | Dinner Menu

MONTREAL, QC

• El Morocco & Morty’s Steakhouse will be open during the Nine Days and feature an extensive Fish and Mock Seafood menu.
• Ernie & Ellie- Nine Days Menu

Tags: 9 days, 9 days ny, fast days, jewish nine 9 days, kosher 9 days menu, kosher travel, miami, Montreal, New York, nine days, nine days menu, nj, philly, tisha bav

Kosher Dunkin’ Donuts across the U.S.

As today is Donut Day, what better day to announce a comprehensive list (if we missed anything please let us know) of all the Kosher Dunkin’ Donuts in the U.S. Keep in mind that each chain may have varying levels of kosher supervision.

I am lucky enough that walking distance from my house, and right next to the train station is a Kosher Dunkin’ Donuts.

• 687 Amsterdam (W. 94th) New York, NY
• 51 East 34th Street, New York, NY
• 535 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY
• 1980 86th St, Brooklyn, NY
• 1691 East 16th Street, Brooklyn, NY
• 934 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY
• 1903 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY
• 1922 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
• 906 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
• 995 Manor Road, Staten Island, NY
• 120 E Sunrise Hwy, Valley Stream, NY
• 299 Burnside Avenue, Lawrence, NY
• 31 Franklin Avenue, Hewlett, NY
• 25170 Greenfield Road, Oak Park, MI
• 3132 West Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL
• 3900 West Dempster Street, Skokie, IL‎
• 186 Elmora Ave., Elizabeth, NJ
• 7 Broad St., Elizabeth, NJ
• 139 ½ Ferry St., Newark, NJ
• 920 Newark Ave, Elizabeth, NJ
• 350 Broad St., Newark, NJ
• 624 Bayway Ave., Elizabeth, NJ
• 275 Chestnut St., Newark, NJ
• 1406 Teaneck Ave., Teaneck, NJ
• 51-57 South Spring St., Elizabeth, NJ
• 433 N Broad ST, 2nd floor, Elizabeth, NJ
• 341 West 41st Street, Miami Beach, FL
• 5819 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2006 Viers Mill Rd, SIlver Spring, MD
• 7000 Reisterstown Rd., Baltimore, MD

Tags: dunkin' donuts, Kosher, kosher dd, kosher dunkin donuts, kosher travel

CHARITY: America Eats for Israel — 5/13/10 (Today)

America Eats for Israel is a Tzedakah (Charity) campaign where 10% of all proceedes will go directly to the Meir Panim organization, a soup kitchen in Israel.

Meir Panim was established to offer a realistic solution to the growing poverty crisis in Israel that affects over one and a half million people across the country. Meir Panim’s unwavering commitment to the people of Israel has helped bring lasting relief to the poor, encouragement for the less fortunate, new opportunities for struggling families, and hope for children-at-risk.

Meir Panim’s food and social service programs help to alleviate the harmful of poverty in the short-term and provide long-term, proactive solutions to assist needy Israelis to break out of the cycle of poverty and become active, self-sufficient members of Israeli society.

America Eats for Israel is a project run by High School Students to raise money for tzedakah.

By eating at any of the participating restaurants below TODAY, you will help the poor and hungry in Israel. 10% of your meal will go to Meir Panim.

Participating Restaurants:

New York
Washington Heights:

Golan Heights

Riverdale:

Ginger Grill

Flatbush:

Sasson Grill

Cafe 16

Pizza Time

New Jersey
Teaneck:

EJ’s

Chickie’s

Poppie’s

Mocca Bleu

Smokey Joe’s BBQ Steakhouse

ETC Steakhouse

Highland Park:

Park Place

Jerusalem Pizza

Springfield:

Bagel Supreme

Livingston:

Jerusalem Pizza

Super Duper Bagels

Please let us know if you took advantage of this. Please pass this along and click “Like” at the top of this page so you can share this post with your friends.

Tags: america eats for israel, charity, meir panim, poor, poor in israel, poverty, poverty in israel, tzedakah

✈ Birmingham, AL

Contributed by: Daniel Wenger | Last Date of Travel: Several visits in early 2010

Kosher Info: Not much going on here, I’m afraid. Birmingham’s shining star is the Publix supermarket on Overton Road which, in addition to having a larger-than-usual Kosher section in the regular shopping aisles, has a refrigerator case of fresh meat, chicken, deli, and cheese and a small freezer box of similar items. Shabbat meals are sometimes provided by the synagogue (see Jewish Info below).
I am told that one of their nearby ice cream parlors maintais a Kosher status and that a local bakery carries Challah and other Shabbos-friendly items for the community. Other supermarkets carry a standard matza-and-gefilte-fish Kosher section, though, in addition to the Overton Road Publix, the nearby Winn Dixie has a slightly expanded section to include more Israeli products, catering, of course, to its local constituancy.

Tourist Info: The first time I saw the term ‘BJCC’, I thought “why would the Birmingham Jewish Community Center be hosting a Monster Truck Rally?” Ok, so the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex hosts a wide variety of entertaining events, and the Birmingham Business Alliance would be happy to show you what else the metro area has to offer. The Birmingham Barons AA minor league baseball team (White Sox affiliate) can provide for cheap near-field seats.
Car travel is essentially all there is.

Jewish Info: The orthodox Jewish community is located southeast of downtown (along Overton Road). Knesseth Israel claims 120 years of Jewish history in Birmingham and has recently relocated to a beautiful building with full service meat and dairy kichens. Just up the block is the Chabad of Alabama, which runs events, Minyanim, and attracts some of the local Israeli community.
This community has been struggling as time has gone on, with membership growing older and/or moving away. Minyanim are sometimes hard to come by, even on Shabbat (the constituants are mainly not Shomer Shabbat, even if they affiliate with orthodoxy). They still hang on to a community day school and, yes, there is the real Birmingham JCC.
—–

You are welcome to contact the author with further questions about the community. Contact Daniel Wenger.

Tags: Alabama, birmingham, jewish birmingham, jewish travel, kosher AL, kosher alabama, kosher birmingham, kosher travel, south

Kosher on Campus: Cornell University

Students at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, whose undergraduate population of 13,000 is 20 percent Jewish, are lucky to have plenty of Kosher options right on campus.

The main kosher dining hall, 104West!, is run by Cornell Dining and supervised by the Orthodox Union. It is located on Cornell’s west campus, adjacent to the Cornell Center for Jewish Living. Because of its integration with Cornell Dining, students need not purchase a separate, more expensive Kosher plan: A meal at 104West! costs one meal swipe, just like every other all-you-can-eat dining hall. 104West!, which serves both dairy and meat meals, is open for lunch and dinner every day, and offers daily soup, salad bar, and deserts, in addition to whatever the hot option is that day. Students also have the option of ordering custom specialties from the grill, which include omelettes, quesadillas, and pad thai. 104West! provides catering services, allowing students to buy Kosher food for outside events—Pizza, deli, and even Shabbat meals!

For freshman who live on North Campus, which is approximately a 12 minute walk from 104West!, there exists a more conveniently located Kosher option. North Star, an all-you-can-eat facility in North Campus’ Appel Commons, features a kosher station supervised by a mashgiach. Besides for such classics as deli sandwiches, hot dogs, and matzoh ball soup, the station also provides fresh hot food, brought from the kosher kitchen at 104West!

When on the go, Cornellians have the option to pick up Kosher, prepackaged deli sandwiches from many restaurants and shops around campus. The Noyes convenience store offer kosher staples such as frozen pizza bagels, lox, deli meats, and more. And for those students adventurous enough to venture into Ithaca, the supermarket Wegmans’ maintains well-stocked kosher meat and dairy sections.

Tags: cornell university, ithaca, jewish cornell, kosher cornell, Kosher on Campus, kosher travel, ny, western ny