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The following quote came from one of our readers and now authors:

Nobody likes going on vacation and having to shlep 101 bags and packages of precooked food so knowing that your destination not only has kosher food but also a variety to choose from always comes as a happy relief.

This week’s (Sept 24, 2011) NY Times Magazine “Ethicist” article dealt with an inherently difficult Jewish Travel issue: potentially break Shabbat or cause a chilul Hashem (desicration of G-d’s name — or more practically: make Jews & Judaism look really bad)?

The issue at hand was as follows: An 11:30am flight from NYC-Milwaukee (~2.25hr flight) was delayed and didn’t board until 4pm. The plane didn’t leave the gate until 4:40pm and by 5:10pm, wasn’t projected to takeoff for another 30 minutes.

At that point, a Jewish family on board realized that they weren’t going to arrive in time for Shabbat and asked to disembark the plane.

The pilot obliged and when they did, the plane was to get in back of the line to takeoff, and was ultimately canceled as a result.

When I first read the situation, I thought they did the right thing, but upon reading Ariel Kaminer’s rationale that they were wrong, I came around.

The fault was actually on the family.

The flight didn’t board until 4pm. Assuming that this recently took place (i.e. Shabbat started late), it still didn’t give them much time.

Many rabbis and podium have said that it is not preferable to travel past chatzot (midday) on a Friday (Erev Shabbat). Additionally, it is customary to allow yourself twice the amount of time to get someplace when traveling on Erev Shabbat (Ohr L’tziyon 2:16:7). Milwaukee is only one hour behind NY, so they were boarding their flight at 3pm local time.

Let’s assume that Shabbat was ~8pm in Milwaukee and that it takes between 45-60 minutes to get to their final destination after landing (which is quite generous). Let’s also assume that the flight were to take off within 30 minutes of boarding (which is also generous for any of the 3 NYC airports).

So, takeoff is 3:30pm (at destination), flight time is 2.25 hrs, and getting to final destination is another 45 minutes. That’s a total of 3 hours if absolutely noting goes wrong. No flight delays. No baggage delays. No traffic upon leaving the airport.

They should’ve left themselves at least 6 hours from boarding the plane until the start of Shabbat to make it in time. In my generous scenario, they only gave themselves 4.5 hrs and were setting themselves up to likely to spend Shabbat in the Milwaukee airport.

Having said that, once they boarded the plane, they committed to making the trip, no matter the consequences. They were in it, delays and all, with the rest of their fellow passengers.

Asking the pilot to turn the plane around, further delaying the other hundred-plus passengers, may have resulted in the family keeping Shabbat, but caused a major chilul Hashem in the process.

The flight was cancelled in the end because of the Jewish family’s request, and who knows how much money was lost and aggravation was caused to their fellow passengers due to their actions? Personally, I find this request to be very selfish in nature, whether it be for religious purposes or not. Once you board the plane and it leaves the gate, you’ve committed to flying until it reaches its destination. You’re not boarding the plane on condition that if it takes off in the next 45 minutes we’re good, but afterward, I’m getting off. It’s all or nothing with flying.

The family here made 2 bad decisions. 1) To board the plane in the first place at 4pm, and 2) to ask the flight to disembark, further delaying everyone’s trip (even if it wasn’t going to get canceled).

Either don’t board that flight, or ride it till the end. People need to take responsibility for their mistakes. At the end of the day it’s a lose-lose situation. You’re either going to be mechalel Shabbat or cause a huge chilul Hashem. No right answer.

This is a lesson that should be rooted in our Judaism beyond travel.

Contributed by: Abe S. | Last Date of Travel: August 2008

Kosher Info:

When I visited Taipei for several weeks, I had an apartment with a kitchen which made things much easier. Finding kosher food in Taipei is a bit difficult but very possible.

Starbucks, 7-Eleven, and Haagen-Dazs are all very popular chains in Taipei (and other large East Asian cities), where it is usually possible to buy kosher snacks with a hechsher (coffee, ice cream, chips). Most supermarkets will carry a small number of Western goods, only some of which are made in the U.S. (and therefore carry a hechsher).

The easiest place to buy kosher groceries is at a supermarket chain called Jasons. There are a number of them in the greater Taipei metro area, most notably in Taipei 101, which was briefly the tallest building in the world. Jasons is probably most similar to Whole Foods in the U.S. and it carries a very wide selection of international goods including many familiar kosher brands from the U.S. (like Lenders Bagels, cereal, etc).

Additionally, strict vegan Buddhist restaurants are also extremely common and can be distinguished by a swastika on display. Swastikas here do not refer to Nazis at all.

Tourist Info:
Taipei is only a short one-hour flight from Hong Kong; there are also direct flights from the United States and from many other cities in East Asia.

The historically inclined should not miss the 2-28 Museum and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. The areas surrounding Taipei are filled with hiking including the Yangmingshan National Park, which has small mountains to climb and great hot springs. Other sites of interest in the city include Taipei 101, the Shilin Night Market, and many interesting neighborhoods to explore.

The city is relatively easy to navigate. A modern subway/light rail system covers the city and suburbs. Subways and buses have English announcements and signs.

Jewish Info:
There hasn’t been much of a Jewish community in Taiwan for many years. Rabbi Ephraim Einhorn is in his mid-90s and has run the small Jewish community in Taipei for decades. He currently holds services in a modified hotel room at the Sheraton in central Taipei.

Services are traditional but there is very rarely a minyan for Shabbat. The crowd usually consists of tourists and people in Taipei on business, several Taiwanese people (often staff at the Israeli trade office), as well as a few local Jews.

After each service, Rabbi Einhorn serves wine, challah and delicious local honey. His website indicates that you can order double-wrapped fish, smoked salmon, salad, and challah from the Sheraton Hotel, though I did not try this.

Starting this Sunday night (July 31st, 2011) the custom is to refrain from eating meat during the Nine Days of Av (except on Shabbat). According to the Beth Din of Johannesburg, “those who do not wish to eat meat in their kosher airline meals, must specifically request a kosher fish meal – most airlines will oblige.”

Those flying to or from Israel on El Al airlines can request a special fish meal Nine Days must request a “Special Kosher Meal” when ordering your meals. If you currently have a reservation on El Al, call them to change your meals. (Please comment below to let us know if you have any issues)

Additionally, if you are flying another airline, try and request a “vegetarian kosher meal”. They may not have available, but it is worth a shot.

What are your 9 Days Travel tips? Comment below.

The Nine days culminates with Tisha B’Av ( תשעה באב‎ ) which starts on Monday night, August 8th, and ends after nightfall on Tuesday night, August 9th.

Contributed by: James C. | Last Date of Travel: June 2011

Kosher Info:

Kosher travelers not only want to indulge in India’s cultural highlights, they want to enjoy quality meals that meet the requirements of Jewish dietary laws. With a vibrant Jewish heritage, India offers culinary diversity, suitable for the observant kosher traveller. Flights to India can take you to the heart of three unique Jewish communities, where you can experience authentic Indian – Jewish kosher cuisine. Each community abides by the Kosher laws but has adapted Indian influences into the style of cooking, resulting in a distinct fusion of tastes and flavours.

Outside of the Chabad Centres, Bayit Yehudi (a string of open houses for Israeli and Jewish travelers in India), Lev Yehudi, Jewish institutions, guest houses and/or using the services of kosher travel agents in these communities, a Kosher menu will be hard to find. While pre-packaged kosher food is available, it might not always be suitable to carry as you travel around. Depending on where you choose to travel, you’ll have to fend for yourself! It’s also worth highlighting that your airline meal may not be kosher – or at least there may not be a kosher meal that you’re interested in eating. Some airlines are better at others at this.

Seek out Kosher friendly food with:

• The Bene-Israeli Jewish Community of Mumbai
  Mumbai is home to the Bene Israel, the oldest and largest Jewish community. This community has adapted to the local flavors of Marathi cuisine. The dishes are redolent with spices. Coconuts and mangoes are staples. Only fish, sheep, goats and certain fowl are eaten – no beef. Expect dishes including flat bread, rice and/or lentils, and vegetable or fish curries. Bombil-batata with moong dal khichdi is a typical Saturday night meal. On the Sabbath, they enjoy a semolina and coconut milk dish called ‘kanavili’. In Mumbai you’ll also find the only Kosher Bakery in India to make strictly Kosher products, which is housed on the ground floor of the ORT India building at Worli.
• The Black Jews of Cochin
  In this small community, you’ll find the kosher cooking is spicy with an emphasis on using ginger, coriander, mustard seed, fresh and dry hot chili, fenugreek, cardamom and the ever-present curry leaves. No meat, only a little poultry is eaten. Spicy fish curries and rice cooked with coconut milk, saffron and almonds is common in Cochin kosher cuisine.

• The Baghdadi Jewish Community in Calcutta
  This community brought with them dishes like Hameen (Vegetables and Meat) and Koobe (Stuffed Dumplings). These were later adapted to include Bengali spices such as ginger and turmeric and commonly use vegetables like squashes and spinach. Baghdadi Jewish parathas and beef curry are popular.

Tourist Info:

Well, it depends on where in India you plan to visit. India is a big country. Very big and unless you’re planning to do a tour of the entire country, you will need to be specific about where you’re going and what you will be able to see during your time there.

Here’s 5 things you absolutely must to on a trip to India

• Visit the Taj Mahal – It’s one of the seven wonders and absolutely worth the visit.
• Take a camal ride – Trek through the sands on one of the many ‘ships of the desert’
• Try a (kosher) curry – Regardless of whether or not you like spicey food, you simply can’t visit India without sampling one the spicey curries on offer.
• Go to the beach- if you’re visiting Goa the beaches are absolutely worth a visit.
• Go to the market – dive headfirst into the chaotic pace of life that India is known for

Jewish Info:

There are currently 33 synagogues in India. Not all are in use and some date as far back as the mid sixteenth century. Although Jews arrived in India long before this, it took a considerable amount of time before the first synagogues were built. The most famous synagogues in India are the Baghdadi, Bene Israel, and Cochin synagogues.

Here’s a decent list of the prayer halls and synagogues in India. We recommend calling or emailing them to confirm their hours and if they’re still around.

Contributed by: Nava Billet | Last Date of Travel: May/June 2009

Buongiorno!

I thought people might be interested to hear about Shavuot in Rome.

I stayed in a small suite next to one Synagogue, Bet Shmuel, on Via Garfagniana  (pronounced Gar-Fan-Nyana). It is a small shul, with congregants mostly of Libyan descent; they came to Italy after 1967. There is one man from Jerba (a small island off the coast of Tunisia with an interesting Jewish history) and he is louder than all the Libyans put together. None of the women come at night but they do come to shul during the day.

The first night we ate a meal at a family named Naccache. They own a kosher bed and breakfast which I recommend you visit! They’re a very sweet and friendly family with children about my age. We communicated in English and Hebrew. They are very funny… I told them that I know how to make chraimi- a Libyan dish that I once ate in Great Neck– and they fell in love with me! (The next day after shul they invited us for dinner again.) They heard I was a rabbi’s daughter and I was given the task of giving a dvar Torah…

For lunch on Shavuot we ate at a family named Guetta. They had their whole “chamula” (extended family–maybe Arabic–they did not describe themselves as a chamula it is a word I picked up in Israel, used by Morrocans) over. They had a lovely ground floor dining area in an apartment building. It looked as I’d imagine an ancient Roman courtyard would look. There was a large area with sculpted heads spitting water into sinks coming out of the wall and a small lap pool adjacent to the courtyard. It had a large open dining area which led into the kitchen.  The husband is Italian and the wife is Israeli– another pattern I noticed– A lot of the Italian Jews in Rome find a spouse in Israel, then they either come back to Italy or move to Herzelia.

The major dish eaten by Libyans on Shavuot is a traditional dish called Bazin. It consists of some sort of boiled dough, a thickish onion/tomato sauce with potatoes and meat. (People compete to make the best Bazin.) Apparently the dough is supposed to represent Mount Sinai… then I heard another explanation based on the Hebrew spelling, that it is a gematria of Rashei Tevot (acronym, in Hebrew)– the letters represent

Bet = 2 Tablets

Zayin = 7 weeks from Passover to Shavuot

Yud = 10 commandments

Nun = 50 days from pesach to Shavuot

I’ll skip now to Shabbat day. I attended a synagogue near the main bus/train station–Estacion Termini, called Oratorio Di Castro; it houses an Italian minyan in the main sanctuary and a small Ashkenaz Nusach Sfard minyan in the basement. I tried out the Italian minyan. It was a little hard to follow (especially from the balcony–and there was quite a bit of talking). They had a bar and bat mitzvah in shul, which made the service quite long. The sanctuary was beautiful (I had time to notice many details): colorful and vibrant. Stained glass windows showed Torah scrolls that match the ones stored in the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark). The Torah scrolls, externally had an “Ashkesfard” look. But when they were opened it was in the Ashkenaz style. The floor was painted and the ceiling had several different geometric patterns with menorahs interspersed in the design.

We ate at a family named Arbib. They had many guests and are known in the community for their hachnassat orchim (hospitality) and by no means fell short of their reputation. They are a beautiful family that clearly loves life and people.

General thoughts: I was surprised and impressed by how many people speak Hebrew. I was able to communicate more with adults in Hebrew than in English. The children/ my generation have a working English and Hebrew language versatility.

Overall, great impression of people. Weather was pleasant. I like Libyan Jews. My Italian had improved a little over my trip but had a setback on Shabbat  because I spent time with the elders of Bet Shmuel most of the afternoon (while my friends napped); I never knew if they were speaking Arabic or Italian. I studied excerpts from Proverbs and Ruth with them and it was quite enjoyable (they eventually switched to Hebrew so that I’d be able to follow).

Ciao for now,

Nava

My husband and I were recently in Belize on our Honeymoon and wanted to share some Kosher food tips:

- It’s true that there is zero kosher food or Jewish life found in Belize. We were in touch with the next closest thing- the Chabad in Guatemala. The Rabbi was very nice and helpful (put us in touch with some Chabad guys who had just traveled through Belize and offered advice). There wasn’t much he could help us with, but if you have the time, and it fits into your schedule, you can easily get to Guatemala to spend Shabbos by them.

-We pretty much brought a suitcase of food (we were there for 9 days) of the usual dry goods/tuna packets/instant soups etc, as well as some of the La Briute heat up meals (which were definitely better then we expected!).

-We also had gone on a fishing trip one morning, where we caught 20 fish (there is an abundance of fish in Belize and they’re found not too far from the shore, so fishing is surprisingly easy)-all of the fish were Kosher fish and we were able to speak to and work with the chef at our hotel, who triple wrapped all the fish in tin foil, sprinkled some salt & pepper and put it on the grill (he allowed my husband to act as the ‘mashgiach’, so he watched over the entire process)- this was a huge highlight of the trip and the fish was extremely delicious!

-We spent half the trip at the jungle and half at the islands/beach area. When we landed in Belize we asked our cab to pull into a supermarket that was literally right outside the airport (you can get a lot of American OU dry goods, cereals, snacks, etc). When we transfered from the Jungle to the Beach, we stopped in Belize City to catch a ferry. Belize City has a big supermarket called “Brodies” which had tons of OU products! All kinds of dry good groceries and then in their freezer section, they have a great selection of frozen OU brand bagels, cream-cheeses, breads and other cheeses…so we happily stocked up there.

The trip was absolutely incredible and while food was definitely a major concern before leaving, in the end, it all worked out amazingly and it wasn’t as difficult as it could’ve been in a country with zero Jewish life.

We highly recommend traveling to and exploring all that Belize has to offer and hope that some of these ideas help in planning your trip!