Planes and prayer shawls

Most people from Cincinnati, perhaps the Midwest, would probably not think of flying on Israel's airline, El Al, for their trip to the Holy Land. Normally groups schedule their flights with U.S. carriers, bypassing El Al. But I must say that flying to Israel on El Al was an experience to remember. It was for virtually all the passengers (except for our group of journalists and three small groups on a tour of Christian sites in Israel) the return home. And so the Airbus 300, which technically was Israel territory, served as the first phase of a homecoming for numerous Israelis. It seemed to me that the lion's share of those on the flight were Orthodox Jews, the men dressed in the dark suits and felt or fur hats that hearkened back to 18th century Eastern Europe. There was a great deal of friendship displayed; it seemed like everyone knew everyone else, reminding me of the home town environment you'll find in small towns where nobody's really a stranger. At dawn, one-by-one these men rose, put on prayer shawls and began chanting a prayer that dates back at least a couple thousand years or more, praising the Lord after donning the shawls, each of them playing a significant role in the wait for the Messiah. I watched later as we deplaned in Tel Aviv, watching the men and women I had chatted with on the flight to Israel. And after being up almost 36 hours straight, I'm signing off until tomorrow.