The Jerusalem Post broke the story yesterday that Ultra-Orthodox chareidi passengers are being advised by the Rabbinical Council for Public Transportation to adopt a new type of mehtiza when flying.
Smuggled out of ELAL's PR offices, we have obtained an unauthorized copy of the soon to be released ELAL PR campaign:
Despite the monopoly on the personal mechitza, Global Superstore IKEA has decided to drop their prices and are marketing their version of the personal mechitza all over the world.
IKEA's collapsible and portable (yet stylish) "Fyllen" (Swedish for Personal Mechitza?) is now being marketed everywhere.
Passengers flying on Purim will be able to try out these personal mechitzas, and decide for themselves if they are truly revolutionary.
The following options were rejected and deemed "inappropriate" by the Rabbinic Council for Public Transportation for a variety of reasons.
hat-tip: Everyone who sent in the JPost article...
"The Rabbinical Council for Public Transportation, which is also representing the haredi community on the issue of gender-segregated “mehadrin” buses, is now placing advertisements in haredi newspapers encouraging the community to purchase the traveler mehitzas.Instead of publicizing the story right away, the Muqata blog seriously investigated this issue and is the first blog to have an actual picture of these new personal mechitzas!
The new mehitzas, made of white nylon, stick onto the fabric of the airplane chair using Velcro and can be arranged to make a protective “shield.” The mehitza goes around the head and is mostly in front of the passenger’s face, protruding only a little to the sides. Its designer, who asked that his name not be published, declined to share pictures and his design details, but said the mehitzas were “airy” and did not bother anybody.
“They’re very nice,” said Rabbi Shimon Stern, spokesman for the Rabbinic Council for Public Transportation. “Very cute. It’s very practical.”
The mehitzas are designed to be portable and fit into a small box, which passengers can bring on the plane.
The airplane mehitzas come in the wake of other recent steps by the haredi community to avoid immodesty, such as the mehadrin bus lines and separate-sex sidewalks in Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood.
Stern said the main reason for the latest recommendation was to enable haredi passengers to block out in-flight movies. Television sets are banned in haredi communities, and movies are forbidden. In aircraft with large movie screens, it is difficult to avoid watching the films."
Smuggled out of ELAL's PR offices, we have obtained an unauthorized copy of the soon to be released ELAL PR campaign:
(This guy is wearing jeans...obviously this campaign flyer is directed at
MTA students who wear tefillin while flying)
MTA students who wear tefillin while flying)
Despite the monopoly on the personal mechitza, Global Superstore IKEA has decided to drop their prices and are marketing their version of the personal mechitza all over the world.
IKEA's collapsible and portable (yet stylish) "Fyllen" (Swedish for Personal Mechitza?) is now being marketed everywhere.
Passengers flying on Purim will be able to try out these personal mechitzas, and decide for themselves if they are truly revolutionary.The following options were rejected and deemed "inappropriate" by the Rabbinic Council for Public Transportation for a variety of reasons.
hat-tip: Everyone who sent in the JPost article...Going to Israel?
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25 comments:
Finally - something appropriate for the days before Purim....I think the Mossad spies should use them also when walking around hotels and airports - no more embarrassing close circuit tv pictures....
Is this real? Why not just wear the sleep-blinders they provide?
Mike: The JPost is for real. The ELAL ad is a gag (though I don't know why)
Of course the El Al ad is a fake! Can't you see the passenger using the mehitza is wearing jeans? :-)
Baruch: Its a campaign for BTs.
I say this in the most polite way possible. If they truly believe that they're being corrupted by merely being in the same vicinity of members of the opposite sex, they either need to get the money together and charter their own flights and buses or deal with what's around them and stop trying to enforce their beliefs on the state and those around them. You have to live in the real world. Deal with it!
-OC
I think personal mechitzas are a good idea. The need is obvious, especially in view of the fact that flying without the mechitzas for decades has caused many abominations in the Charedi community, for example, the establishment of the Rabbinic Council for Public Transportation.
Apparently there is a limited number of rational thoughts possible. It would seem that the Rabbinic Council has exceeded the limit and is now delving into the irrational/illogical.
Gives new meaning to "Who was that masked man?"
A big advantage of the "personal mehitza": The authorities won't arrest you for donning your "olfactories", since they won't be able to see them.
This rav of mine in highschool had this amazing personal mehitza. He carried it everywhere. It was very cool. You could use it both to block out the world and to study from at the same time. He used it often. He actually had many of them, with different names. They all had the same first name though... Masechet...
How come the Rabbinical Council for Public Transportation isn't demanding "mehadrin" flights, where all the women have to sit at the back of the plane?
Halakhic question: If a group of 10 men are all wearing their "personal mehitzot", then can they daven in a minyan together with with women, without a mehitza?
"Fylla" is Swedish for "fill".
This refers to what the personal mechitza is used for when not flying, or to holy thoughts it is full of when in use on the airplane.
Few purchasers of PhotoShop have given so much pleasure to so many. You go, Jameel!
(My "captcha": sturvar. Swedish for "Star Wars"?)
Lurker 3:;59
Lurker: OMGosh.......DON'T GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS. I REFUSE TO FLY IN THE BACK. MAKES ME SICK.
Those mechitzas, if actual, are really stupid. They could make them a bit more manageable; one can't even scratch .... inside them! But the idea is not bad for those who need them.
rutimizrachi, I second that comment!
Why don't they simply encourage burqas for men (called something else, of course, lest they shun them for fear of wearing women's attire), with a very large built in trap door for lunch, and those little car deodorizers, so they don't pass out from (lunch) fumes,in a nice light weight washable fabric and I could go on and on and on.
Reminds me of the thing that my dog used to wear after her operation....
GADOL!
The fyllen (ikea's version) won't work. It's see through.
Duh.
On Second Thought: it looks more like a new-style sheitel box!
I think This may take me to a place where I will commit suicide.
This is for real?
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It's in the news today!!! You guys are going to be rich.
Why don't they simply encourage burqas for men (called something else, of course, lest they shun them for fear of wearing women's attire), with a very large built in trap door for lunch, and those little car deodorizers, so they don't pass out from (lunch online generic viagra) fumes, in a nice light weight washable fabric and I could go on and on and on.
Thanks for share this post with us...
Best regards...
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