Ken has gone to
work on David's condo. David has a sales meeting, so I am here
alone. Rich McCarrell called--the trip is on. I called Ken to
let him know. We are to be at O'Hare field 4-4:30pm.
Rich has called back looking for Ken. I don't
know what's up. I gave him David's cell number.
David came home. He was going to give the
message to Ken. He said he would have Ken call me in about 10
minutes, but he hasn't called; so I guess everything is ok still.
El Al check-in at O'Hare. There are 15 of
us. Takes a long time--interviews with El Al security, everything
x-rayed, my slippers and one bag taken into the back for
investigation--about 45 minutes.
Bags are checked, still about 2 1/2 hours to flight
time. We are doing everything as a group now. We will stop
for an hour to eat, etc. before going through security as there are no
concessions in the gate area.
The gate personnel are the same people who checked our
baggage--good system because they already know the passengers.
Some will even fly with us to New York to escort us onto the plane
there.
At JFK we have to climb long switchback ramps to the
gate area--escorted by El Al people from Chicago. About a
20-minute wait. Called Elaine by cell, but transmission broke up
after about a minute. Another long ramp down to the trans-Atlantic
plane--a 747. Individual TV monitors and audio in every seat, as
well as a projection in front of us. All but one of us are seated
as a group. The plane is almost full. Seats are more
comfortable than domestic flights, but no additional leg room. One
of the video channels displays a computer graphic and statistics showing
our location on the world map each moment, plus time and temperature at
each end, altitude and flight time--9 1/2 hours. Outside
temperature dropped over 100° by the time we reached cruising altitude
of 33,000'. Announcements on the screen and over the PA alternate
between Hebrew (first) and English. Large flight crew, including
one man who appears to be a passenger, but I recognize him as security
from Chicago.
There is a convention of Rabbis in Jerusalem. A
large percentage of the passengers are religious males in full
garb--beards, some with ringlets on the sides of their heads, black hats
and coats, white shirts. Presumably these are the Rabbis.
Unfortunately, some of them are the rudest persons on the plane.
Some are also very ostentatious about their prayers and reading their
Hebrew scriptures. The black clothes are because the Jews are in
mourning for the destruction of the temple. The curls hanging down
from the back of the ears are a reminder that the Jews are to give
charity, according to the Law. It's like the four corners of the
field that are not to be harvested. It is the Orthodox Jews that
wear black.
We are well fed. All food is kosher. There
was a choice of butter or margarine with breakfast--omelet, no meat.
