What Would Pope Benedict Watch?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews may have beef with El Al, but Pope Benedict XVI apparently doesn’t.
As the Forward is reporting, the Rabbinical Transportation Committee — an organization tasked with representing the mass transit interests of Israel’s Haredi community — is urging traditionally observant Jews to shun El Al — citing the national air carrier “immodest” in-flight entertainment options (a.k.a. feature films that show men and women in various states of undress).
But the pontiff, also known for his conservative sensibilities, will reportedly travel on El Al en route to the Vatican from Israel on May 15, on the heels of a week-long trip to the Middle East. The designated Boeing 777 will bear the logo of the Holy See — comprising a crown, a key, and nine crosses.
No word yet on the in-flight entertainment on offer for Pope Benedict and his entourage.
It’s our birthday and we’re still celebrating!
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news.
This week we celebrate 129 years of the Forward. We’re proud of our origins as a Yiddish print publication serving Jewish immigrants. And we’re just as proud of what we’ve become today: A trusted source of Jewish news and opinion, available digitally to anyone in the world without paywalls or subscriptions.
We’ve helped five generations of American Jews make sense of the news and the world around them — and we aren’t slowing down any time soon.
As a nonprofit newsroom, reader donations make it possible for us to do this work. Support independent, agenda-free Jewish journalism and our board will match your gift in honor of our birthday!
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
