MY torah stolen..and later returned with a arafat shawl. I wear kippah, no need to guess... If I had put on my talis & tefillin....probably they would have murdered me. It is very hard and harsh these days ! I am also shocked this happened in Chicago. When I lighted the menorah, they thought it was a xmas tree a few year ago. I just kept quiet....had i explained they would have fainted by the truth of the miracle of Hanukkah : - ) ~ I am still alive, I am a miracle from malaysia ( a muslim nation )

I am a tour operator and I had a passenger on an El Al flight that almost panicked when he saw the man in front of him start to put on his tefillin. Luckily he didnt over react as the people on the train but we did get a good chuckle from it. Hopefully the Jewish gentleman was well treated and will have a sense of humor about it too.

As an American, I wish to apologize to all my Y'hudi brothers and sisters for the total ignorance of the American people. This is a shameful thing to have happened. At the same time, however, I ask that you understand that this is a strange thing for people who are unaware of your traditions. With all the terror in the world today something out of the ordinary like this makes people a little jumpy and scared.

First of all, this story is from two weeks ago... If a Muslim man in traditional garb had been mistaken for a suicide bomber, he would have received a public apology from the Mayor of Chicago, key to the city and a large cash sweetener to prevent rioting in the City... I wonder what the Jew got?

If he was muslim he would have been questioned for six hours, and instead of apologizing the company would defend its actions as justified. When has any of what you described ever actually happened?

Wrong. If he had been muslim in appearance he would have been shot first and questions asked later. Or he might have been 'rendered' to Gitmo and not seen again for five years.

Maybe in the UK but not in the USA. I'm brown-skinned, Jewish, I get questioned pretty much everywhere I go. The Muslims get it too here. If anything most of us with brown skin and anything vaguely Arabic (or Sephardic/Mizrachi) about us are suspected. I couldn't care less how often I'm interrogated, because I support the safety we get in return. But the situation you're describing is quite unrealistic, with all due respect. I think this is actually a pretty funny story. Especially the part about him sitting next to a guy with a turban and everyone freaking out, LOL

Mostly people believe that Jews pray by rocking back and forth. It is advisable to quietly notify a fellow passenger beforehand.

I'm not blaming the guy, but if you are supposed to pray with kavanah, I dont see how you are going to get that done on the train. Still, silly what happened to him.

Even if in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei, that davener should have answered the conductor and prevented this incident. This is an issue of Pikuach Nefesh. Gentiles who misunderstood what was going generated a terror scare, and that scare can get a passenger or first-responder hurt or killed in the response. If the passenger doesn't want to be interrupted during prayer, he should lay tefillin in shul.

They know nothing of Jews I cannot tell you how many times I have been told by Non Jews and by ignorant Jews as well that the Talis Koton is used during sex, placed over the woman. Unbelievable!

As a frum Jew this guy is obvious a chasid shoteh and created an unnecessary incident and chilul hashem

Rocking back and forth might even be worse. When I start to rock back and forth, my kids clear the deck, because they know that mom is not praying, but that she's about to go off one deep end or the other, none of which they like to experience :-)

First of all living in Chicago, Arabs are not very popular many people do not trust them. During the First Gulf war the CTA bus drivers would not let Arab passengers board due to the fact that may have a bomb. If it was an Arab man, he would have been detained for hours and if there was nothing let go. He may be lucky if he got an apology nothing else. The people who get the key to the city nowdays are mexicans and illegal immigrants.

I don't think that a public place is the proper place to pray. It's kind of freak to me...

YOU SHOULD BE PRAISING THE JEW WHO WANTED TO PRAY '''AT THE PROPER TIME''' ARABS? THEY PUT THEIR CARPET DOWN AND PRAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND YOU CONDEMN A JEW ... this is what is most sad.... you should all stand up and shout out ''I AM A JEW'' YOU PATHETIC JEWS STILL ARE NOT READY FOR MASHIACH YOU HIDE? HASHEM HIDES... YOU STAND UP !!! HASHEM STANDS UP FOR YOU 80% OF THE JEWS LEAVING EGYPT DID NOT MAKE IT...MASHIACH COMES WHAT PART OF THE 100% DO YOU WANT TO BE I PRAYED IN THE AIRPORT TERMINAL JFK FRANKFURT CHINA AND CALIFORNIA.. I AM A SIMPLE NOT A HARED.... NOT ONLY HAREDIS PRAY ... I

Are not all Gods children your brothers and sisters?Or does that apply only to "pure blooded" members of your master race? Your every post confrms your racism and hatred for most of mankind.

USA is going nuts allready. Bunch of insucure petzelach. Ignorant lot.

That is your opinion Charles. Get over it. You know my beliefs. Why waist everyones time with this going back and forth with me on this issue. I believe all men to be my brothers and all women to be my sisters. Did we not all descend from Noach? If you answer no, then did we not all descend from Adam? Just where do you think you and I originated Charles. Are you one who believes we came from monkeys? If you came from a monkey Charles then you are correct, I am not your brother. Get a life Charles. Now you are the one sounding disgusting.

You are correct in that "YOU SHOULD BE PRAISING THE JEW WHO WANTED TO PRAY '''AT THE PROPER TIME''' " However, it's also correct to state that most of the US' ordinary citizens would conclude the man was strapping on 'wires & a bomb'. Especially in the Chicago area, people think 'terrorist' first and 'praying jew' last. Most people in the US wouldn't recognize tefillin (phylacteries) for what they are. They would conclude that they're seeing some electrical device. Good for him he was being obedient and saying his prayers. Very commendable. A little passenger education, by him, before the prayers would have been wise. I'm sure most of the passengers on the train would have been happy to know a Jew was saying his prayers.

please recall that this was a train ride. very likely you would miss the prayer period if he waits until the train gets to its destination. also, if he was sefaradi, he may daven kevatikin and therefore need to pray during a very brief period of time in the early morning.

Maybe the man should have told the people sitting near him and the conductor what he was about to do. Of course this custom is strange to a lot of people. It's understandable that they got nervous. People are nervous now a days and rightfully so. The flying immans were taken off a plane, questioned and then let go.

Unreal......unless, like I recall , Chicago is on a different planet....Everyone in NYC has already seen religious Jews, probably know what a tefilin looks like .....but in Chicago looks like religious Jews are a novelty ! Do not smile, but ask yourself why the US is loosing wars.....one of the reason is their total ignorance of other nations way of living and a total lack of education in cultures and religion besides what is related to either WASP or WASC ....!

It seems that America did a fine job winning the war that saved your sorry rearend. There would be no Paris had it not been for the Americans who defeated the Nazi occupation of your country and you have the nerve to criticize America. What a bunch of cowards you are.

By telling that you are not my brother am i disgusting ? Compare it to your "funeral" tb , than you will see who is so . Yes , we all descend from monkeys , ALL , EVERYONE , you included . You prefer telling from Abraham ? OK , But that's many years later and his origin was the same , a monkey . Even if we all descend from Abraham , or Noach , it's not a reason to be brothers . Now Ephraim , don't be stupid and stop believing this BS you do and proclaim . Have a nice week end .

ask 1000 Parisiens what tefilin are , or show them a pair . How many will know what it is ? Not only Parisiens or Parisiennes will not know it , but in the whole western world you will not find much people who do . Even in NY , where they know what Jews are , they did'nt see Jews wearing tefilin often . Jews generally don't walk around while wearing them . Faut pas exagerer .

And you are one of those i dislike the most . So even you write Jewish , i can't accept you in my "master" people . Jews are not a race , it's a people . This is another proof of your ignorance . And , not accepting someone as your brother , is this hatred ?