"Men have more self-control and less prurient interest than you give them credit for. " A woman has as much as a right to say that as a man has a right in saying that going through labour "can't be THAT bad". Women sometimes give us men WAY too much credit.

I noticed that the story never printed any sources. In fact, even ElAl refuses to comment on anything. I would LOVE to know if this story is real, and if so, how much of it is. I think it behooves everybody to keep this in mind before spouting off attacks against such rabbeim.

It's about time you start asking yourself this basic question of what a soul is and how humans differ from all other life force. If you have one you should know what it is and what it needs to survive in this world. most people who ask these questions ar eonly out to deny it and dont actually examine the meaning behind a soul. Simply put your soul is a divine spark that seperates you from all other creations. It is why humans have the ability to creatively think abstractly and to formulate speech. it contains many different levels from the most abstract spiritual down to the borderline emotional/physical. The soul enters the body in the mothers womb. It leaves the body when the body is no longer functionable and cannot house it. It comes back at the resurrection of the dead for those who are fit. Many accountings of resurrection of the dead can be found in the historical works of the prophets and the talmud. It never leaves forever. NEVER SAY NEVER

why is that the liberals are always liberal to everyone else accept the conservatives??? gay- no problem budhist monk - whatever man harei krishna cult - go for it homocidal - just dont bother me conservative orthodox- HOW DARE YOU !!!1

Yoni I guess that maybe either you are not familiar with the Talmud’s teachings of just what is a Soul and what is a Life Force, so I am going to give you the short version since the source of the Talmudic reasoning is primarily derived from the teachings of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochi the acknowledged Kabbalist his Soul ascension and return to heaven is being celebrated on Monday Night, Lag Baomer. According to the Kabala, every living element in this world has a Life Force, known as a CHAI, animals have an additional element which is called Instinct, known as RUEACH, Humans have an additional force known as discerning abilities commenly refered to as the Ghost, described in the Talmud as BECHERA, Jews have an additional totally separate element known as NESHUMA, what you describe as the Soul. The Neshuma is a special spark loaned by G-D to each and every person either at birth or upon his acknowledgement of G-D according to Jewish law. That Neshuma is what upon the demise of a person is returned to its original source. Mans misdeeds or sins have no effect upon the Neshama, since it is not made by nor is it any part of this world, any act or sin that man commits do not effect the G-Dly element, it is and will always be pure. The ability to discern between right and wrong which for a better word we will call the Ghost belongs to each human irrespective of his race, sex, creed, color or beliefs, that element is the vessel that the Neshama resides in, not in the body of the person. Upon the removal of the Ghost from a person the Neshama having lost it container returns to is source. The Ghost having lost its special gift from G-D is always striving to be reunited with the Neshama and thus we say Kaddish, give charity, learn and strive to perform Mitzvos for benefit of the departed so that their ghost rises and keeps on rising until it get reunited with its Neshuma. Yoni in your critique you assert that my questions are to somehow deny the existence of the unique element of man, If you say your morning prayers you would have known the above as we say “the difference between man and animal is non existence, except for the Neshama. So again can you please describe the element of Life Force. .

Are you serious? What about Neturei Karts burning our flag outside Simon Marks school? AND, the adass organization is said to be sending them( the NetKarts) extravagant funding?

Israel in coach and as anyone knows, you are stuck in this tiny uncomfortable space for about 14 hours. It is a miserable flight to a wonderful country. This last time I used up 200, 000 frequent flier miles and went first class. Electric footrest, reclining sleeper seats, multicourse meals, a LOT of space. They are going to speak in LA Monday night to thousands of people, so why should they come in hunched up, sore and exhausted? Do you know how boring the movies are on a plane? You just want to get there. Lets hope the stewardess get their regular pay and a day off. This wouldn't go in America however, the ACLU would sue their pants off and get a restraining orer to ground the plane until trial.

are all inventions of man's colorful imagination.

So is the theory of “time” but without which, Humans lose structure planning and direction. Every philosophy or belief in something other then in ones self is like a double edged sword, it can be used for good or evil it depends in who is yielding it. Humans since the early beginnings of time have found the need to believe in some form of a supreme power that governs their existence or validates their actions, the real problem is the inability to have uniformity in any single belief and thus the constant conflicts between different beliefs All major religions have a theory that a some point in the future G-D will revel himself and thus unify all hearts and minds to a single unified belief. and all conflicts will be brought to an end. Your talkback opinion is an old unanswered question which is, Did G-D create man or did Man create G-D to elevate himself a the highest form of the worlds species. Not to posses any sort of belief is to deprive themselves of Hope, as the saying goes, “there are no atheists in fox holds” .

To me this is yet more evidence that I have been right all along to be atheist.

Joey, didn't you know? Liberals are the most intolerant people you will ever meet.

This is so sick!

Wait a second, they buy ALL FIRST CLASS TICKETS on their way to raise funds for married yeshiva students? I'm stunned at what I'm reading here!!!!!!!!!!! They are going from bad, to rock bottom on the respect front. And there ARE plenty businesswomen that fly FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS. What a disgrace. What was El-Al thinking? That's really REALLY bad publicity for them.

Yasmin and her supporters indicate that they are poor at the stutus of women in Islam. If you source of Islam is the wrong media then you are all victims of it and I wish you study your self. 1400 years ago wemen has the right to inheritance unline others.

You can bury your head in the Sand, and point fingers elsewhere, at the end of the dayhave to deal with your own treatment of other human beings

Are female El Al flight attendants dressed in provocative clothes? It is hard to believe that this kind of neolithic mentality still persists in the 21st century.

El Al should give women equal time and offer a rabbi-free flight.

The Bais Hamikfdosh was destroyed due to Sinas Chinam! All the negative comments posted here are posted by people who have nothing better to do than to ridicule or try to destroy other people for no other reason except pure hatred. If you hate someone for no reason it must mean that you yourself are worthless and you hate yourself. Take a good look at yourself and you'll see. These Rabbis have hurt no one. This is their belief and it is nobody's business how they fly or what they do. Why don't you just get a life of your own!!!!

Thankyou for making the effort.

No women? We are more then half the population of the world and we still have men from every fanatical religion not wanting to see us out in public because they have not learned to control their own carnal appitites. Why should I pay for the sins of my fathers???

Yes you too. 21 is 100 pct correct. Why should you care?

Dear rabbis, I am sorry to inform you that in spite of your incredible efforts, you may be unable to avoid seeing women during your visit to the US. We have a number of them here.

Hi everyone ! Just wanted to tell you that i am here in LA, work at LAX airport, and both Rabbis' came with a British Airways flight !!! They flew on sunday ELAL from Tel Aviv to London, and there is no first class on that plane !!! And I have all the pics to prove it, so lets just all learn a lesson that before we rant and rave about something lets find out the facts

What more could you expect from a bunch of ultra orthodox rabbis. But that El AL went along with it? That is unacceptable. After all, as a woman, if I want to fly First or Business, I won't be sent to the back of the bus because some crazies find it offensive that women are out and about. And no movies? Please, do humanity and Judaism a favor, go back to your ghetto, and stay there.

To everyone who's been slandering two of the most learned pious saints alive: stop venting your venemous hatred and lack of understanding of the ultra-orthodox and try to apply a little of that liberal tolerance to the right for a change. These rabbis are not sexist. They all have wives and daughters and granddaughters. It is out of love for women and femininity that they hold to the traditional value that women should be modest in order to preserve their dignity. they don't want women stewardesses because they don't want uniformed women waiting on them and serving them, it has an eroticism and degradation to it , and they don't want to view women as objects like the secular world does, but as dignified mothers, wives, and daughters. If a feminist demanded male stewards because the idea that all stewardesses/waitresses etc. are female is degrading to women, you'd give them a medal. The ultra-orthodox women dress and act modestly and are therefore more content in their lives than the average secular women who spends her life in clubs objectifying themselves trying to be bedded by men who will never commit to them. As for movies? We should all commend them for boycotting the filth that comes out of hollywood, the sexist violent formulaic filth that any liberal should also demand not be shown on family flights. does hollywood really represent your values? I'm modern orthodox. I watch movies, I go on flights with stewardesses, and I don't agree with these rabbis decision, and I personally follow more lenient authorities. But I also respect and understand these deeply pious rabbis for THEIR values, and admire them for their conviction. The'yre buying all of first class, they have a right to make demands in a free market. Rock stars can rent out a plane and demand booze and hookers and whatever, its their money, and so too here. The fact that all of you are closer to the values of the rock star shows how far you are removed from understanding our tradition. And Ilan from the netherlands (#3) you can't be serious when saying "the ultra" are "removed" from tradition, what a sick orwellian reversal of the truth; they represent the faith of your zayde you know YOURE the modern one, and I think it embarrases you and its ov\bvious. So please everyone, show some more tolerance to the one group who's values liberal jews don't tolerate: the ultra-orthodox.

live and let live. if the rabbis want to fly a certain way, live a certain way, then let them. it should not bother anyone if they want to fly without women. and if it does, as it appears in reading the comments of so many readers, i say too bad for you guys. although i have no problem flying with women, i do have a problem with people who cannot handle the fact that there are jews out there who enjoy following a morality code. yeah, so they are a little extreme. i know plenty of people who are not even into being jewish. i don't read any stories focusing on their conduct from religious jews. if such articles exist, they would resemble juicy, gossip such as: hey moshe, did you hear that david was eating ice cream right after the barbeque on independence day?

The granting by El Al airline, to permit two rabis going to LA in first class, with no movies or females attendants on their flight., shows how close are the moral Islamic laws, to the Jewish Ultraortodox regulations, in separating men from women.

...if someone bought these tickets and asked for these restrictions so that they would not have to see or be in contact with blacks? Yes, liberals have an intolerance. They are intolerant of people with power who use their influence to exclude, restrict, and/or marginalize others based upon immutable characteristics like race and gender (and, yes, sexuality). There is no moral hypocracy here as some have suggested.

Nice try but gender is different than race. Example- we have seperate bathrooms for men and women but not for blacks and whites. So I reiterate, these rabbis do not hate women the way a racist hates blacks, they're married to women for G-d's sake. They simply have a different value system than yours and you can't understand it so you don't tolerate it. They're not trying to force you to sit on segregated flights, they paid for this, so just let them have their shtick and you'll have yours and just live and let live!

To the self proclaimed "chasid" of post #14: most chasidim aren't even allowed to use the internet, so your very presence here suggests that your opinion on Halachik matters is probably not typical of other chasidim. Also, it's so amusing when bloggers pontificate about what halacha really says, come on leave halacha to the experts (ie, these rabbis who know much much more than you) and don't be so self righteous when declaring wiser men than you to be wrong. That being said, I also disagree with the Rabbi's decision I think it's a little crazy but let's not be self-righteous when criticizing them either.