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The TSA and Sukkot
background for those not familiar with sukkot
http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=12017 Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the annual Jewish festival of giving thanks for a bountiful fall harvest and commemorating the forty years of Jewish wandering in the desert after Sinai.......There are two more symbols associated with Sukkot that deserve attention. Rich in significance, replete with special rituals, the lulav and the etrog are central to this joyous harvest and historical festival. Lulav is a Hebrew word meaning “palm branch” and refers to a unique ceremonial object associated with the holiday of Sukkot. Lulav is also a generic term, describing a three-sectioned holder with a single palm branch in the center, two willow branches on the left, and three myrtle branches on the right. Etrog is a Hebrew word meaning “citron,” and refers to the special lemon-like fruit used in conjunction with the lulav in the Sukkot ritual. but-for the life of me, i can't figure out why this poses a "security issue" let alone is even worth mentioning other than the fact skeltor is tribe...... http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/press/happenings/sukkot.shtm Religious Events of Sukkot Press & Happenings October 7, 2008 TSA recognizes that the travel period for Sukkot, a significant event for persons of the Jewish faith, begins approximately on October 14, 2008, and ends approximately on October 20, 2008. TSA’s standard operating procedures do not prohibit the carrying of the four plants – which include a palm branch, myrtle twigs, willow twigs, and a citron through the airport or the security checkpoints, or on aircraft. These plants are not on TSA’s Prohibited Items List. TSA understands that this is a significant religious event for the Jewish faith and has reminded its security workforce that members of the Jewish faith may be observed engaging in religious practices or meditations and carrying the four plants. |
Originally Posted by goalie
(Post 10513664)
background for those not familiar with sukkot
http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=12017 ===== but-for the life of me, i can't figure out why this poses a "security issue" let alone is even worth mentioning other than the fact Skeletor is tribe...... http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/press/happenings/sukkot.shtm The release is probably to remind a good chunk of the TSA force not to behave like idiots if they see observant Jews traveling with religious items. Picture the lulov and etrog, now picture the TSA at EWR, PHL, and BWI and their well-known attitude issues....get the picture? :) |
Oh, great, now we're going to have a terrorist dress up like Aunt Sadie and take over the plane by chucking etrogs at the pilots.
Of course, it does prevent someone from trying to confiscate an etrog because it looks like a lemon, and lemons contain juice and juice is a liquid... :) Mike |
"That lemon has juice in it -- that's a liquid! And why you keepin' it in a box, anyway?"
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"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to shake that lulav to make sure it is real"
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Perhaps they were worried that the lulav might be construed as a bludgeoning object?? :confused:
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I wonder if they'll let me set up my sukkah just past security...
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Originally Posted by goalie
(Post 10513664)
background for those not familiar with sukkot
http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=12017 but-for the life of me, i can't figure out why this poses a "security issue" let alone is even worth mentioning other than the fact skeltor is tribe...... http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/press/happenings/sukkot.shtm Assuming they even read the directive. I'm half-expecting a few reported incidents regarding this issue despite the memo. |
Originally Posted by bocastephen
(Post 10513703)
Makes me wish we had an excommunication process.
The release is probably to remind a good chunk of the TSA force not to behave like idiots if they see observant Jews traveling with religious items. Picture the lulov and etrog, now picture the TSA at EWR, PHL, and BWI and their well-known attitude issues....get the picture? :) |
Originally Posted by goalie
(Post 10515210)
emphasis mine: they only thought about that now?
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Perhaps Chertoff's mishpokhe are frum and he didn't want them to be hassled? :rolleyes:
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
(Post 10513703)
Makes me wish we had an excommunication process.
The release is probably to remind a good chunk of the TSA force not to behave like idiots if they see observant Jews traveling with religious items. Picture the lulov and etrog, now picture the TSA at EWR, PHL, and BWI and their well-known attitude issues....get the picture? :) |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 10514741)
I wonder if they'll let me set up my sukkah just past security...
And also some BDOs might consider this stuff "odd" (read- enough to take someone in for questioning) when it's perfectly normal. Head off that kind of trouble at the pass, I guess. |
The TSA has to issue releases like this because the majority of their employees have very limited knowledge of non-Christian religions let alone more obscure holidays like Sukkoth. Even among Jews this can be a problem, a few years ago a coworker and his wife were on an airplane and his wife was getting increasingly worried about a man wearing dark clothes, a beard, and reading a book written in what appeared to be Arabic script in the row across the aisle. Her husband took a closer look at the book and told her it was in Hebrew. Both he and his wife are Jewish.
I can’t think of anything worse that the TSA could be concerned about blowback than refusing to allow someone to carry aboard a religious item. |
Originally Posted by jamar
(Post 10517152)
And also some BDOs might consider this stuff "odd" (read- enough to take someone in for questioning) when it's perfectly normal. Head off that kind of trouble at the pass, I guess.
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