El Al to trial organized in-flight prayer sessions

El Al cabin staff have received a letter informing them that the airline has decided to trial organized in-flight prayers on its long-haul flights between Tel Aviv and North America. The prayer gatherings will be held in the galley at the back of the aircraft, after the meals have been served. The time of prayers will be announced prior to the flight. The formally organized prayer sessions, which will be announced on the passenger's screens and over the aircraft's public information speaker system, "at times regulated by the cabin crew," are designed to replace the current ad-hoc prayers, in which aisles are sometimes blocked at awkward times causing inconvenience and discomfort to some passengers. A minimum of ten Jewish men is required to form a 'minyan' or prayer quorum. El Al insists that the prayer gatherings in the galley will not be allowed to spill over into the aisles and disturb the passengers sitting at the back of the plane. All participants in the prayer gathering will be required to wear masks.<br/>