El Al to Fly 787 Dreamliner to Kazakhstan For Chof Av

By COLlive reporter

After an incredible feat of planning by a local Crown Heights travel agent, a group marking the yahrzeit of Harav Levi Yitzchok Schneerson OBM, the father of the Rebbe, will be flying on a chartered El Al Dreamliner 787 to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Through the efforts of Shmulik Kravitsky, a veteran travel agent who specializes in travel to Israel, El Al Airlines will be flying a 200-seat Dreamliner 787 from New York non-stop to Alma Ata for the 48-hour trip.

The annual trip, planned by Dovid Rogatsky and members of Bais Shmuel Chabad in Crown Heights, had traveled by charter flight last year, due to Covid restrictions on flying into Kazakhstan. The entire 48 hour trip, from hotel accommodations to meals, is sponsored by Shmuli Stern and a group of Chabad businessmen.

This year, with the restrictions still in place, Rogatsky was assisted by Kravitsky in arranging the El Al Dreamliner flight to fly direct to Alma Ata from New York’s JFK airport on Tuesday and return Thursday.

With the deadline for travel into Israel now postponed to September 1, Kravitsky had the time to orchestrate the trip, which required a great deal of planning as well as assistance from El Al leadership, Kravitzky told COLlive.com.

“The trip will be of the highest caliber,” Kravitsky says. “The security will be the highest standard that El Al is known for, and with so many restrictions and testing required in the airport, being able to fly in a more comfortable manner and with the top security will make the whole experience a lot easier for those traveling,” he said.

“We have also worked to arrange for a payment plan on a limited number of seats, to assist some people to be able to join,” Kravitsky said.

The flight was arranged with the assistance of El Al owner Kenny Rozenberg, General Manager Yoram Elgrabli, and Deputy General Manager Keren Victor.

“The planning and arranging were complicated because a Dreamliner is usually booked for scheduled flights,” Kravitsky said. “We are so thankful to El Al leadership for assisting with arranging a more reasonable price, as well as working to re-route and reschedule the aircraft’s other planned flights.”

Kravitsky says everyone involved spared no effort on making sure this Dreamliner dream came true, so that more people can join for the 48-hour “spiritually uplifting experience, and can participate in the yartzeit of the Rebbe’s father, giving the Rebbe nachas ruach,” he says.

“This annual trip is 48 hours of spirituality,” he says. “It has to be experienced to be believed. And not only in a spiritual sense – many of those who have attended have seen huge miracles and yeshuos the entire year afterward,” he says.

The flight will depart on Tuesday, July 27th at approximately 6:00 p.m. and will return Thursday, July 29th in time for participants to be able to mark the day of Chof Av both in Almaty and at the Rebbe’s Ohel in New York.

Limited seats for the trip are still available. To join the trip, call Dovid Rogatsky at 917-416-8380. To learn more about the limited payment plan option, contact Shmulik Kravitsky by whatsapp at 212-599-3333.