A respected Chabad Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva was denied boarding on a Kenya Airways flight from Johannesburg to Nairobi, allegedly due to his visibly Jewish appearance.
While other members of his travel group were allowed to board, Rabbi Noam Wagner, Rosh Yeshiva of the Chabad Yeshiva in Johannesburg, South Africa, was singled out and turned away. A Kenya Airways staff member reportedly confirmed that his religious attire was the issue, stating, “That’s it, it’s not good.”
In response to public outcry, Kenya Airways issued a statement on social media claiming the group had been “behaving disruptively and appeared to be intoxicated.” However, video footage from the incident does not appear to support this claim. The airline also argued that since some members of the group were allowed to board, the decision was not based on religious discrimination.
The incident echoes past controversies. Lufthansa was fined $4 million last year after it barred Jewish passengers from a connecting flight over mask rule violations—despite non-Jewish passengers being permitted to continue their journey. British Airways also faced backlash last year for removing a Jewish sitcom from its in-flight entertainment, allegedly to remain “neutral” on Israel and Hamas.
It sounds like a Chabad Fabregen was going on in the terminal…. I’m not saying this was or was not anti-Jew, but it seems there is little more to the story. It seems they didn’t just random not allow this yid to fly
Neither Rabbi Wagner or the others in the video appear to be intoxicated. Many bars and restaurants in the airport serve alcohol, so what would be the difference?
This looks like antisemitism to me, sorry
Where on earth are you getting your information that the rav was not fit to go on a plane?
Was following the status of a boxhur on the trip.
In Africa, you can open duty free alcohol at the gate, and a full fledged farbrengen went on…
Somehow 3 people out of a whole group weren’t allowed to fly (coincidentally the ones that looked the most Jewish)
Then you probably have no idea what went in and are speaking your prejudice.
Not a ra’ayah and stop nitpicking
Antisemitism at its best.
lechaim velivracha!… its hard to say that this is just another case of the common kind of antisemitism, although obviously they had something against him… usually an an antisemitic incident would call for trouble to all of them, and yet, here they single out a mashpia, just because of his looks.. so, i think this goes a bit Deeper. in a sicha of the rebbe, the rebbe explains the inyan of שתויי יין which we find by nadav v’avihu, and the rebbe expounds about what this means beruchniyus, drinking wine corresponds to the ingesting of pnimyus hatorah. when someone delves… Read more »
I wasn’t there so I don’t know, but IF any of this group said “l’chaim” and exhibited an shred of “es iz doch altz hevel havolim” disregard for social protocol, let this be a lesson in “nisht altz iz hevel havolim” within the airport and on flights. Derech eretz kodma latorah. And while alcohol is permitted, ANY boisterous behavior is not. And the definition of boisterous is determined by airline reps. Kahn hamokom to also mention the due care necessary to how one approaches someone to put on or use tefillin, or do so themselves. Be VERY respectful of the… Read more »
There are enough cameras in the airport today. You can’t walk in the airport without being recorded. If there was a farbrengen or any type of behavioral issue, I am surethe video would have been posted. That would show this is not an anti Semitic act. That was not done. What was done was a letter written by the airline fill of lies. Antisemitism is on a rise. I don’t compare however if the situation was different you would hear a different outcome.
Rabbi Wagner your calmness itself was a Kiddush Hashem.
G-d bless you.
Lesson, never lose your cool.
Yasher Koiach!
The guy in the video says clearly its because of how he looks. They can give a different explanation afterwards but it wont change the what happened.
They were told that they are not being allowed on because of the way they look. All the people who had on a black hat or a black hat and jacket were not allowed on.
are writing lies
Says it was not SOLELY based off their appearance and religion, meaning it WAS based on that, IN ADDITION to other subjective reasons they later state. Someone ought to put a legal team together to sue and get these boys some gelt.
It has always been close to becoming like the rest of Africa. Any advancements and benefits to the country are due to people other than those that are in power. Years ago the Jews were publicly praised by prime minister Botha for contributing intellectually, scientifically, in medicine etc etc to the country. A country that starts to tchepper its Jews starts going on a downward spiral.