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Historic flooding complicates the journey home for Passover vacationers in South Florida
(JTA) — Zachary Ottenstein didn’t expect to bond with his dad over chess and classic rock during his trip home from Florida at the end of Passover.
But when Ottenstein switched his phone on after the holiday ended last night, it blew up: Fort Lauderdale was flooded and flights out of the airport — including their flight to New York — were canceled. The city was underwater after the rainiest day in its history.
He consulted with his dad, Matthew: They had enjoyed their Passover week at a hotel, but they wanted to get home in time for Shabbat the following evening.
“We really didn’t fancy staying another two days and finding a place to stay and food,” he said.
Their story was not unique: Families from across the United States who opt for Passover getaway packages in the Sunshine State found themselves stranded in Fort Lauderdale after the rains Thursday. Travelers to the airport reported seeing the headlights of cars sitting deep in water, accumulating since about a month’s worth of rain fell in an hour on Wednesday.
Traditionally observant Jews, who don’t drive or fly in planes on Shabbat, faced the prospect of either making it home before Friday at sundown, or spending at least two more days — until Saturday at nightfall — in the Fort Lauderdale area, without the institutional infrastructure that had enabled their Passover vacations.
At first, the Ottensteins looked for other flights, expanding the radius outward from Fort Lauderdale with each search. Finally, they found a barely workable option.
“There were no flights really other than one flight out of Tampa that was going to Chicago and from there, there was a flight to New York,” Ottenstein said.
They booked the flight, rented a car, left Fort Lauderdale at 10:30 p.m. and rolled into Tampa at 3 a.m. — right in time for the 5 a.m. flight to Chicago.
Others opted to stay down south for Shabbat. Mendel Fayershteyn, a Chabad rabbi in the city, put out the word in the community that he was ready to assist any families stranded at the airport.
As it turns out, there were a handful — about six or seven, he said in an interview — and he delivered kosher meals to them and found homes for them to stay in through Sunday, when the airport is expected to be back to capacity. One of the homes was his own — he decamped to his in-laws’ and handed the keys of his house to one of the airport families.
The relief he administered to the stranded Jews, Fayershteyn said, was mostly psychological.
“It was more like, people were panicking, it wasn’t like an emergency,” he said in an interview. “I would say it was more therapeutic just for the people to hear it’s going to be OK.”
Fayershteyn learned to coordinate relief during years of hurricane seasons: He put that experience to use, gathered generators and kosher food, and helped people find shelter. He also helped reunite people with cars that had floated away in the flooding.
“The main thing we were doing today is just helping people getting their cars back,” he said.
As soon as Passover ended on Thursday night, Fayershteyn got the word out on Facebook that he was offering help to Shabbat-observant Jews.
“Stay safe, and if you are in need of assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out,” the message said. “Hot Shabbat meals going out tomorrow for those that need, please DM us.”
Ottenstein also took to Facebook, posting a selfie of himself and his dad in the car after midnight. “What do you do when Fort Lauderdale airport gets closed and you want to get home for shabbos?” he wrote. “Obviously you drive through the night to Tampa to make an early morning flight home.”
Ottenstein, 24, a schoolteacher on Staten Island, and his dad, 60, a law librarian in suburban New Rochelle, filled the time up.
“The world chess championships are going on and my dad’s been very into it. He can talk for hours about that type of thing,” he said. “And we bond a lot over music. My dad’s a big 60s, 70s classic rock kind of guy.”
Zachary did the driving. “My dad doesn’t like driving at night,” he said. “No bathroom breaks, no stopping for food. The adrenaline kicked in. It was the kind of plan that was so crazy, it worked.”
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Israeli Airline El Al Launches New Youth Points Program to Encourage Young Travelers
Illustrative: The Israeli flag carrier El Al’s airliner lands at Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 31, 2020. Photo: WAM/Handout via REUTERS
Israel’s national airline El Al has announced a new program that allows young travelers between the ages of two and 18 to earn exclusive benefits and points through flights that won’t expire until they turn 21.
El Al Young is a free program that gives youth travelers access to rewards as part of the Matmid Frequent Flyer Program, and parents or guardians can register as many youngsters as they have starting at the age of two. The young passengers can earn points by flying on El A; or Sundor and gain access to content on the curated Youth Mode in the El A; app, where they can watch videos, play games, and learn facts about aviation all while earning loyalty points every time they fly. Kids who are already members of the Matmid Frequent Flyer Program are automatically enrolled in El Al Young.
Young travelers using the app will earn points that can be redeemed for rewards such as seat upgrades and free checked baggage, booking award tickets to fly with friends, and buying snacks from onboard duty-free. El Al will launch new promotions on the app in the months ahead that will help travelers earn more points and save on fares. El Al points typically expire after 18 months but travelers in the youth program can keep their points until they are 21.
“El Al Young is a game-changer for family travel, while making every journey more fun and engaging,” said Nadav Hanin, vice president of marketing and digital at El Al Airlines. “With this program, El Al Airlines is inspiring the next generation of travelers by allowing them to earn their own points, explore Youth Mode on the El Al app, and enjoy more independence and excitement when traveling with El Al. Family travel has always been at the heart of our business, and with El Al Young, we’re strengthening that bond while creating unforgettable adventures for travelers of all ages.”
El Al operated its first scheduled flight in 1949 and now serves 49 international destinations in 33 countries. It operates more than 50 weekly non-stop flights between the US and Israel.
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New Art Exhibit in NYC Examines Jewish Polish Artist Arthur Szyk and His Fight Against Nazism
“The Map Maker” (1942) by Arthur Szyk. The political drawing depicts Hitler painting his version of “Deutsches Sud America” (“German South America”) which consists of a large swastika painted over the shape of South America. Photo: Provided
An exhibition that opened on Sunday in New York City spotlights the work of prolific Jewish Polish and anti-fascist artist Arthur Szyk, including scathing portrayals of the Nazis and his attention to themes such as Jewish identity, resistance, and Zionism.
“Art of Freedom: The Life and Work of Arthur Szyk” opened at the Museum of Jewish Heritage –A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Lower Manhattan on the anniversary of when the United States entered World War II. The exhibit in the museum’s Rita Lowenstein Gallery features over 100 objects, including original drawings, rare prints, illuminated manuscripts, commercial cartoons, and political materials. Visitors will have access to 18 never-before-seen pieces and 38 original artworks.
Szyk’s work “Anti-Christ” from 1942, which is a critique of Adolf Hitler and Nazi crimes, greets visitors at the exhibit and is back on view in New York City for the first time in over 80 years. The artwork shows Nazi officials standing over skulls, victims on the gallows, vultures bearing swastikas, and Hitler with tiny skulls in his eyeballs as he stares straight ahead at the viewer.
Also on view is “The Map Maker” (1942), a political drawing by Szyk that depicts Hitler painting his version of “Deutsches Sud America” (“German South America”), which is shown as a large swastika painted over the continent. Others stand around him — including Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and top Nazi officials Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering, and Heinrich Himmler — and they all want their own similar map. On the floor are folders that say, “Deutsches Europa,” Deutsches America,” “Deutsches Africa,” “Deutsches Australia,” illustrating the plan to have Nazism dominate the world. Also on the floor is a book titled Idiot’s Delight and a quote at the bottom of Szyk’s drawing says, “Now that you’ve joined us the Fuhrer will make a special map for you!”
Szyk was born in Łódź in 1894 but moved to Paris at the age of 15 to study art. With other Polish-Jewish artists and writers, he traveled to the area now known as Israel in 1914, which was an impactful trip that deepened his connection to Judaism and solidified his dedication to being a lifelong Zionist advocate. Szyk died in 1951.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her “My Day” newspaper column that Szyk’s work “fights the war against Hitlerism as truly as any of us who cannot actually be on the fighting fronts today.”
“As an institution committed to educating visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust, we are thrilled to present Arthur Szyk’s exquisitely detailed and beautiful work, and to look back at his influential role inshaping public discourse around America’s pivotal entry into WWII,” said Jack Kliger, president & CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
The new Szyk exhibit highlights pieces by Szyk that are on loan from private collections as well as newly acquired pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, which will be on view for the first time. The exhibit will remain open at the Museum of Jewish Heritage through July 26, 2026.
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Netanyahu Will Meet Trump on Dec. 29 to Discuss Second Phase of Gaza Plan, Spokesperson Says
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach to shake hands at a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Sept. 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump on Dec. 29 to discuss the next steps of the Gaza ceasefire, an Israeli government spokesperson said on Monday.
“The prime minister will meet with President Trump on Monday, Dec. 29. They will discuss the future steps and phases and the international stabilization force of the ceasefire plan,” Shosh Bedrosian said in an online briefing to reporters.
The prime minister’s office said on Dec. 1 that Trump had invited Netanyahu to the White House. Israeli media have since reported that the two leaders may meet in Florida.
The spokesperson’s comments came one day after Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase of a US plan to end the war in Gaza was close, but cautioned several key issues still needed to be resolved, including whether a multinational security force would be deployed.
Netanyahu, speaking to reporters alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, said that he would hold important discussions with Trump at the end of the month on how to ensure the plan‘s second phase was achieved.
Netanyahu said that he would discuss with Trump how to bring an end to Hamas rule in Gaza. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is entering its second month, although both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce agreement.
Netanyahu said that it was important to ensure Hamas not only upholds the ceasefire but also follows through on “their commitment” to the plan to disarm and for Gaza to be demilitarized.
Israel retained control of 53% of Gaza under the first phase of Trump‘s plan, which involved the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza and of Palestinians, many convicted of terrorism, detained by Israel. The final hostage remains to be handed over are those of an Israeli police officer killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while fighting Hamas-led Gazan militants who had invaded Israel.
“We’ll get him out,” Netanyahu said.
Since the ceasefire started in October, the terrorist group has reestablished itself in the rest of Gaza.
GERMAN CHANCELLOR: PHASE TWO MUST COME NOW
According to the plan, Israel is to pull back further in the second phase as a transitional authority is established in Gaza and a multinational security force is deployed, Hamas is disarmed, and reconstruction begins.
A multinational coordination center has been established in Israel, but there are no deadlines in the plan and officials involved say that efforts to advance it have stalled.
“What will be the timeline? What are the forces that are coming in? Will we have international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics that are being discussed,” Netanyahu said, describing them as central issues.
Merz said that Germany was willing to help rebuild Gaza but would wait for Netanyahu‘s meeting with Trump, and for clarity on what Washington was prepared to do, before Berlin decides what it would contribute but that phase two “must come now.”
Israel has repeatedly carried out air strikes since the ceasefire came into effect that it says are fending off attacks or destroying terrorist infrastructure.
NETANYAHU: WEST BANK ANNEXATION REMAINS A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
Netanyahu said that he would also discuss with Trump “opportunities for peace,” an apparent reference to US efforts for Israel to establish formal ties with Arab and Muslim states.
“We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states, and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors,” Netanyahu said, asserting Israel would always insist on security control of the West Bank.
Trump has said he promised Muslim leaders that Israel would not annex the West Bank, where Netanyahu‘s government is backing the development of Jewish settlements.
The “question of political annexation” of the West Bank remains a subject of discussion, Netanyahu said.