Teen Couldn't Convince Flight Crew His "Tefillin" Was Harmless
The airline that diverted a flight when a Jewish passenger started praying said it was forced to treat the incident as a bomb scare because the teen didn't clearly explain why he had strapped his tefillin — two small black boxes worn by Orthodox Jews during weekday morning prayers — to his head and arm. According to Chautauqua Airlines, which was operating the US Airways Flight from LaGuardia to Kentucky, "[w]hen our crew tried to discuss the issue with the passenger, they did not receive a clear response." "[I]n the interest of everyone's safety, the crew decided to land in Philadelphia, where a more complete investigation and follow-up with authorities would be possible," the statement continued, according to the Post . The grandmother of 17-year-old White Plains resident Caleb Leibowitz said her grandson "hadn't had the opportunity to pray, so that is why he did it on the plane." She told the Times that upon landing, police b