French strike leaves British Jewish community stranded for New Year celebrations

SCORES of British Jewish residents in Majorca hoping to have headed to the UK or elsewhere to have celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, last night, have been left stranded in Majorca by the strike by French air traffic controllers.

30 flights were affected on Monday and there was further disruption yesterday leaving many stuck on the island and having to make other arrangements.

A number of angry readers who called the Bulletin said yesterday that their low cost airline had offered them 140 euros to purchase another seat on another flight which was very kind but that really was not the point because they wanted to be home with their families last night for the celebrations which are considered one of the most important of the Jewish year.

Here on Majorca, the Jewish community held its annual celebrations. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.

It is ordained in the Torah as “Zicaron Terua” (”a memorial with the blowing of horns”), in Leviticus 23:24.
Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (”Days of Awe”), or Asseret Yemei Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance) which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur.