Kosher Burgers Freshly Ironed and Pressed

Last week, I shared a blog post about some of the more amusing and bizarrely inspiring moments from my career, driven by my efforts to keep strictly kosher, observe Shabbat, and follow other religious rules. I received positive feedback and decided to share more stories—this time about an ironing board/trouser press, a melon and cheese saga, a special Shabbat alarm clock moment, and a few El Al anecdotes. Surprisingly, I have many more tales—perhaps because while others were working, I was busy doing strange things.

The Shabbat in Swindon

For the last year before we made aliyah, I worked at a client in Swindon, about 100 miles west of London. I took the train there daily, and it was a fairly uneventful client in terms of Kashrut. One Friday, torrential rain hit the UK, triggering a flood warning. Security announced over the Tannoy that the offices were closing due to flooding, so I rushed to Swindon Train Station to catch an early train back to London for Shabbat.

The train line was down. Rental car companies were flooded, and taxis were unavailable. Another religious person at the station was equally stranded. With no options left, I called a hotel in town and booked their last two rooms, realizing we were stuck for Shabbat. We had nothing with us, but Tesco was open. We bought Shabbat clothes, Kosher Yarden Wine, Kosher Kingsmill Bread, smoked salmon, Tivall Vegetarian burgers, plates, tea candles, cutlery, and aluminium foil. We had a plan.

In the hotel’s business center, we printed an online Siddur (it was summer, and I’d prayed before leaving home). With Shabbat approaching, we needed to heat the burgers. Ironing them with foil didn’t work—it didn’t do the burgers justice. Then we discovered the trouser press, a device that presses trousers automatically. It became a fantastic burger grill. The burgers stayed warm until we ate. What happened to the next pair of trousers in the press? We didn’t stick around to find out.

So, two strangers shared Shabbat in a Swindon hotel, eating hot burgers and praying with printed Siddurim. It was a very long Shabbat. Thankfully, by 9:30 pm, the roads reopened, and we got a taxi back to London.

The Melon and Cheese Saga

Early in my career, I worked in Germany in 2006 for 4-5 months, flying from London to Bonn weekly. There was no kosher food in Bonn, but I have to give gratitude to the synagogue restaurant in Cologne that delivered food weekly. The Hilton’s chef agreed to reheat and store it, provided the supplier’s kitchens met health and safety standards. He personally went and inspected the synagogue’s kitchen, found it superbly clean, and approved.

So to the Melon…At the project’s end, I was invited at short notice to a famous castle for a client dinner. With no kosher food prepared, I worked with the chef and restaurant manager, at the last minute, to create an inspired menu:

• First course: Green melon
• Main course: Orange melon
• Dessert: A medley of orange and green melon

Guests thought I was either the healthiest or strangest person they’d met—perhaps both. Delicious!

This wasn’t my only food-related adventure abroad involving simple ingredients. While working in Madrid for a few months during a sweltering summer, I brought kosher food from London, including cheddar cheese, since local restaurants weren’t always an option. Without a fridge, I kept the cheese in a shady spot in the office. After a while, a terrible smell permeated the workplace, and colleagues started complaining. I eventually realized the culprit: I’d placed the cheese near the air conditioning intake, which was spreading the odor to every employee. I quickly removed it, apologized profusely, and learned to double-check my storage solutions. I think no one found out 🙂

A Ridiculous Shabbat Morning

This is a travel story but not strictly for work. Early in our marriage, my wife and I stayed in a hotel in Northern England for Shabbat. At 7 am, the alarm clock’s buzzer blared loudly. Familiar with Shabbat laws but no expert, I knew I couldn’t ask a non-Jewish person to turn it off but could hint. I went to reception and said to the receptionist:
“Our alarm clock is on, and Jewish laws prevent me from turning it off.”
“OK.”
“I can’t ask others to do it for me.”
“OK.”
“Someone could choose to do it if they want.”
“OK… do you want me to turn it off?”
“I can’t ask, but if you want to…”

We went up together. My wife hid in the bathroom, embarrassed. He turned it off. Ten minutes later, the buzzer sounded again—he’d hit snooze. Oh no! We repeated the awkward dance, but we all saw the humor in it… I think.

El Al Anecdotes

El Al is truly unique – some love it, some less so. I love it and always have and have a very subjective perspective. Some unique things happen only on Elal. Some examples include:

• While praying discreetly at the front of the plane (I avoid gatherings because they disturb people), a stewardess prodded me. I was upset after all it was El Al. She then said in Hebrew, “Nu…There’s a minyan at the back—you’re missing it!” Only on El Al.
• On another flight, I heard money jangling. Someone unbelievably was collecting charity on the plane, en-route to London for fundraising, using the time wisely . Only on El Al.
• Flying from Zurich, a stewardess sought a child for a children’s meal that was ordered – there were only businessmen. The man next to me, however, claimed it, saying, “It’s schnitzel, chips, and ketchup, delivered early—why wouldn’t you? I always order it” I admit to ordering it a few times afterward.
• At an airport coffee shop in Toronto after an early connection, miles from El Al check-in, I played chess on my iPad with a colleague. At security two hours later, the guard asked, “Who won the game?” Only on El Al.
• Years ago, in Madrid, British Airways due to late notice couldn’t provide a kosher business meal. Astonishingly, on her own initiative, The BA desk manager walked to El Al’s check-in, and they transferred a Mehadrin meal to BA. I ate an El Al meal on a BA flight—a kind gesture I’ve never seen replicated.

Being a religious traveller is never boring. Shabbat Shalom.