Update:
London’s Heathrow Airport apologized to a rabbi on Wednesday after he was told by an airport employee to remove his shoes inside the facility’s prayer room, the Algemeiner reported.
Heathrow Airport responded on Twitter by saying, “We apologize for this experience and are dealing with this right now.” The airport also asked Rabbi Brown to provide a description of the worker and the time that the incident occurred.
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By Charlotte Oliver – TheJC.com
A rabbi is demanding a public apology from Heathrow airport after being told to remove his shoes inside its multifaith prayer room.
Rabbi Shmuli Brown, Chabad rabbi of Liverpool Universities, landed at Heathrow after taking an overnight flight from New York. He went to make his morning prayers inside the airport’s multifaith prayer room before catching his connecting flight to Manchester.
However he was interrupted by “a person in uniform, though I am not sure from what department” who entered the room and asked him to take off his shoes, as is the practice in mosques.
Rabbi Brown said: “I replied that it was a multi-faith room, but he just told me again to take my shoes off. He gave me an uncomfortable feeling and made me feel very unwelcome, so I left the room.”
The rabbi contacted Heathrow airport’s Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Hershi Vogel, who told him that this was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“I want Heathrow to issue a public statement and make it very clear that this is a multi-faith room that caters for all religions, and is not just a mosque,” Rabbi Brown said.
“This was the first time I have used such a prayer room inside an airport, and I won’t be doing so again. I am very much into displaying my Jewish pride, so I won’t be going into a small room and cowering in the corner.”
Heathrow has said it is investigating the incident.
and make a loud minyan. Bring yarmulkes and tell everyone they have to put one on. Chase yishmael away and show him whos the boss !!! Just watch your back
The yoke of the nations is not upon us. We have a right and a responsibility to be who we are without apology. Justice means that as light to the nations we are the head and not the tail. They are a false religion and they have no right to impose as they do.
A jew can not daven in a multi faith prayer room… Why was a chabad Rabbi davening in there anyway?
There was once a politician called Enoch Powell he predicted there would come a time in Britain that rivers of blood would run in the streets of England if mass immigration happend
This was fourth years ago
He was right
I
A person as learned as you should know of a mitzva called “ahavas yisroel” and would not write such a harsh comment against a specific person (his name is in the articale so it is not the same as me responding to you) attempting to embarase him in public. You are correct that Mosses had to remove his shoes but when we daven we have to do so with our feet covered and socks is not a respectful way to daven.
Londonistan has become the largest caliphate in the West.
I come from England. When i was a kid the church bells rsng on a sunday and they sang carols at xmas. Didnt bother me. Now the muslims are taking over. Dont fook yourselves uk jews. Especially ilford. Its full of them. They sourround the yidden. Ugh
he should not have gone in there but once he did, he definitely should ask for an apology and stand up for himself.
I was in the Heathrow airport chapel several years ago – there’s no religious symbols. It’s an empty room with many mirrors and an armoire in the corner. Half way through shachris (no one else was around except for the attendant) about 50 muslims packed into this tiny room. Too a rug from the armoire and began to pray.
I’m sorry, but I have to state that this is a perfect example of “Teyvel ihm ha Sheretz” . . . . dunking in a mikvah while holding a dead lizard or insect . . . “multi-faith” prayer room by definition is going to include religions that, according to Jewish Law, are classified as idol-worship, hence making it at least inappropriate, at worst halachically forbidden, to pray there. Any rabbi should know this and abide by it, even if for no other reason than “moris ayin.” For a Jewish person to choose to pray in such a room (which is… Read more »
Maybe you need to learn a little Judaism yourself. See Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 11:10: “A person may enter a synagogue with his… shoes…”
Heathrow apologized on Twitter.
Very sad that they don’t teach Judaism in Yeshiva,
An educated person would ask who’s rule is the Shoes, if it is a particular religion then Sorry this is not a Mosque ,
in this case Very sad story of am horatzus ignoramus + arrogance
A Jew should be educated enough to know that God told moses that shoes need to be removed in a holy place,
His insistence was more important then his ability to admit he does not know the law of moses…… too bad
I think that the authorities should change the sign on the room to say “this room for Moslems ONLY” all others forbidden to pray here
If the room had a cross in it, the Muslims wouldn’t be praying there either.
He WAS barred from praying!!! He can not pray without shoes on so he WAS barred from praying! If a Muslim was told he had to keep his shoes ON to be in that room then HE would be barred from praying because he can’t pray with shoes on!
Stop saying he wasn’t barred because he was!
This “guard” was probably Muslim and he thinks everyone needs to pray like that. He probably felt some weird ownership to the place.
may i just point out, that one of the first signs of the holocaust, was the jews being rejected from simply BEING places. (parks, etc)
………
Where are all these people getting the idea that there is a cross? There is no cross — the Moslems would not allow it. The idea is that it’s completely parev, so everyone can pray there. Thus removing shoes is a courtesy to the Moslems, so that they can feel comfortable there as well. And who says you can’t daven in socks, in a place where that is considered respectful? On the contrary, soon the Beis Hamikdosh will be built, and we will all remove our shoes before entering the Har Habayis.
Daven in a public area… Be proud of ur religion! I used to be like you growing up in london and was embarrassed to daven on the trains… A few years living in NY got me used to it and now when ever I’m anywhere else in the world I have no problem davening in public.
Although it may be permitted to Daven in such a room if there are no religious symbols on display, Rabonim do advise that it is preferable not to Daven in a multi-faith room.
Davening in the lobby or at the gate is preferable.
That would only be true if this were actually a mosque. It is not, it is a multi-faith room. By definition, that means that any faith can be practiced in the air, according to the rules of that particular faith. Since in Judaism, we pray with our shoes on, the rabbi had all rights to expect to be allowed to do so!
Shmuel keep up the good work!
You shouldn’t daven in a place with a cross. And like the other commenters say – you r making a big deal out of nothing!
You obviously didn’t understand what happened. If it had been a mosque, you’d be right, but it’s a multi-faith prayer room, so no official had any business dictating to him how to pray.
its called ‘Multi faith’ as you have to have a lot of faith in the following
1. you wont be kicked out by a ben yishmoel.
2. you wont be kicked out by a pacifist to benei yishmoel
3. you wont be attacked as by the PC brigade.
4. you have to have a LOT of faith that the system will work the way its supposed to.
He was banned from praying though, as Jews cannot pray without shoes on. Why do their rules override ours?
Article Doesnt corroborate the title
It’s not like he was telling him to take off his tallis and tefillin. If you’re going to pray in a multi-faith facility, you’re agreeing to respect the basic tenants of other people’s faiths. If it’s an issue for muslims to wear shoes in a mosque, then you should respect that. It’s like if someone whipped out a cross in a synagogue, we would find that disrespectful. I don’t think it’s an issue of Jewish pride or not or even of antisemtism, not every uncomfortable situation is a hate crime, he wasn’t barred from praying, he chose to leave the… Read more »
The title is totally misleading. He wasn’t barred from praying. They asked him to remove his shoes and he didn’t listen. Maybe they made him feel uncomfortable, maybe they didn’t, but no one barred him from praying anywhere.
that’s so ridiculous! if they made you take off your shoes then they should also make everyone do what we do too? that’s just crazy!!!!!
That’s all they have to worry about isn’t it
Chana simcha
Davened there a number of years ago and there was no cross there then. As far as I know there is no issue in davening in a multi faith prayer room that does not display any symbols
There are other places to Daven. You dont belong in there.
But there are probably issues with davening in a multi-faith prayer room. Finding a public place to daven especially these days is not easy.
dont be ridiculous u shouldnt go there anyway (even tho its ur choice coz it has a cross in it.) also ur making a big thing out of nothing making a chilul Hashem
By not using this room at the airport you are giving in in a different way. You should continue to use the room but NOT take off your shoes. By stopping to use the room you are encouraging them to continue. The airport should have the guts to say to them, “if you don’t like it, you are very welcome to get the hell out of our country”.
I travel a lot and if I have to will put on talis and tefilin in an open area or near the gate, you never know how it could effect another Jew seeing this.
Everyone, including government officials are scared of Muslim protests. Rabbi Shmuli Brown, nor any of his family and friends, will launch a terror attack at this travesty of justice
I think i have been in that room, and i think that according to halocho you are not allowed to daven or enter there, since it is also a Christian prayer room and there is a cross there in a frame.
How about the airport making a Jewish ONLY prayer room…this way we don’t offend the goyim and more importantly we don’t have to Daven in room where there is avoda zara being practiced.
Absolutely obsurd!!!!
Make a deal with the airport authorities: ‘OK, I”ll take off my shoes if the ‘Moslems’ in England observe ‘The 7 Noahide Laws.’
england is being taken over by muslims