Cantor Glenn Sherman and Bar Mitzvah Jake with the most-traveled Torah and a football signed by former NY Jets Quarterback Richard Todd. (Courtesy of Cantor Glenn, Courtesy of Cantor Glenn Sherman)
I do destination Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. The phone rings, and it’s David and Kelly from Atlanta. They want to have their oldest son Jake’s Bar Mitzvah on 42nd Street in NYC, at the NFL Experience, a Hi-Tech Football Venue.
Jake is a big football fan, and during our lessons, I let it drop, that at 14, I was a NY Jets season ticket holder, and a huge Joe Namath fan. David said he works with former NY Jets Quarterback Richard Todd, Joe Namath’s heir to the NY Jets QB job.
Jake’s studies completed, it was time for me and the Torah to board our Delta flight to LaGuardia, Queens, New York, borough of my birth. After landing, Torah and I hopped an M60 MTA Bus to 125th Street, then down to the #6 Lexington subway to The Palace Hotel, in Midtown Manhattan.
Jake’s Bar Mitzvah took place overlooking Times Square, and Kicked off the service with The Daily blessing, Barchu, The Shema and the Amida. He read his Torah portion flawlessly, and delivered a warm and heartfelt Bar Mitzvah speech.
Afterwards, The Torah and I took a stroll through Times Square, and then back to The Palace. Now, It’s 4 a.m. in NYC, at The (Helmsley) Palace, the Torah and I are up with the wake up call. A cab to LaGuardia Airport, where I have a 7:25 Delta Flight back home to West Palm, on a glorious morning, no traffic.
The aircraft is an MD-88 and went into service on January 5, 1988. Our plane is 25 years old, if it were a car, it would be labeled ANTIQUE! It is a narrow body powered by twin Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines attached to the rear of the fuselage. It is nicknamed “The Mad Dog” and takes off like a rocket and needs full hands-on attention from the pilot during takeoff and landing. The aircraft is piloted by Captain Dennis Monahan and First Officer Mark Cadmus.
The Torah and I get upgraded to First Class, 13C to 1 D (I travel a lot and am a Delta Million Miler). TheTorah is in the first class overhead, FIRST CLASS! FIRST DOWN! The Flight attendant brings me an OJ before takeoff. I am a plane buff, (Google Glenn Sherman – To Tell The Truth). I’m thinking, A BIRD STRIKE! The Miracle on The Hudson, occurred at this exact spot, a LaGuardia Takeoff, striking a flock of Canadian geese, a loud bang heard after takeoff.
The Captain announces to prepare for takeoff. Climbing out over The Whitestone Bridge, banking left, over Rikers Island, there is a loud BANG! The Flight Attendant looks concerned. Captain Monahan announces that we have lost one engine (there are only 2), and we are making an emergency landing at Kennedy Airport. He says he has been trained on flying the MD-88 on one engine, and that we should all feel confident about a safe landing. That is when I made a Misheberach for the working engine.
Now the guy beside me in 1C was white as a ghost, and I tried for a last bathroom visit, but was given a TIMEOUT, told to sit and buckle up. In those minutes, I was white knuckled, but suddenly felt calmness because my Torah was on board. Our approach to Kennedy was a quick one, 9 minutes, landing over The Belt Parkway and Howard Beach. All sorts of emergency vehicles were on the tarmac prepared for the worst. The Captain brought the MD-88 in smoothly to a sitting ovation! TOUCHDOWN! A $25 meal voucher was given and three hours later, a HANDOFF to replace the MD-88 to West Palm Beach, with me and Torah back in First Class.
According to the official statement, DL-2395 from La Guardia to West Palm Beach, climbing through 8000 feet, the crew reported zero engine oil pressure and declared an emergency. The aircraft diverted to New York’s JFK Airport and the left hand engine had just failed and was shut down.
EPILOGUE:
Delta retired its entire MD-88 aircraft Mad Dog and fleet in 2020. The NFL Experience closed only 10 months after launching it, Covid related. Jake is grown up, saw him a few months back when I Bar Mitzvahed his brother at The Delray Market. David presented me with Richard Todd’s personally signed NY JETS football. The Torah and I still travel together on a Wing and a Prayer, for it’s a SAFER Torah.
Next Torah Travelogue: Baltimore Inner Harbor.
Cantor Glenn Sherman resides in Delray Beach. For more information visit www.easybarmitzvah.org
()
Originally published at Tribune News Service