Chabad rabbi joins rescue operation of first flight out of Israel

When Rabbi Yehuda Pink was appointed to lead Chabad Lubavitch of Solihull, he probably didn’t expect his job to involve being part of an international rescue operation.

But, on Tuesday morning, as the first group of British evacuees arrived from war-ravaged Tel Aviv on a flight organised by the UK Foreign Office, Rabbi Pink, together with his wife, Dinie, was at Birmingham Airport to greet them with kosher food. 

Kosher food awaited evacuees arriving from Tel Aviv early on Tuesday morning (Photo: Rabbi Yehuda Pink)[Missing Credit]

Speaking to the JC, the religious leader said he had been contacted by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to help with the new arrivals, as they “wanted my input for cultural sensitivities”.

Among the 63 passengers were the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and his wife, Valerie. As well as handling religious dietary requirements, Rabbi Pink was also tasked with finding a suitable space for a minyan.

Drawing on his six years of living in Israel, the Solihull Shul rabbi was also uniquely positioned to address potential concerns from passengers who spoke little English.

Rebbetzin Dinie Pink[Missing Credit]

Upon arrival, travellers were invited to go to a comprehensive "welcome hub" established at a nearby hotel, he said. There, passengers could be seen by social workers, doctors and staff from St John’s Ambulance, whom he had briefed about “the needs of Jewish people”. 

React, a disaster rapid response charity, was also present to ensure food packages were readily available. 

Being able to help on the ground was deeply personal for Rabbi Pink, whose father’s family lives in Israel. He reflected that the passengers could easily have been his own relatives "coming back traumatised".

A British evacuee from the Israel-Iran war arriving at Birmingham Airport (Photo: Rabbi Yehuda Pink)[Missing Credit]

But he humbly acknowledged that "what we are doing is a tiny amount" compared to colleagues “like my friend in Cyprus, who is dealing with thousands" of new arrivals, including passengers who had to leave Israel via boat when the war with Iran forced Israel’s airspace to shut.

Rabbi Pink paid tribute to Solihull Council, who, he said “went over and above the call of duty to make sure that the arrival and onward journey of the passengers was as smooth as possible”, saying that they arranged transport for those who needed it and that passengers “with complex needs” were provided with a hotel room before continuing their journey the next day.

He added that flight information was deliberately not listed on the arrival board since Birmingham “has had very big [anti-Israel] protests over the last couple of years”.

A British evacuee coming off the RAF flight in Cyprus[Missing Credit]

Richard Kafton, who was on the flight, told the JC: “Everything was thought of... They had everything we needed to ensure we could relax."

He also shared insights into the passenger experience on the Israeli side. Having "already registered at the Foreign Office”, he and others then received a call to proceed to Ben Gurion Airport.

Uncertainty lingered, as they "knew we were going to Larnaca [in Cyprus], but didn't know we were going to be evacuated by the RAF…nobody knew the flight plan."

Speaking from his home in north London, Kafton lauded the "RAF personnel”, who “made everything feel safe”.

After landing in Cyprus, passengers then took a connecting flight to Birmingham on a regular passenger aircraft, which landed in the very early hours of the morning.