Mazal Tov to Naomi on her Aliya! I know nothing at all about Naomi but apparently this seminary student has made Aliya from St. Louis on her own at a very young age. I don’t know if this video played any part in her decision, but I do know that it had me in tears – and I’ve lived in Israel for over 20 years.
For thousands of years Jews yearned to return to the Land of Israel and some made the arduous journey over land or by sea to get here. In contrast nowadays all you need to do is hop on a plane and 11 hours and 45 minutes later (give or take) you’ve arrived.
Now, miraculous as that is (and I’m trying hard here not to sound like a spoiled Millennial), what I’d like to know is why hasn’t air travel gotten faster in say, the last 40 years? (The first commercial flight took place in 1914 and flew between St. Petersburg and Kiev. The flight lasted 14 hours and 38 minutes, with one intermediate landing. It’s currently a two-hour flight.) Things rapidly improved until they leveled off quite some time ago. The Concorde, which flew at twice the speed of sound, could only carry 100 passengers and was deafeningly loud, which limited its approved routes. In addition, its high operating costs and high fuel burn resulted in very expensive tickets. It’s no longer in use.
The answer appears to be connected to fuel economy. While the technology is available, it’s simply not cost-effective to fly at faster speeds. So instead airlines have provided passengers with personal entertainment systems and slightly more comfortable seats. Sigh.
This is a fun cake to make because it celebrates someone’s huge milestone occasion. I (almost) don’t even mind that I’ve made it time and time again. Looking forward to many more olim, and more occasions to pretend that Israel is about half the size of the entire North American continent.
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