Besides, any excuse to whip out that blog post title.

(hat tip: Yisrael)

Nervous passengers.

US Airways Group Inc. flight was diverted after an Orthodox Jewish teenager began praying and using a box which contains verses, setting off concerns among skittish crew members.

Nerves have been on edge after the so-called underwear bomber’s attempt to blow up a flight over Detroit in December, adding to an atmosphere of caution that has prevailed since the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001.

Just before 9 a.m. EST, the crew on a US Airways Express flight–operated by Republic Airways Holdings Inc.’s Chautauqua Airlines and bound from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Louisville, Ky.–decided to land in Philadelphia to address their concerns. J.J. Klaver, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the 17-year-old unveiled a phylactery, a leather box worn during certain Jewish services and also known as a tefillin, early in the flight. The teen was accompanied by his 16-year-old sister.

That landing occurred without incident, and all 15 passengers on the plane were “reaccommodated.” The teen was not detained or arrested. Klaver said, “This was just an incident.”

A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration said the agency was notified about 8:30 a.m. of “a disruptive passenger” before the crew diverted the flight. She also said the plane was swept, but that nothing was found.

Republic had no immediate comment.

I’ve heard of people hijacking a religion, but not religioning a hijack.

Thanks Islamic fundamentalist terrorist dudes for messing things up for the good people out there.

Update: At least awareness of tefillin has increased, with some news sites even devoting entire articles to them.

Update: Watch this police inspector talk about “the device” which is known as an “olfactory” (via Harry on Twitter)

One of the things that grabbed my attention while at the hospital were the mezuzot (sacred parchments inscribed by hand with two portions of the Torah, which are stored in protective cases and hung on the doorposts of Jewish buildings), which looked like this:

Maybe I’ve been here too long, but to me they look like someone holding a Qassam rocket.

Not surprisingly, one of his ideas involves Israel.

Here’s something that could never have happened in the Naughts but will maybe be possible in the Tweens or Teens — if there’s a breakthrough in the Mideast peace process. The idea is an arts festival that celebrates the origin of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Every year it could be held in a different location; Jerusalem would obviously be the best place to start.

In Ireland, at the height of the “Troubles,” it was said that the only solution for rabid sectarianism was to let 1,000 punk-rock bands bloom: music helped create a free space for dialogue (of a high-volume variety). So no politicians allowed. Artists only.

I hate to burst Bono’s bubble (say that quickly ten times), but it’s called the Festival of Festivals, and it has been held in Haifa for the past 16 years.

16th Festival of Festivals in Haifa

THE COLORFUL FESTIVAL

Which promotes coexistence and peace, celebrtaes the December festivals of the three monotheistic religions with a wide range of cultural and artistic events on 5, 12, 19 and 26 December.

The colorful Festival of Festivals, now in its 16th year, takes place every weekend in December in Haifa’s mixed Arab-Jewish Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. The festival promotes good neighborly relations, with cultural and artistic events that celebrate the three main religious festivals that fall in December – Chanuka, Christmas and Eid al-Adha.

More photos here.

The Jewish Chronicle reports:

David Beckham has paid his respects to his Jewish grandfather Joseph West, at the funeral held in Golders Green cemetery.

Wearing a blue kippah and his grandfather’s blue Tottenham Hotspur tie, Mr Beckham and his wife Victoria joined a large gathering of friends and family at the cemetery.

Mr West, who was 83 and the father of Beckham’s mother Sandra, was described by Beckham as his “footballing inspiration” and the two were extremely close.

When Beckham received his OBE at Buckingham Palace in 2003, Joe and Sandra accompanied him to meet the Queen.

Mr West had been seriously ill for some time, and Beckham flew from LA to visit his grandfather after he was hospitalised in August this year.

In his first autobiography My World, Beckham talked about how his grandfather’s Judaism had influenced him, saying: “I’ve probably had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion.”

“I used to wear the traditional Jewish skullcaps when I was younger, and I also went along to some Jewish weddings with my grandfather.”

Which could explain this.

Obama: Ok, I understand why they light the Chanukiah. But why is the kid wearing candles on his head?