Question:

I'm a flight attendant, and I've noticed that many Hasidic Jewish passengers board flights carrying plastic shopping bags. For the longest time, I didn't even notice it, but now that I’ve started seeing it, I cannot help but wonder if there is some kind of religious ritual associated with plastic bags and travel.

Answer:

There is no ritual associated with plastic bags, and it’s perfectly acceptable for Jewish people to keep their stuff in backpacks, wheelies, or totes. And for my part, I am not sure that Hasidic Jews are more likely to be carrying plastic bags than any other airport-goers. But assuming they are, we ask: What’s up with the plastic bags, and what’s in them?

The answer to our theoretical question varies, but I assume that they often contain food.

Airline meals—if you’re on the rare flight where those are served—even those labeled as kosher, might not meet their standards of kosher (see What Is Glatt Kosher?). Depending on the airport, there may not be much (or any) kosher food available there either. So you can be looking at a long period without access to kosher food unless you bring your own along.

Furthermore, if traveling to a destination without a large Jewish community, finding kosher food can be difficult or impossible, forcing the traveler to bring a stash of food with them.

The bag might also contain items like a tallit (prayer shawl) and/or tefillin (phylacteries), which are worn during morning prayers. While these are usually kept in special pouches, a plastic bag might be used as an extra layer of protection or for easy handling.