Passengers on delayed Delta flight to Israel break into song

A long tarmac delay turned into an impromptu celebration of Jewish unity last week when passengers on a Delta Airlines flight from New York to Tel Aviv began singing together.

According to a post by the Israeli Embassy in the United States on X, the plane was held on the tarmac for nearly four hours. Instead of frustration, the mood lifted when “a clarinet and drum sparked song, first ‘Adon HaSelichot’ and then ‘Am Yisrael Chai,’ transforming frustration into a powerful moment of resilience and joy,” it said.

A video shared online showed the cabin filled with music and song, drawing enthusiastic applause and smiles from travelers and underscoring the spirit of solidarity that continues to resonate among Jews worldwide in the wake of ongoing challenges facing Israel.

Delta resumed flights between the United States and Israel on Sept. 1.