A couple rallied to support Jewish travellers who found themselves on the island unexpectedly when Shabbat began last week.

Rabbi Chaim Birnhack and his wife, Menuchy, sprang into action after a fire at a West London electrical substation resulted in a power outage at Heathrow.

The incident caused widespread travel disruption, including the cancellation of British Airways flights to and from Bermuda last Friday.

It meant that many people who had planned to take the overnight service to Heathrow had to remain on the island until the next scheduled flight on Sunday.

For Jewish travellers who were visiting Bermuda, it meant that they would spend Shabbat on the island.

The day of rest is observed by many followers of Judaism.

Those marking it abstain from certain activities such as work or using electricity from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall the following Saturday.

When the international Jewish travellers found themselves unable to leave the island, they contacted the Birnhacks, who run Chabad Bermuda, to seek assistance on observing their traditions, especially owing to a lack of dedicated kosher food options on the island.

Mr Birnhack explained: “A Shabbat meal is a big deal for many people, and when they travel, when it comes Friday night, they want to have that tradition.

“It’s food; it’s a tradition around it.”

Chabad Bermuda is a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish community, a global foundation with centres and synagogues spanning more than 100 countries.

The island branch was established by Mr and Mrs Birnhack when they moved their family to Bermuda from London during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As co-directors they serve the community of Bermuda and host weekly Shabbat dinners at their home.

“We have guests from the community, from Bermuda, different families and we have guests from overseas, tourists, that come,” Mr Birnhack said.

Last Friday, the family’s free weekly Shabbat dinner had been cancelled when Mrs Birnhack began to feel ill.

Unaware of those circumstances, the travellers contacted the family and Mr Birnhack tried to guide them to places were they might be able to source local kosher produce and even offered to arrange for a chef to prepare them food.

However, once Mrs Birnhack learnt that there were people stuck on the island unprepared for Shabbat, she quickly got into the kitchen and began to assemble meals.

Her husband explained: “She said ‘no, no, no, there are people here on the island that are stuck and that they feel are really missing a proper Shabbat. They would never book themselves flights and stay here without having a Shabbos’.

“She said ‘even though I’m not feeling that well and we are not hosting, I’m just going to go into the kitchen and put all of it together and so we can deliver it to them’.”

Mindful of the guidance to avoid use of electricity during Shabbat, Mrs Birnhack swiftly put together meals that could be delivered before sunset to travellers, who were staying at the Azura hotel, with the help of a Hitch driver, “who was happy to help”.

The recipients were greatly appreciative of the family’s services, all provided at no charge.

The situation last Friday brought attention to a lack of kosher food options available on the island, an issue that Mr Birnhack and Chabad Bermuda are working towards fixing.

In the meantime, the Birnhacks and the centre are available to help the community and its guests with any issues that may arise, even on short notice.

• For more information, visitchabadbermuda.org