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And she's a mom of eight!!

Meet Nechama Spiegel Novak: El Al's first Haredi female captain

Nechama Spiegel Novak already made headlines when she flew Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu, and now she's done it again, becoming the very first Haredi female Captain at El Al – absolutely incredible!

4X-EDH Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner El Al
Photo: Shutterstock / paulpdh

When Nechama Spiegel Novak steps into El Al's cockpit, she's not just flying a plane – she's soaring past generations of cultural barriers. As the Israeli airline's first Haredi female captain, she's proving that faith and flying aren't mutually exclusive.

The journey of this Beit Shemesh mother of eight from Beit Yaakov seminary graduate to airline captain reads like a masterclass in determination. When El Al initially rejected her application due to insufficient flight hours – a hurdle most Israeli pilots clear through air force service – Nechama charted her own course.

Instead of giving up, she made regular pilgrimages to flight schools in the United States, methodically building up her hours in the air. "Being a pilot has always been a dream of mine," she says, her voice carrying the same quiet confidence that would later guide aircraft across international skies.

Her breakthrough came in 2015 when El Al accepted her into their prestigious pilot training program. True to her trailblazing spirit, she completed the rigorous course while pregnant with her fourth child. Her husband's unwavering support proved crucial: "He is helping realize this dream," she notes, challenging stereotypes about Orthodox Jewish family dynamics.

By 2017, she had earned enough trust to fly then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife to a summit in Greece – a testament to her professional capabilities that transcended any religious or gender considerations.

Today, as Captain Spiegel Novak commands El Al flights around the globe, she's doing more than navigating aircraft – she's mapping new possibilities for Orthodox women in professional fields. An El Al spokesperson once described her as "an impressive woman with special abilities and a high level of personal qualities," but perhaps her greatest quality is showing that with enough determination, the sky isn't the limit – it's home.

Her story resonates beyond cockpit controls and flight paths. In a world quick to impose limitations, Captain Spiegel Novak's journey from seminary student to airline captain serves as a powerful reminder that faith and professional ambition can not only coexist but soar together at 40,000 feet.

The Forward and Times of Israel contributed to this article.

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