Hagaon Hacham Mordechai Eliyahu z.s.l.

Buying a pair of tefillin is a necessity for every Jewish man, but it is also a relatively big expense. Anyone in the kiruv field knows of many men who are becoming stronger in their Jewish observance but due to lack of funds, must resort to borrowing tefillin each day from others or a gemach in order to fulfill their Torah obligation.

Some kiruv workers raise the funds for their students, which is a great drain on their time and energy. Others may close their eyes to the problem, as otherwise it would be just too overwhelming. Some don’t even know where to start when it comes to providing tefillin.

That’s where Keren Hatefillin comes in. With approbations from Hacham Ovadia Yosef, Hacham Yaakov Hillel and Rabbi Meir Kessler, Keren Hatefillin provides kosher pairs of tefillin to kiruv organizations for distribution among the baalei teshuva they work with. A person can receive tefillin only if he has been putting it on regularly for at least 2-3 months. This is verified by the kiruv worker filling out an application form. The recipient is then requested to participate towards the cost of the tefillin according to his ability, if possible.

Since its inception, Keren Hatefillin has provided over 500 pairs of tefillin, 95 percent of which went to Sephardic boys. The finely crafted tefillin are produced at below wholesale prices.

For more information, or to make a donation, contact Rabbi Ephraim Warsawsky, founder and director of Keren Hatefillin, at 011-972-8-974-1297.