So while sitting at the offices of MyJewishLearning, we heard a knock on the door. Low and behold it was our friends at Chabad coming to see if anyone wanted to (or could be forced) into laying tefillin. The mezzuzah gave us away.
And as our Chief Operating Officer says, “They got me.”
As many Jews, both religious and not, may tell you, they feel irked when approached on the streets by a Chabadnik asking if they are Jewish or when hearing the melody of the Mitzva tank in the air. It can make even a confident Jew question his or her identity and practice.
But whether you like them or not, Chabad is widely successful at one of the community’s favorite buzzwords — outreach. And at least one more person put on tefillin than would have without their efforts.
Still, I feel left out. When will someone come knocking at my door asking if I’ve gone to the mivkah today?
tefillin
Pronounced: tuh-FILL-in (short i in both fill and in), Origin: Hebrew, phylacteries. These are the small boxes containing the words of the Shema that are traditionally wrapped around one’s head and arm during morning prayers.
