Bringing Mezuzahs to All

Mysanantonio.com

A group of student rabbis have been visiting San Antonio Jewish homes this past week, inspecting their mezuzahs — a ritual item posted on doorways — and offering to upgrade them for free.

Many Jews take part in the mezuzah custom as a way to make visible their religious identity, while also inviting divine protection. A mezuzah is a case with a rolled scroll inside. Some are more decorative than others and focus on only the case.

But the scroll inside is what makes it a mezuzah, traditional rabbis say, and must have a key set of Hebrew scriptures written on parchment by a certified scribe.

“We desire to help people gain a deeper appreciation of this very well-known, but not totally appreciated and understood tradition,” said Rabbi Chaim Block, head of Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas, an Orthodox Jewish community in San Antonio.

Chabad organized the home-visitation program, which ends Thursday. Four student rabbis responded to requests by giving instruction, inspecting or installing free mezuzahs, which normally cost $35 each, they said.

Chabad is known for community outreach to help Jewish people discover or reawaken their faith. In inviting Jewish households to review their mezuzahs, Chabad is trying to reinforce their value to Jewish life. A kosher mezuzah scroll will have the essential Jewish prayer, called “Shema Yisrael” taken from the book of Deuteronomy.

Isabelle Forman of San Antonio took the offer.

Student rabbis Yitzchok Stell, Moishy Block, Eli Block and Kopel Silberberg, both 19, stopped by earlier this week, toting a toolbox with new mezuzahs, nails, hammers and pamphlets titled, “Mezuzah, the Ultimate Home Security Device.”

Forman’s home had two existing mezuzahs. One was kosher. The other lacked a scroll. It was reattached with the help of Forman’s brother, Daniel, and tilted slightly according to custom.

The two student rabbis put up seven new ones on doorposts by the end of their visit. A half-hour later, Forman said the environment changed.

Read more here.