Frum Man Tweets About Encounter at Chabad Booth

By Sruly Meyer – COLlive

Sometimes, all it takes is a single tweet to shed light on something truly incredible that has been happening for decades.

One such example is Chabad of the Airport. It was established over 40 years ago by Rabbi Yekutiel Rapp OBM, who served Jewish travelers and staff at the JFK International Airport in New York.

Following his tragic passing, his son Yossi Rapp has taken charge and has close contacts with El Al executives and Israeli security personnel. He also has a volunteer team who help travelers put on Tefillin.

Last Sunday, the volunteers there were Rabbi Hirshel Shifrin, R’ Eliezer Yarmush, Asher Vorst and Shmulik Levin. As usual, they offered those checking in to put on Tefillin and say Shema.

One of those encounters ended up on Twitter.

Chaikel K, a frum Jewish man, later tweeted, “Passed a Chabad booth, and the guy asked if I put on Tefillin today.

“I gave him a funny look and said yes.

“Realizing I’m frum, he quickly recovers and asks, “On how many people?” #WellPlayed”

Passed a Chabad booth, and the guy asked if I put on tefillin today.

I gave him a funny look, and said yes.

Realizing I'm Frum he quickly recovers and asks "on how many people?"#wellplayed

— Chaikel (@ChaikelK) June 1, 2023

The tweet quickly went viral, garnering some 25,000 views on Twitter and spreading across numerous WhatsApp chats in the Jewish community.

Asher Vorst, one of the volunteers at the Tefillin booth, explained that the reaction “on how many” is the clever line of Gutman Locks, a well-known personality in the Old City of Jerusalem who helps people put on Tefillin at the Kotel.

The profound impact of this line lies in its ability to transform the simple question about Tefillin into a broader concept of reaching out and sharing the Rebbe’s incredible Mivtza (campaign) with others.

ChabadAir’s volunteer team includes individuals like Rabbi Shifrin, who, at close to 80 years old, continues to help at the booth. He began his involvement in ChabadAir’s activities 40 years ago when the Rebbe blessed him and urged him to engage in Mivtzoim. Rabbi Yarmush works in the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) during the week and on his day off, he does mivtzoim at the booth.

They said the viral tweet serves as a lesson for all of us. “The next time we are asked about putting on Tefillin or any Mivtza, let’s remember to pass on that question to others and actively participate in this important mission. Together, we can all play our part!”

The power of ChabadAir’s outreach efforts became evident when a girl traveling through JFK Airport received a Tefilas Haderech (traveler’s prayer) card from the booth. A year later, she was a guest at a home in Crown Heights for a Shabbos meal. During the meal, she recognized one of the family members as the little girl who had volunteered at the booth, and had given her the card.

It was due to this encounter that she is now studying at Machon L’Yahadus in Crown Heights. Inspired by her trip to Israel and the Tefilas Haderech card, she pursued further learning and enrolled full-time in the school.

“During a Hakhel year, there’s a special Nesinas Koach to inspire and spread the inspiration,” Vorst told COLlive.com. “Everyone needs to utilize the opportunities they have to inspire others. In this case, I passed on the inspiration I received from a blog to a frum passerby in an exchange that lasted only seconds, who in turn, inspired tens of thousands. Who knows how many more will pass this inspiration with others…”