By COLlive reporter
Four Chabad bochurim Shnuer Baitelman, Yossi Holtzberg, Yisrael Zakaria, and Yaakov Marcus had a flight from Los Angeles, California to France on Sunday.
When they arrived at the LAX Airport, they found out their flight was canceled.
Being that they had spare time until their ride back came, they decided to spend the time doing some Mivtzoim. They weren’t successful in getting anyone to put on, but they met an Israeli named Kevin who was also on their canceled flight. The man said he was busy and can’t put on.
But Hashem had other plans!
The bochurim were rebooked for Tuesday. The next day, Wednesday, the bochurim decided to take the opportunity to go to the famous Eiffel Tower. Naturally, they brought a pair of Tefillin with them but didn’t encounter any Jews.
As they were waiting for their elevator to take them down from the tower, they heard someone call out to them, “Rabbis! Rabbis!”
They turned around, and to their surprise, it was Kevin from their flight.
“You are the boys from LAX airport, right?” he asked.
“Yes, we are!” they replied, and asked, “Do you want to put on Teffilin now?”
And this time, Kevin agreed.
After wrapping him with Tefillin, Kevin commented: “On Sunday, after I rejected your Teffilin offer, I felt ashamed. I used to put Teffilin on when I was younger, and I stopped, and you asking me on Sunday inspired me to put them on later that day.
“Today, I only asked if you are the boys from the airport because I wanted to redeem myself and put on Teffilin with you.”
Kevin recited the blessings, Shema Yisroel and then joined the bochurim in song, expressing their Jewish pride on top of the magnificent Eiffel Tower.
VIDEO:
LA bochurim shtureming the world and doing the Rebbe’s shlichus!!
Well done y’all!!
You never know the impact you can have even when they say no! The first time he said no you would have no way of knowing he put on later that day.
WOW how did he recognize their faces as the same people! That is very good recognition!
Burnoy bochrim mamesh impressive always going on mivtzom kudos to them
what hashgacha pratis
hashgacha paris
Definitely learned this from Rabbi Farkash, LA Boys are true Chassidim!!
I’m the guy in the video. My boys recognized the guys from LAX 3 days later on top of Eiffel Tower. And I did go home from airport after our flight was canceled and put on the Tefilin. Also I’m not Israeli. I’m Iranian Jew. I setting a positive example for my 3 boys, all under age 11 and put on Tefilin in front of them at home. And light Shabbat candles every Friday night. And do havdalah every Saturday night. We are not an orthodox family. We are Sephardic and have 3000 year tradition, long before there was ever… Read more »