Tank Takes On New Haven

Its lively vibrancy makes an indelible mark on its surroundings. Its eye catching sign draws the attention of passersby like a magnet. The joyous music inside is only outmatched by its even more jubilant inhabitants.

The newly released Mitzvah tank of the yeshiva of New Haven, Connecticut, takes Yale-New Haven’s downtown by storm.

From its maiden mivtzoim voyage two weeks ago, it has been an overwhelming success, even through New England’s dreaded snowstorm Nemo.

The indomitable crew were not fazed by its tempest. Its driver Yosef Rivkin fearlessly drove the tank to the heart of New Haven, battling through the blizzard- to- be. The tank’s insulated interior protected whoever entered from the elements, greatly encouraging Jewish pedestrians to agree to put on teffilin. And agree they did, changing what would have been a fruitless week into a success story.

And that success continued unabated into its second week, the tank’s presence already becoming a fixture on the New Haven landscape.

“After all the time and effort we put in, it was still worth it,” says an ecstatic Mordechai Morozow, the mastermind behind the tank, who spent countless hours arranging both its exterior and interior, from meticulously designing the sign, to purchasing the generator, amplifier and heater. Following the adage “the way to a Jew’s heart is through his stomach,” cookies were added to the tank’s mivtzoim arsenal, and their contribution to the boy’s success were undeniable.

“The tank is so much better,” says Shlomie Lishner, one of the tank’s crew, “it’s like a free moving billboard.” Shlomie returned from mivtzoim exhilarated this last Friday, having handed out tens of brochures, put on tefillin on a number of willing Jews and conferred blessings to thankful non-Jews.

“It’s hard, but it’s what the Rebbe wants,” commented Yakov Zikvashvili, the tank’s official driver. Undoubtedly, the addition of the tank has added a new dimension to New Haven’s mivtzoim, giving an immeasurable boost the bochurim there.