About Us
Reconnecting Jews, One Wrap at a Time
From schools and street corners to soldiers and seekers, our mission is to bring the timeless tradition of Tefillin back into everyday Jewish life.
Our Story
The Beginning
While working on NCSY Kollel, our founder, Yaakov, noticed that some public school participants did not own a pair of Tefillin—despite deeply wanting one. He managed to recover 15 pairs of Tefillin that had been left behind by students after graduating high school. After being checked by a Sofer, 9 of the pairs were found to be kosher. This marked the first step in helping Jewish students form a real connection to Tefillin.
The Middle
Over the next three summers, Yaakov created powerful and unexpected Hanachas Tefillin moments for Jewish high school and college students from secular backgrounds. When those initial pairs ran out, he organized a triple Hachnasas Tefillin for students in the beginner Ohr Somayach track, ages 20–25. With no formal funding and a great deal of divine providence, three pairs of Tefillin were secured in a short time, allowing three young Jewish men to receive their very first pairs.
Growing
Those experiences made it clear that this needed to become something bigger. The Tefillin Project was born with the goal of providing as many deserving Jews as possible with the gift of Tefillin. Initial funding came from Yavneh on Campus, as the project won first place in Yavneh’s “Shtark Tank” competition. With that support, five new pairs of Tefillin were purchased, branded merch was created, and The Tefillin Project has been growing ever since.
The Team
Behind The Tefillin Project is a passionate group of people committed to making the mitzvah of Tefillin more accessible and meaningful for Jews around the world.
Yona Durbach
Ariel Aharonov
Advisory Board
Behind The Tefillin Project is a passionate group of people committed to making the mitzvah of Tefillin more accessible and meaningful for Jews around the world.
Eli Netzer
Jacob Kazinec
Jonathan Levene
Eitan Sklar
Yosef Cohen
Julia Malove
Nathan Ginsburg