Rabbi Finds 7 Tefillin Sets in Lost-Luggage Store
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Florida rabbi discovered seven pairs of tefillin at a store that sells the contents of unclaimed airline baggage.
Rabbi Uri Pilichowski was on vacation with his family when he visited the store in Scottsboro, Ala., looking for cheap cell phones, the New York Daily News reported.
The rabbi bought the religious items, worth hundreds of dollars, for $45 each on July 1. He then posted photos of the bags in which they were stored on Facebook in an attempt to find the owners.
Six of the seven pairs were claimed in less than a week, with four of the owners living in the New York area, one in Israel and one in Los Angeles, according to the news website Vos Iz Neis.
One belonged to Noah Jacobson, a singer for The Maccabeats, and another had belonged to David Malka, a former chef for the Lubavitcher rebbe, which he had given to his grandson before his death.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
