After word of the program got out, I was surprised to be inundated with requests from people from far and wide asking if I could help them find a pair of tefillin. Each story is different, yet in each case a man above bar mitzvah age was in need of assistance to obtain a kosher pair of tefillin. For example, in one story, the son of a local ben Torah had his tefillin stolen. The father was unable to afford the cost of a new pair, and turned to me for help. Other stories involved people who found that their tefillin was not kosher or simply wanted to begin putting on tefillin for the first time as adults and needed help purchasing them. Yet other stories involved teenage bochurim whose tefillin were sadly destroyed in a fire and families who simply could not afford to purchase a pair for their bar mitzvah bochur.

As a zechus for the memory of my dear father, Rav Yitzchok Wenger zt”l, whosesecond yahrzeit is today, I decided to expand the Tefillin Shadchan program to try to fulfill each request for a much-needed pair. When my father first heard about the program, shortly before his petirah, he was very excited about it and strongly encouraged me to put as much effort into it as I can. I therefore felt this would be an exceptionally appropriate chesed to perpetuate his memory.

As you know, my father was a tremendous talmidchochom who was well-versed in all areas of Torah. As the first Director of the Lakewood Cheder and Bais Yaakov of Lakewood (later renamed Bais Faiga), he was a pioneer of chinuch in Lakewood, and his legacy lives on through the massive mosdoshaTorah these schools have become. He was involved with scores of tzedakos and chasadim, spending his later years helping chashuvahmekomei Torah around the world remain functionable. Yet, despite all his great accomplishments, he remained so humble and unassuming that most of his greatness was never revealed, and probably will never be known.

My father spent hours every morning learning while wrapped in talis and tefillin. The mitzvah of tefillin was very dear to him and he always treated his own pair with utmost sanctity, never uttering a word of divreichol while wearing them and being very careful with their kedusha. It is thus very fitting for such an initiative to serve as an everlasting memorial for this incredible individual.

Calls with requests for the Tefillin Shadchan come in from all over the world, as such a program is unique and does not exist elsewhere. In addition to local families, calls come from all over America and beyond. In fact, people have called from as far away as Eretz Yisroel to inquire about Tefillin Shadchan’s services. Over just the past year, the program has matched up over 100 men in total with a needed pair of tefillin. In each case, the tefillin are used every morning, providing incredible zechusim to the donors.

In recent months, Tefillin Shadchan has undertaken a new initiative – a Tefillin Gemach to lend out tefillin for those who need them for temporary use. There have been numerous cases of bar mitzvah boys whose tefillin were not ready on time. Especially during the months of COVID, many sofrim found themselves backlogged and a number of bochurim saw their bar mitzvahs arrive with their tefillin still not ready. The Tefillin Shadchan provided a loaner pair, easing the minds of the bochur and his father until their pair was ready.

Currently, there is a list of many men, urgently waiting for a pair of tefillin. The cost to sponsor one pair of tefillin is approximately $1,500. The tefillin will be used every day for the performance of this great mitzvah, and each time they are donned it will surely be an everlasting merit for the donors.

If you are able to sponsor a pair, a partial pair or help out with any donation large or small, please respond generously. May this incredible chesed be a source of bracha and nachas for you and your family.

With much thanks,
Yaakov Wenger