From New Square to Kiryas Yoel and Back: Tefillin Returned to Owner Following Incredible Turn of Events

By Y.M. Lowy

A Skvere Chusid from London, visiting for the historic Hachnasas Sefer Torah, will soon be reunited with his lost tefillin, following a big hashovas aveidah effort on many people’s part. 

The story began when the Chusid lost his luggage in a taxi, which contained his tefillin, while in New York for the Skvere Hachnasas Sefer Torah. He reached out to New Square’s Ershte Hilf (the local version of Chaverim) for help. They immediately posted a notice with the owner’s name, hoping someone would come forward.

Meanwhile, the taxi driver who had brought the Chusid to Skver made another stop at the airport, where a passenger noticed a suitcase that wasn’t his. The driver took the suitcase back to the car and continued his journey. Upon arriving in Kiryas Yoel, he discarded the bag in a dumpster on Koznitz Drive. A local worker found the suitcase, noticed the religious item inside, and brought it to a Kiryas Yoel Chaverim member.

The Chaverim member searched through the local phone book for the owner of the tefillin, but they couldn’t find anyone by that name in Kiryas Yoel. They then turned to Google and discovered that a Skvere Chusid from London with the same name had donated to an RCCS online campaign. They contacted an acquaintance in New Square with this information, but no local connection to the name was found. They then reached out to Ershte Hilf, who confirmed they had posted a notice searching for these very tefillin just days earlier.

With all the pieces in place, efforts are now focused on returning the tefillin to their owner, who has since left for London. What the Yid couldn’t have known when he donated to RCCS months ago was that his tzedakah would help bring back his tefillin. This is the way of Hashem’s world; one mitzvah leads to another.