A long-lost pair of tefillin has recently been brought to the attention of an Anash.org reader, who has set out on a mission to reunite the holy items with their rightful owner before Pesach.

While, usually, lost tefillin are either recovered promptly within the first few days of being misplaced or, sadly, lost forever after a few months of fruitless searching, in this extraordinary case, the pair turned up after 40 years (!).

The tefillin in question are a complete set of both Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam. Because wearing both pairs is most common among Chabad chassidim, the finder notes that the owner is “presumably a Lubavitcher.”

The velvet tefillin bag bears a clear and distinct identification, with the name “Chaim Tzvi Hirsch Rosenberg.” But who is Chaim Tzvi Hirsch Rosenberg, and where might he be today?

Since the tefillin already show signs of use and did not look like the brand-new, pristine pair of a recent Bar Mitzvah boy, they clearly belonged to a young man who had already been wearing them consistently. Calculating the four decades that have passed since then, the finder estimates, “Maybe the guy is around sixty or so.”

Although the tefillin were initially discovered as a lost item about forty years ago, the search for the owner unfortunately hit a dead end. At that time, the finders likely tried their absolute best to track down the person, but as the finder points out, “It’s not as easy as it is today.”

Without the immense benefit of global community news websites, instantaneous WhatsApp statuses, and digital community boards, locating a specific Chaim Tzvi Hirsch Rosenberg was a nearly impossible task. Without any solid leads, the tefillin were put away, and they sat for forty years – until this year before Pesach.

Now, by sharing this story with Anash.org readers, the finder hopes that the unmatched power of today’s interconnected community will finally bring this long wait to a close. The goal is to have readers share this story far and wide, keeping the name in mind and asking around their local shuls and communities.

To ensure the Hashavas Aveida is done properly and the items are given to the correct individual, the finder is intentionally withholding specific details about the tefillin. The true owner or his family members will need to provide a siman, a specific sign or detail, to successfully claim them.

If you are Chaim Tzvi Hirsch Rosenberg, or if you know someone by this name who may have lost his tefillin decades ago, reach out to Anash.org:
+15162612371
[email protected]