Sixty-six years after his bar mitzvah, former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad put on tefillin for the first time in his life.

Branstad, who served 22 years as governor of Iowa, making him the longest-serving governor in American history, has since retired and now lives at an independent living center in Des Moines. Before that, he also served as the U.S. ambassador to China.

For more than 30 years, Branstad maintained a warm relationship with Des Moines shliach Rabbi Yossi Jacobson. He attended many menorah lightings and welcomed the rabbi to his office numerous times during his years of service to the people of Iowa. Despite the close relationship, he never wanted to put on tefillin.

When Rabbi Jacobson learned that the former governor was now living nearby, he reached out to arrange a visit.

The 79-year-old Branstad was happy to welcome him. Rabbi Jacobson arrived with a kosher meal from Chabad’s popular deli, and during the visit he once again offered the governor the opportunity to put on tefillin.

This time, Branstad said yes.

The tefillin Rabbi Jacobson brought were especially meaningful. They belonged to his brother, Shloimy Jacobson AH, who passed away several years ago.

Despite living with significant health challenges, including blindness and serious medical limitations, Shloimy never missed a single day of putting on tefillin. He would often become emotional while wearing them.

“The tears he cried in his tefillin weren’t bitter tears,” Rabbi Jacobson told Chabad.org. “They were watering the dormant souls of the Jews in Iowa, even years after his passing.”

Shloimy never married and had no children, but his tefillin have continued to bring Jews closer. At the Chabad deli, hundreds of people have used these tefillin to perform the mitzvah, including many Jews who had never put on tefillin before, after hearing about the special person who cherished them so deeply.

Branstad was happy to join the many others who have worn Shloimy’s tefillin. He put them on, recited the brachos and Shema, and shared how much he appreciated the meaningful visit.

“It’s clear that it’s never too late for someone to perform a mitzvah,” Rabbi Jacobson said. “The neshamah is still there, just waiting for a chance to grab a mitzvah opportunity.”