Bigwigs Don Tefillin Proudly at the White House

During a major tech event hosted last week at the U.S. Capitol, a group of Jewish participants – among them CEOs of famous companies – put on tefillin, some for the first time in their lives. White House staff secretary William Owen Scharf and others proudly put on tefillin on the White House lawn.

By Anash.org reporter

During a major tech industry event hosted last week at the U.S. Capitol, a group of Jewish participants – among them CEOs of famous companies – were offered the opportunity to put on tefillin, some for the first time in their lives. The initiative was led by Lubavitcher bochur Yossi Farro, who attended the event through personal connections with one of the organizers.

Among those who participated were two individuals, ages 29 and 41, who had never put on tefillin before. “It was incredibly moving to see people celebrate their bar mitzvah – their first time putting on tefillin – in the halls of power,” Farro told Anash.org. “They told me afterward how deeply inspired they were.”

Others, due to their high-profile positions, asked that their tefillin laying remain private.

The following day, Farro continued his efforts at the White House, where he had been in contact with several members of the administration. There, he met with William Owen Scharf, White House staff secretary and legal advisor behind many of President Trump’s executive orders.

Scharf, whose family is deeply involved in and supportive of Chabad, readily agreed to put on tefillin in a huge display of Jewish pride on the White House lawn.

In a clear case of hashgacha pratis, the visit coincided with the U.S. National Day of Prayer, and several other White House staff agreed to don tefillin as well.

The high-profile visit began on Wednesday, Beis Iyar, the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash. “For these individuals to put on tefillin in both Congress and the White House was a moment of lechatchila ariber,” Farro said. “It sent a powerful message to everyone that no place is too high or formal for a Jew to connect with Hashem.”