Many teen boys from around Israel have begun to express interest in obtaining tefillin (phylacteries), and having them available in schools, following the tefillin saga in a Ramat Gan school, which saw a student suspended for putting on tefillin.

Following this increased demand, and in answer to the many inquiries, Tze'irei Chabad has initiated a project to place pairs of tefillin in schools across Israel, so as to ensure that every student who wishes to do so can easily fulfill the mitzva (Torah commandment) to lay tefillin.

The initiative includes setting up "tefillin stands" in educational institutions, and providing pamphlets with instructions and the appropriate prayers - all with the permission of and in coordination with the schools' management. Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries working across Israel will accept pairs of tefillin and ensure they are made available for students in Israel, from north to south.

"From bitterness, we received sweetness," Tze'irei Chabad chair Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Aharonov shared. "Precisely out of an attempt to prevent young people from laying tefillin, we saw how thousands of youth are awakening, asking to pray and connect to their Judaism. This is an awakening the likes of which we have not seen for years."

According to Rabbi Aharonov, the request came from the students themselves, who began asking, demanding, and eventually acting in order to access the tefillin.

Responses on the ground already show the enormity of the impact: Students are setting up prayer groups during recess, parents have expressed support, and even teachers are joining the initiative.

"This is not just another project," one of the Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries said. "This is a real need of this generation, which is looking for something to hold onto."

Many educational institutions have expressed interest in the initiative, and pairs of tefillin, expected to become an integral part of every school in Israel, are available to anyone who wishes to take part in the project.