Wrapping the World: Tefillin Revival Unites Jewish Community
Yossi Farro wraps Tefillin on social media influencer Michael Rappaport in New York City.
In the aftermath of October 7th, a remarkable spiritual awakening has emerged within the Jewish community, extending from IDF soldiers to prominent figures worldwide. At the forefront of this movement is Yossi Farro, whose mission to encourage the practice of wearing tefillin has gained substantial traction on social media.
Farro has wrapped tefillin with numerous high-profile individuals, including Hollywood celebrities James Franco and Lil Dicky, as well as billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. His social media presence has grown significantly, with over 85,000 YouTube subscribers, 17,000 followers on X, and 26,000 on Instagram.
“For me, wrapping tefillin on people is about spreading awareness of God and His blessings in the world,” Farro told Israel365 News. His persistence has earned recognition from Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, who called Farro “the most persistent man in America.”
Farro’s journey began in Crown Heights, where he would ride the subway with friends, approaching busy New Yorkers with the question, “Are you Jewish? Would you like to wrap tefillin?” After his bar mitzvah, he ventured alone into the city’s financial district, wrapping tefillin on Jewish men more than twice his age.
Following high school, Farro studied in Tzfat, Israel for two years, dedicating his free time to visiting shopping malls and helping secular Israeli men wrap tefillin and recite the appropriate blessings. He later attended yeshiva in Los Angeles, continuing his practice almost daily on the streets of Melrose and at Beverly Hills High School.
In early 2023, Farro began sharing his mission on social media, where he quickly amassed a substantial following. The practice has taken on heightened significance since October 7th. “Jewish people woke up and realized that all we have is each other and God,” Farro explains. “People you would never imagine getting close to religion, like Michael Rappaport, now put on tefillin every day.”
The impact of this spiritual revival is particularly evident in recently released hostages. Shlomi Ziv, freed after months in Hamas captivity, immediately requested tefillin upon his release. Despite his non-religious background, Ziv found solace in daily recitations of the Shema prayer, a fundamental declaration of Jewish faith. “Even though I had only said the Shema prayer a few times in my life, I said it every day while in Gaza,” Ziv recounted. “I also made a big promise to God. I said, ‘God, if you get me back home alive, then I promise to put on tefillin every day.’” Immediately after his release from Gaza, Ziv received a pair of tefillin.
The post-October 7th tefillin resurgence echoes historical precedents, notably during the Six Day War, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasized tefillin’s importance for spiritual and physical protection. During that time, American students studying in Israel, frightened by the conflict, asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe if they should return to the safety of America. The Rabbi insisted they remain in Israel, revealing that tefillin were the Jewish people’s secret weapon, declaring that Arab forces would be terrified upon seeing Jewish soldiers wearing them.
The very next day, many Chabad disciples began circulating throughout Israel, helping people don tefillin, particularly IDF soldiers – many for the first time. Israeli jets subsequently launched a surprise attack, and within six days, Israel had defeated Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon – marking one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.
When Jews regained access to the Western Wall after a 20-year absence, Chabad established a tefillin station at the Kotel. Today, this tradition continues, offering visitors the opportunity to wrap tefillin and serving as a reminder that Israel’s wartime successes are protected by this sacred practice.
For Farro, who developed his tefillin-wrapping practice from the streets of New York, Los Angeles, and Miami to the shopping malls of Israel, this mission has evolved into something greater. “Since people see the work I do on social media, I feel like I have more responsibility to encourage Jews to do more good deeds and bring more good to the world.”
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