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Pair of Tefillin Returns to Owner After 25 Years

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Gala Jr., then an FDNY Firefighter, found a pair of Tefillin on the streets of New York City. Understanding that they are a Jewish religious item, he turned to his orthodox neighbors and asked that they return them to their rightful owner. They were successful – 25 years later.

The story began over twenty-five years ago, when Michael Gala Jr., then a firefighter and now Chief of Personnel for the FDNY, found a pair of Tefillin and handed them over to his Jewish neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Yaakov Grunfeld, who unflaggingly, albeit unsuccessfully, sought to restore them to their rightful owner.

It was only after the Grunfelds submitted a Hashovas Aveidah in Hamodia’s Inyan Magazine’s monthly “Lost & Found” column that their decades-long search finally ended.

In far-away Sydney, Australia, the Grunfelds’ query was read by Mrs. Shterna Alhouse, who was surprised to see the name of her cousin, Shalom Hurwitz, a Crown Heights native, mentioned in connection with the lost tefillin. She alerted her aunt, Mrs. Brocha Hurwitz, who contacted HASC, where her son Shalom lives.

After ascertaining that Shalom’s current Tefillin were accounted for, they realized that those mentioned in Inyan’s column were Shalom’s long-lost bar mitzvah Tefillin.

Although Shalom obtained another set of tefillin when those went missing, this particular pair has special meaning for him and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shmuel Hurwitz.

On Sunday, the Tefillin were returned at HASC, proving again the goodness of Chief Gala in giving the Tefillin he found to his Jewish neighbors, and the hashgachah pratis that led to the culmination of a story that began some twenty-five years ago.

Photos and Video by Shimon Gifter for Hamodia

R-L: Mr. Shmuel Kahn, executive director of HASC, Chief Michael Gala Jr. of the FDNY; James Leonard, deputy assistant to Chief Gala, Mr. Shalom Hurwitz, the HASC resident whose Tefillin were found, Mr. Yaakov Grunfeld, who returned the Tefillin, and Mr. Shmuel Hurwitz, Shalom’s father. (Photo Shimon Gifter for Hamodia)
R-L: Mr. Shmuel Kahn, executive director of HASC, Chief Michael Gala Jr. of the FDNY; James Leonard, deputy assistant to Chief Gala, Mr. Shalom Hurwitz, the HASC resident whose Tefillin were found, Mr. Yaakov Grunfeld, who returned the Tefillin, and Mr. Shmuel Hurwitz, Shalom’s father. (Photo Shimon Gifter for Hamodia)

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7 Comments

  • Good sign

    May his brother find his full Refua so unexpectedly for a full recovery speedily. Amein

    Yosef Yitzchok ben Bracha

  • My best cousin

    Hashem bring a Refuas Hanefesh and Refuas Haguf Le Yoseph Yitzchok Ben Bracha the brother of Shalom Hurwitz. We all want to celebrate at his Seudas Hoydoyo, we can’t wait already.
    We all love him so much. Mazal tov for your sons Bar Mitzva coming up.

  • It's a small world

    What an amazing story which goes to show how the world is so small and can reunite through acts of kindness connecting people spanning across the globe from Sydney Australia to New York and the resultant ripple positive effect that this had on so many. May you all be blessed with all the brochos that unity & kindness bring, omen!

  • so pleased for Sholom

    I’m so pleased for sholom to have his original tefillin back and to watch my uncle lay those same tefillin on sholom brings tears to my eyes! May the family of Sholom only have happy occassions to share and full health and parnassa beharchava!
    shternie althaus -sholoms cousin in sydney