The Super Large Tefilla-Shel-Rosh by 7th Grade ULY

7th grade of Lubavitcher Yeshiva marched at the Great Parade with a Tefilla-Shel-Rosh almost big enough to fit Og Melech Habashan – Here, just days later the students bunched together for a class picture with their oversized Tefilla-Shel-Rosh.

How it all came about:

It was a knock on his door, late one evening about two weeks before Lag Baomer, which first alluded Rabbi Turk to his classes float. “Rebbi, we collected $250 towards the class float and we wanted to know if you would hold it for us” said the young bochur, standing at the door.

Yet even after taking the money and agreeing to hold it for his students, Rabbi Turk admits, he still did not buy into it and was not convinced that his class would end up making any type of float, not until the following morning.

The next morning, as soon as class began, Rabbi Turk took the opportunity to speak with his students about the challenges and the dificulties of building a float, the monies that must be raised and the time which needs to go into building it, taking into consideration that already there is less than two weeks to go. Yet, after hearing all of this, when asked who is prepared to commit themselves to making a float, not a single hand was left unraised. This is when everyone knew that it was going to happan, the question was just ‘what?’

As with everything in the class, the idea would be discussed and the final descision would only be determined by a class vote, the float was no different. Throughout the day the class disscussed the different possible ideas, they watched videos of past parades to find ideas and as well as to see what was already done. That evening they each went home to try getting more ideas from friends and family.

The following morning the idea was set; each student would be choosing his favorite halocha from hilchos tefillin, which they learned this year, the halochos would be put onto large posters, to be held high as the students march by the Rebbe. At their lead would stand a large Tefilla-Shel-Rosh , standing at 10′ 3“ tall and measuring 11′ 9” long, standing on wheels and somehow be pushed along as they march by the Rebbe. Majority of the class preferred this idea since they spent so much time this year learning Hilchos Tefillin, they also received lots of support for the idea from family and from those who they went to fund-raise from.

Jobs were divided, the students raised the money, did the shopping, measured the wood, cut the plastic, painted and then put it all together. It was a weeks’ long work with touch ups being done throughout the night on motzai shabbos.

Finaly at 7:00am, with the help of some of the early-birds of the class (and some of whom were up all night) the tefilla was wheeled to 770. Everything worked out just as planned and even better as all at the parade were able to see the over-sized Tefilla-Shel-Rosh stand out from quiet a distance. The Shel Rosh quickly became a center of attraction, and even before joining in the parade, became a center for people to come and put on Tefillin.

Asked for his thoughts on his class float, Rabbi Turk says he is a lucky teacher to be blessed with such a committed class, every student was involved throughout the entire project something he says he’s never seen before.