World Wide Wrap Live

by Gary Smith

Thousands of men and women around the globe observed the mitzvah of tefillin during the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs’ annual World Wide Wrap on February 3rd. This year, several synagogues in the United States and one in Israel participated in the WWW together via simultaneous video conference.

Gathering at the National Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union College, over 100 people representing four synagogues in Cincinnati participated in a beautiful and spiritual Sunday morning Shacharit service, joined via video conference with congregants from Congregation Beth Israel in Baltimore and Congregation Beit Yisrael in Netanya, Israel.

This historic event was opened with remarks given by Rabbi Irvin Wise of Adath Israel. Rabbi Irvin Birnbaum, the Masorti rabbi emeritus in Netanya, gave a poignant 20-minute discussion of Israel and the importance and survival of our homeland. Rabbi Mark Raider, head of Jewish studies at the University of Cincinnati, discussed the role of American Jewry in the establishment of the state of Israel. Rabbi Gershun Barnard of Northern Hills joined Rabbi Wise in delivering a powerful message about the meaning and importance of the mitzvah of tefillin and the vitality of the World Wide Wrap program.

This event meant a great deal as we created community in Cincinnati with Baltimore and Israel. We joined the FJMC, the National Jewish Archives, and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati to achieve this historic program while creating goodwill and friendship.

Several who participated were putting on tefillin for the first time. For others, it had been many years. One woman expressed interest in becoming a bat mitzvah as the result of the experience.

We were left with the thought “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.”