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Jewish News 24 · Oct 22, 2026

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Shas chairman Aryeh Deri announced Thursday a new initiative aimed at strengthening Jewish identity in Israel, pledging to provide free tefillin and prayer shawls to boys reaching bar mitzvah age and ensure that schools accommodate students wishing to pray during the school day. The program, called “Tefillin for Every Child,” would provide every boy turning 13 with a complimentary bar mitzvah kit containing a pair of tefillin and a tallit distributed through the education system. Deri said Shas would seek to implement the initiative as part of the next government, presenting it as a response to what he described as growing efforts to undermine Israel's Jewish character. The initiative would also carry financial implications. Deri did not announce an estimated budget, eligibility criteria, or details about how the program would be administered.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri announced Thursday a new initiative aimed at strengthening Jewish identity in Israel, pledging to provide free tefillin and prayer shawls to boys reaching bar mitzvah age and ensure that schools accommodate students wishing to pray during the school day. The program, called “Tefillin for Every Child,” would provide every boy turning 13 with a complimentary bar mitzvah kit containing a pair of tefillin and a tallit distributed through the education system. Deri said Shas would seek to implement the initiative as part of the next government, presenting it as a response to what he described as growing efforts to undermine Israel's Jewish character. The initiative would also carry financial implications. Deri did not announce an estimated budget, eligibility criteria, or details about how the program would be administered.

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