- This topic has 44 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by ☕ DaasYochid ☕.
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October 19, 2010 4:12 am at 4:12 am #592684charliehallParticipant
A set of tefillin was recovered on the New York City Subway. They are being held at the MTA Lost Property Unit, at the level mezzanine level of the 34th Street Station of the A-C-E lines. Unfortunately the only identification marks are the name of the rabbi who made the tefillin; there is no identification of the owner.
Their hours are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 8:00am-3:30pm
Wednesday and Thursday: 11:00am-6:30pm
The phone #s are (212) 712-4500, (212) 712-4501, (212) 424-4343 and their internet site is http://lostfound.mtanyct.info/lostfound/.
You will need to bring a photo ID and be able to say what on subway line you lost them and give the approximate date. The MTA staff contacted the rabbi who made the tefillin and he was unable to help identify the owner. The MTA staff does not want to have to dispose of what they know to be a holy object, so please spread the word to all shuls and yeshivot until they are claimed.
October 19, 2010 4:28 pm at 4:28 pm #703308I can only tryMemberThe CR’s really busy, so this moved down quickly.
Here’s a “bump” to the top, just in case this was missed.
October 19, 2010 10:05 pm at 10:05 pm #703309HelpfulMemberHow long does the MTA hold on to found items? What does it do with it afterwards? And how did you find this out (normally they don’t tell people what they found)?
October 20, 2010 1:39 am at 1:39 am #703310charliehallParticipantThanks for bumping this up.
I found out because I had to go to the MTA lost and found to pick uo some sunglasses I had lost that had been recovered by the bus driver. As I was leaving one of the MTA staffers asked if I could help them by identifying some “Jewish Religious Articles”. I knew before I saw them that she had to be talking about tefillin and that turned out to be the case but she did not even know the word tefillin. I explained how they are used and impressed in her how holy they were — that they are not to be simply disposed of — and also that they cost many hundreds of dollars. They really want to see these back in the hands of the owner. There is a limit as to how long they are permitted to hold on to unclaimed property but they could not tell me how long that is. Please spread the word about this!
October 20, 2010 2:02 pm at 2:02 pm #703311bptParticipantI’m only a few blocks from 8th Ave, so I’ll try and stop by and get a photo, so I can post it here and in shul (and yes, this is also a “bump to the top” post)
Photo to follow ASAP
October 20, 2010 9:09 pm at 9:09 pm #703312bptParticipantApparently, this is not as easy it seemed. I tried to get a photo of the tefillin, but was told that I could not see the item if its not mine. (hence, no photo)
So unless this story gets noticed by the true owner (or gets the involvement of someone really connected) it would appear the tefillin are not going to see the light of day any time soon
October 20, 2010 9:15 pm at 9:15 pm #703313WIYMemberBP Totty
Very sad. Did they say which train they found it on? Time?
October 20, 2010 9:21 pm at 9:21 pm #703314☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantWhoever belongs to a local shul email list, please post this.
October 20, 2010 9:32 pm at 9:32 pm #703315bptParticipantNo, they would’nt tell me anything. (sorry)
Needless to say, MTA employees are not the most talkative breed. Nor accomodating. Looks pretty bleak.
October 20, 2010 9:53 pm at 9:53 pm #703316Shouldnt be hereMemberBP Totty
I’m only a few blocks from 8th Ave, so I’ll try and stop by and get a photo, so I can post it here and in shul (and yes, this is also a “bump to the top” post) Photo to follow ASAP
Anyway a photo can be pub’ed on YWN CR? A temp email address with the mod/editor monitoring?
any ideas suggest it to the mods via ://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/i-need-help-with-searching-posting-searching if they take my suggestion of makin it a “sticky”
October 20, 2010 10:25 pm at 10:25 pm #703317charliehallParticipant“Asset Recovery” appears to mean that they put it up for sale:
October 20, 2010 10:26 pm at 10:26 pm #703318charliehallParticipantThey would not tell me when it was lost or on what line. I’m actually stunned they let me examine them at all. They may have been violating regs to do even that.
October 20, 2010 11:18 pm at 11:18 pm #703319WIYMemberI think we should all print out the info charlie put on the top and put the papers in our respective shuls. What do you think?
October 21, 2010 1:06 am at 1:06 am #703320d aMemberCan one of you very talented, helpful mods correct Shouldnt be here‘s link (HERE). You need to delete the space between via and : and put a space between : and //www.
It should look like this:
via: //www.
and not
via ://www.
(or you can just make it a link…)
Thanks!!!
You can delete this post.
October 21, 2010 2:47 am at 2:47 am #703322L613MemberMy suggestion is that someone should go and claim it ASAP (even if it doesn’t belong to you – I mean how hard can it be to claim tefillin?), and then bring it to the New Square Hashavas Aveida organization. That way, we know it’s in safe, Jewish hands and will not be risked being disposed of in an unacceptable way. And they will try and find the owner.
I would go myself, but I think someone who actually works/lives in that neighborhood should go.
October 21, 2010 2:56 am at 2:56 am #703323charliehallParticipantWellInformedYid,
That is an excellent idea; I just emailed the four largest shuls in my neighborhood; each has a printed bulletin and an email list.
October 21, 2010 3:05 am at 3:05 am #703324d aMemberL613, I don’t think its that simple. To claim it, they will ask you many questions. Where you lost it? What train line? What time of day? Any special signs on them?
And if they catch you lieing, it may look like Yidden lie.
October 21, 2010 3:05 am at 3:05 am #703325WIYMemberL613
You will need to bring a photo ID and be able to say what on subway line you lost them and give the approximate date.
So that will be a problem. We need a mocher to get involved. For now I suggest everyone printing out copies of Charlie Halls first post and distributing it in his shul or shuls he davens in, or yeshivah.
October 21, 2010 3:53 am at 3:53 am #703326WIYMembercharliehall
Thanks. Good, thats a good start, hopefully it will lead to something. I will IY”H print it out and put them on tables in shul tomorrow.
October 21, 2010 4:06 am at 4:06 am #703327Ben TorahParticipantPerhaps Dov Hikind or David Greenfield can have some “pull” with the MTA to transfer this to a shul until the owner is located.
October 21, 2010 4:58 am at 4:58 am #703328HomeownerMemberIn the event the MTA puts the tefillin up for sale, could we take up a collection here (of course, under the Yeshiva World supervision) to buy the tefillin?
Then, after a suitable period (whatever the psak halacha is), if they are still unclaimed, perhaps they can go to a poor Jew who needs a new pair of tefillin or to a yeshiva as a “spare pair.”
October 21, 2010 5:05 am at 5:05 am #703329Ben TorahParticipantAnother lesson learned (the hard way) here…
Right now make sure your Talis and Tefilin bags are labeled with your name and phone numbers.
October 21, 2010 2:27 pm at 2:27 pm #703330☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantIt’s possible that these tefillin were stolen (anywhere) and discarded by the thief on the subway, in which case the owner would have no way to identify which line they were on.
October 21, 2010 4:51 pm at 4:51 pm #703331☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantBUMP!
October 21, 2010 5:28 pm at 5:28 pm #703332charliehallParticipantI like Homeowner’s idea. But hopefully the real owner will appear.
October 21, 2010 6:28 pm at 6:28 pm #703333WolfishMusingsParticipantRight now make sure your Talis and Tefilin bags are labeled with your name and phone numbers.
Heh. Mine has all that — and my email address.
I even started putting my email address (along with my name) on the inside covers of new seforim that I buy.
The Wolf
October 21, 2010 6:28 pm at 6:28 pm #703334WolfishMusingsParticipantIt’s possible that these tefillin were stolen (anywhere) and discarded by the thief on the subway, in which case the owner would have no way to identify which line they were on.
Possible, but far more likely that they were simply lost.
The Wolf
October 21, 2010 7:46 pm at 7:46 pm #703335WIYMemberCharliehall
There’s something I don’t understand, where was the Rabbis identification with this Tefillin? There was a tag or card?
Is it a brand new pair of Tefillin?
I just had a thought, maybe it belongs to a Lebavitcher shliach, one of those guys that offers to put tefillin on people. Some of those guys even operate in subway stations. Either way, it is quite possible that it belongs to such a person. That’s why it didn’t have a name because it may not be his personal pair of tefillin, just one that he uses for this purpose.
October 21, 2010 8:19 pm at 8:19 pm #703336charliehallParticipantThe rabbi’s identification was ON the tefillin. The tefillin looked new or nearly new.
October 21, 2010 8:33 pm at 8:33 pm #703337WIYMembercharliehall
What does that mean ON the Tefillin? On how? In what way on what part?
October 22, 2010 12:53 am at 12:53 am #703338charliehallParticipantThere was a label glued to the outside of the tefillin box that had the name and address of the rabbi/sofer.
October 22, 2010 4:23 am at 4:23 am #703339☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantWolf,
I have no idea what the odds are that they were stolen as opposed to left on the subway; my point is that this should be publicized to anyone who lost his tefillin anywhere because it is a possibility.
October 22, 2010 4:24 am at 4:24 am #703340WIYMemberCharliehall
Oh I gotcha. So he doesnt keep records of who he sells to? Isnt that odd? Its a newish pair as you said so its gotta be someone who bought it recently right?
October 22, 2010 10:23 am at 10:23 am #703341minyan galMemberWIY: The owner of the Tefillin may not have purchased them directly from the sofer. They may have been purchased from a Judaica shop or been a gift.
October 22, 2010 11:06 am at 11:06 am #703342whatrutalkingabtMemberMi Keamcha Yisroel!
Its unreal how when it comes to a mitzvah, everyone unites no matter how different we are. (and boy are we different as is clear from almost every other thread in the CR)
October 22, 2010 12:29 pm at 12:29 pm #703343☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantSome sofrim put on a sticker when they check tefillin. It would make more sense, then, that there are no records.
October 22, 2010 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm #703344Ben TorahParticipantIf it is so new, the owner may be a young Bar Mitzvah bochor.
October 22, 2010 9:03 pm at 9:03 pm #703345charliehallParticipantwhatrutalkingabt,
Thanks! This is the first thread I’ve ever started here on YWN.
October 22, 2010 10:36 pm at 10:36 pm #703346minyan galMember“everyone unites no matter how different we are”
whatrutalkingabt: You are absolutely right, because no matter where we daven, as Yidden we are committed to mitzvot. Most of us try to do the right thing. As a people we are known for our warmth ,generosity and good deeds and though we may agree to disagree on many topics, we will always unite for a good cause or to fight a mutual enemy. Shabbat Shalom.
October 24, 2010 12:06 am at 12:06 am #703347WIYMemberMinyan gal
Touching words. Thanks.
October 24, 2010 6:02 am at 6:02 am #703348charliehallParticipantbump!
October 24, 2010 9:45 pm at 9:45 pm #703349Shouldnt be hereMemberBUMP
WIY So he doesnt keep records of who he sells to? Isnt that odd? Pray tell WHY ?
October 25, 2010 3:12 am at 3:12 am #703351WIYMemberShouldnt be here
Usually businesses keep records of what they sell and to whom especially when it is expensive items. I don’t know how many pairs of tefillin a sofer sells a year but I don’t think its that many I would think he would have some record of it.
October 25, 2010 3:14 am at 3:14 am #703352WIYMembercharliehall
How are we going to know if the Tefillin have been retrieved by the owner?
October 25, 2010 5:50 am at 5:50 am #703353☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantWIY,
I agree that it would be odd not to know who he sold it to, but if he only checked them, it would make more sense.
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