A Bar Mitzvah in 770

Dovid Alexander Zupkov is a student at PS 225 in Brighton Beach. He is also one of the “Released Time” kids who spends one hour every week learning about yiddishkeit with yeshiva bochurim.

Dovid had the distinction of becoming bar mitzvah today in 770, in the presence of his grandmother and the other Released Time children from his school.

His classmates and grandmother were visibly moved by the experience, particularly as he put on tefillin for the first time (a gift to him from Released Time) in the Rebbe’s room, and when he later received his aliya downstairs in 770.

An older student from his class who is already bar mitzvah age was so moved from his friend’s experience that he made a commitment to put on tefillin everyday with Alexander.

Every week, 200 Released Time instructors visit 104 public schools around New York to visit nearly 1000 Jewish children.

The Released Time Program, Shaloh, was founded by the Frierdiker Rebbe in 1941. The Rebbe frequently referred to Shaloh as ‘haztalos nefashos mamash.’