Nova hostage’s tefillin draw thousands in Israel and abroad to pray for his safe return

An Israeli attorney has been criss-crossing Israel and North America with the tefillin of a hostage held in Gaza at the behest of his mother, drawing thousands of Jews to pray for his return, according to a new report.

Heeding a call by Julie Kupershtein, whose son Bar is being held hostage by the Hamas terror group in Gaza, Tzvika Graiver has been setting up points where Jews can put on Bar’s phylacteries and pray, as his family awaits his return from captivity, Ynet reported.

“I was hesitant about taking on such a big responsibility,” Graiver told Ynet. “I sent her a message writing that I have my personal tefillin, which I love very much, but that I was willing to take Bar’s tefillin, set up a stand and put them on other Jews.”

Bar Kupershtein, 21, was a staff member and paramedic at the Supernova festival who stayed behind amid the carnage of the Hamas assault to care for wounded people until he was taken hostage by terrorists.

Julie Kupershtein issued a public call several months ago for someone to travel with Bar’s religious items and encourage prayers on behalf of the hostages.

Graiver stressed that Bar’s mother, whom he describes as the “strongest woman I’ve ever met,” meant for her son’s tefillin to be used to pray for the return of all hostages, not just her son.

Hostage Bar Kupershtein (L) with his father and brother. (Courtesy)

Until October 7, Kupershtein had been financially supporting his mother, Julie, his father, Tal, and four younger siblings.

It was to earn money for his family that Kupershtein was working as a guard at the festival, Itzhak Tabatchnik, Bar’s cousin and a spokesman for the family, told The Times of Israel.

“I believe that, with all due respect to the Israel Defense Forces, which is a powerful army, tefillin has its own strength and enormous power to perform miracles for us that will bring back all the hostages, God willing, as soon as possible,” Graiver told Ynet.

But the journey did not stop in Israel. Upon telling Julie that he had to fly to Montreal in the summer, she urged him to take the tefillin with him and use the opportunity to reach out to other Jewish communities.

Bar Kupershtein is one of the hostages currently being held in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Bar‘s mother has a special request: That Bar’s Tefillin be wrapped every day.@ChabadUCF was lucky enough to have Bar’s Tefillin on campus today and spent the morning wrapping Bar’s Tefillin… pic.twitter.com/SMVPauklg8

— Chabad on Campus International (@ChabadOnCampus) September 4, 2024

“Here is where the amazing Chabad communities everywhere I arrived came in,” he said. “They ‘jumped’ on Bar’s tefillin and, given this was tefillin belonging to a hostage, masses of Jews put on tefillin everywhere I came.”

After Canada, the tefillin reached major east and west coast cities in the US, including Los Angeles, Miami, Boka and Orlando.

“I am looking at the calendar and find it hard to believe that very soon, in a day or two, it will have been three months in which many Jews put on the tefillin and prayed that he will return. I believe that this is what will help bring him and all the hostages back.”