Author Topic: Track down Talis & Tefillin owner (Read 4857 times)

qsman · « **on:** March 18, 2021, 12:06:00 PM »

Hello,

Given the past 2 posts about how the forums have facilitated chessed around the globe, I have a pair of Talis and Tefillin for over 3 years now that remain ownerless. How I got them was absolute hashgacha pratis.

I used to drive Uber/Lyft/Amazon Prime back when rideshare was much more lucrative than it is now. One Sunday right arounf Thanksgiving I wound up with a fare from Baltimore all the way to Dulles Airport, a minimum of 1.5 hours without traffic. After dropping off, I went over to the rideshare waiting area to hopefully pick up a fare that would take me towards Maryland and mincha. It was getting late, and I decided I will have to daven b'yechidus in the lot since I would not make it to a minyan.

After I finished davening, another driver comes over to me with a package, and said "I saw you praying and I figured you would know what to do with this". It was a pair of talis and tefillin, of course without any embroidered name tags or ID. He explained that he was driving in Washington DC when the passenger forgot it in his car about 2 weeks prior. He tried following up with Uber, and they told him to take it to the local GreenLight office and drop it off since no one claimed it. Thankfully he did not do that.

There were various cards, papers etc inside but no leads developed from them. I contacted all the Chabad and Hilllel houses in the DC/VA/MD area as well as publicize in papers, shuls and online forums. i got a few calls but no matches.

The T&T are NOT in a standard velvet bag, but in one of those plastic canisters with a screw-on top.

So that's the story, I never thought to try here but why not.

Thanks
Nachum Hurvitz

YitzyS · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:12:36 PM »

Quote from: qsman on March 18, 2021, 12:06:00 PM

Hello,

Given the past 2 posts about how the forums have facilitated chessed around the globe, I have a pair of Talis and Tefillin for over 3 years now that remain ownerless. How I got them was absolute hashgacha pratis.

I used to drive Uber/Lyft/Amazon Prime back when rideshare was much more lucrative than it is now. One Sunday right arounf Thanksgiving I wound up with a fare from Baltimore all the way to Dulles Airport, a minimum of 1.5 hours without traffic. After dropping off, I went over to the rideshare waiting area to hopefully pick up a fare that would take me towards Maryland and mincha. It was getting late, and I decided I will have to daven b'yechidus in the lot since I would not make it to a minyan.

After I finished davening, another driver comes over to me with a package, and said "I saw you praying and I figured you would know what to do with this". It was a pair of talis and tefillin, of course without any embroidered name tags or ID. He explained that he was driving in Washington DC when the passenger forgot it in his car about 2 weeks prior. He tried following up with Uber, and they told him to take it to the local GreenLight office and drop it off since no one claimed it. Thankfully he did not do that.

There were various cards, papers etc inside but no leads developed from them. I contacted all the Chabad and Hilllel houses in the DC/VA/MD area as well as publicize in papers, shuls and online forums. i got a few calls but no matches.

The T&T are NOT in a standard velvet bag, but in one of those plastic canisters with a screw-on top.

So that's the story, I never thought to try here but why not.

Thanks
Nachum Hurvitz

First question:

Are the tefillin large, Lubavitch style? Because that would give a starting point, if we are looking for someone in the Chabad community or in a wider sphere.

Dan · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:13:25 PM »

Pictures?
Have you posted on DDFB?

yoshyosh · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:17:02 PM »

Quote from: YitzyS on March 18, 2021, 12:12:36 PM

First question:

Are the tefillin large, Lubavitch style? Because that would give a starting point, if we are looking for someone in the Chabad community or in a wider sphere.

chabad teffillin don't fit in those canisters, and anyone with chabad teffillin would also have reabinu tams, better clue is what type of tallis, silver plated or colors, brand size of strings. Call uber cs and see if a claim was filed by the passenger maybe the support is more helpful now.

grodnoking · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:20:05 PM »

Quote from: yoshyosh on March 18, 2021, 12:17:02 PM

Call uber cs and see if a claim was filed by the passenger maybe the support is more helpful now.

Their service is even worse, if you can imagine such a thing.

qsman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:41:20 PM »

Quote from: YitzyS on March 18, 2021, 12:12:36 PM

First question:

Are the tefillin large, Lubavitch style? Because that would give a starting point, if we are looking for someone in the Chabad community or in a wider sphere.

They are regular size

qsman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:42:09 PM »

Quote from: Dan on March 18, 2021, 12:13:25 PM

Pictures?
Have you posted on DDFB?

I will add its a black canister. with an external bag, SIMILAR to this:

https://www.grandjudaica.net/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/29e8f046d862fac94e90b09f25a1e561/5/9/59716.jpg

Facebook? I dont have it.

qsman · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:44:51 PM »

Quote from: grodnoking on March 18, 2021, 12:20:05 PM

Their service is even worse, if you can imagine such a thing.

Uber support is a bunch of monkeys in Bang-a-dish supervised by penguins in Antarctica. They will NEVER comprehend what you are trying to say, especially if it does not fit the stupid decision tree they have to follow when responding. The Greenlight centers are not open

Lyft is a different story - drivers can call and speak to a native English speaking agent who you can have a conversation with

YitzyS · « **Reply #8 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:45:09 PM »

I think those extra cards may be the key. It may be easy to ascertain what industry he worked for based on them, or at least what city he lived in. Are they cards that can be shared publicly?

bubkiz · « **Reply #9 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:48:32 PM »

Also, there are some eagle-eyed Sofrim that can analyze the ksav and batim and figure out who wrote them, where they were purchased, etc.

qsman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:01:55 PM »

Quote from: YitzyS on March 18, 2021, 12:45:09 PM

I think those extra cards may be the key. It may be easy to ascertain what industry he worked for based on them, or at least what city he lived in. Are they cards that can be shared publicly?

Here is a photo of the card and the yarmulke that was wrapped with it

I called the number on the card. There was also a card to a Chabad in the Old City, I can't find it now but I know I called them up too

qsman · « **Reply #11 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:06:16 PM »

Quote from: bubkiz on March 18, 2021, 12:48:32 PM

Also, there are some eagle-eyed Sofrim that can analyze the ksav and batim and figure out who wrote them, where they were purchased, etc.

I suspect these are Israeli in origin

bubkiz · « **Reply #12 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:25:28 PM »

There is an organization in Israel called Machon Pe'er which has a Tefillin lost/found database.
They were helpful in tracking down the owner of a Talis/Teffilin I found on an Egged bus many years ago.

Something Fishy · « **Reply #13 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:41:48 PM »

If there is to be any hope of finding the owner you must post pictures of EVERYTHING.

ExGingi · « **Reply #14 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:44:50 PM »

Quote from: qsman on March 18, 2021, 12:06:00 PM

The T&T are NOT in a standard velvet bag, but in one of those plastic canisters with a screw-on top.

Definitely Israeli.

Since there was a yarmulka in there, I would guess they might belong to someone who doesn't regularly wear a yarmulka and was on a visit.

I would say this needs to be advertised in some kind of forum or media that is more likely to be seen by Israeli tourists and or travelers to the area. The owner might be back in Israel at this point.