When 20 Teens Chose to Wear Tzitzit

Every few months, Chabad Youth, a branch of the Lubavitch movement, organizes special Shabbat weekends called Shabbatons for teenagers who didn’t grow up in religious homes. One recent Shabbaton took place in Kfar Chabad, a warm and welcoming town near Tel Aviv, and it left a deep and lasting impression.

This particular Shabbaton welcomed a large group of teens from Kiryat Shemonah, a town in northern Israel close to the Lebanese border. It was the tenth Shabbaton held in Kfar Chabad so far. In total, more than 1,500 teens have participated in these Kfar Chabad weekends, and hundreds more have taken part in similar events in Jerusalem and Safed, two of Judaism’s holiest cities.

Over the course of the holy day, the teens got a taste of what Shabbat truly feels like. Some of them were experiencing it for the very first time. They prayed, learned Torah, and enjoyed festive Shabbat meals filled with singing, words of inspiration, and meaningful conversations.

On Shabbat morning, the teens came together for prayer and to hear the Torah reading. That week’s parshah, the weekly Torah portion, included the commandment of tzitzit, the special fringes worn on a four-cornered garment to remind us of Hashem’s mitzvot.

As soon as one of the boys heard the mitzvah being read, he stood up and made a bold and heartfelt declaration. “From now on, I’m going to wear tzitzit,” he announced.

His sincerity lit a spark.

One by one, 19 more boys stood up. Each of them said they also wanted to begin wearing tzitzit, taking on this mitzvah from the depths of their hearts.

The very next morning, the organizers rushed out to buy beautiful new pairs of tzitzit for all 20 boys. These teens, many of whom had never connected to a mitzvah before, now proudly embraced this special tradition that symbolizes connection to Hashem.

A simple Shabbat. A single moment of inspiration. And 20 young Jewish souls that found a path to something greater.