The Eighteenth annual Illinois Mitzvah Tank campaign, arranged by Rabbi Yosef Moscowitz - Executive Director of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, spread light and Pesach messages throughout Illinois.
Hosted on Bais Nissan, histalkus of the Rebbe RaShaB and this year marking the shloshim of the passing of head shliach to Illinois, Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, z’l the mitzvah tanks were staffed by the students of the Seymour J. Abrams Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School and the bochurim of the Lubavitch Mesivta. Special thanks to Rabbi Adam Epstein who only recently arrived in Chicago and stepped up to spearhead and coordinate every detail of the parade.
The Parade began at the headquarters of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois and traveled through the neighborhood alerting all to their arrival with a ride down Lake Shore Drive, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, and ending off at Chicago’s City Hall – Daley Plaza where a quick ceremony took place.
The Mivtzoim continued as the tanks fanned out to prearranged posts throughout the Chicagoland area, distributing over 250 pounds of Shmura Matzo, 1,000 copies of Pesach brochures and giving over 100 Jews the opportunity to put on Tefillin and sell their Chametz. Throughout the entire city, the tanks were met with great joy and countless waves and thumbs up as Jewish pride swelled at the sight of these mobile messengers of goodness.
A tank in the Bucktown neighborhood was privileged to meet a 65 year old man who had never before put on Tefillin. In a show of his thanks and in honor of the momentous occasion, he contributed $65 to the efforts of the parade.
