Deri Pledges Tefillin and Prayer Shawls for Boys Turning 13

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri pledged that his party would promote a program in the next government to provide tefillin and a tallit to every boy reaching bar mitzvah age. Under the proposal, the education system would supply the religious items as a kit when boys turn 13. Deri also said Shas would seek designated spaces in schools for pupils who wish to put on tefillin and pray. He presented the initiative in a campaign video released Thursday. The pledge concerns a future government program, rather than an existing distribution scheme.