Fred Barber זצ״ל cared deeply about many things. Close to his heart was family, the community, and the mitzvah of tefillin. One of his last wishes was that we do something meaningful to make a difference in this world and prepare ourselves for the next.

The Barber Foundation seeks to solve the problem of the high cost of obtaining tefillin for those that wish to undertake this mitzvah. Our goal is to help as many boys and men who would like a pair, but cannot afford it. 

Tefillin connects the mind and the heart to Hashem. Our thoughts and our actions have the power to create change, to offer love, and to be a source of positivity, goodness, and discipline. Fred personified the mitzvah of tefillin. We would like for everyone to be able to fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin in memory of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. 

This was Fred’s essence and will change the world one person at a time.

The wearing of the tefillin dates back to the Scriptural commandments in the books of Deuteronomy and Exodus that urge the faithful followers to comply with the religious law of binding themselves to G-d. Placed on the arm opposite the heart, and on the head, the tefillin signifies the submission of one’s mind and heart and actions to the Almighty, as well as the rule of our intellect over our emotions.

The Exodus from Egypt was an unbelievable miracle for the Jewish people. It “binded” them forever to Hashem. It was that event that instilled in all the Jewish people that their faith in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was an everlasting covenant.

It is the obligation of every Jewish male after bar mitzvah age to fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin. It is the obligation of every Jewish person to remember the Exodus from Egypt and to transmit that event to our descendents. It is our responsibility to G-d to fulfill the mitzvohs of his Torah and the commandments that he gave on Mount Sinai.

When you put on tefillin, you are connecting to the Infinite. You are fulfilling G-d’s will by reminding yourself to be a better person. You are also following in your great-great grandfather’s footsteps. When you do this, you are increasing the chances that your great-great grandchildren will also fulfill this commandment. Those straps don’t connect just to the Almighty, they connect you to your past, to your future, to your people. – Chabad.org