We are pleased to present this important work to the community in memory of Joseph E. Grazi. Joe Grazi was the oldest son of Fortune and Ezra Grazi – immigrants from Jerusalem and Aleppo, respectively – and he lived his life in accordance with his family heritage and the traditions of the Syrian community. He carried these values and traditions with him from his boyhood years in Havana, to his tour of duty in the United States Army during World War II, and through his college years at the University of Maine. He later settled within the confines of Bensonhurst and Gravesend, but, like many people of his time, he had a yearning to reach outward and eventually established a successful real estate business in New York City. Still, he never stepped far away from the community that continually nurtured him and his family.

It is most appropriate that we dedicate this volume, which details all of the halachot regarding the of mitzvah , to Joe's memory. Regaless of hrdow busy life was, and no matter what pressures had mounted, Joe Grazi never forgot the importance of donning his tefillin daily. He approached this mitzvah the same way he approached virtually all aspects of his life: with meticulous attention. This sense of discipline, which he learned and imbibed already during his youth, constituted an essential part of his character. One can almost trace a straight line between his focus on daily prayer with tefillin and his perfectionist nature. Those who knew him well will always remember how many times he would say, “If you are going to do something, do it right!” 

Joe Grazi was married to Sally, the daughter of Pauline and Vita Grazi, for 62 years. Their large family, ken yirbu continues to be an active part of our community. Among their children and grandchildren are Torah scholars in Brooklyn, Deal and Lakewood, as well as others involved in medicine, law, politics, education, business, music and art. As the family patriarch, Joe insisted on taking his entire family to Israel on numerous occasions, thereby solidifying their ongoing commitments to Torah and Israel. Through his establishment of the Sally and Joe Grazi Family Foundation, which has made the publication of this work possible, Joe has enabled his descendants to continue philanthropic work on behalf of the Jewish community

During the last year of his life, when illness felled this tower of strength, Joe's struggle to fulfill his Torah commitments made an indelible impression on every family member. He insisted on wearing tefillin each and every day, until the very end, even on days when he had energy for nothing else. Reflecting on the essence of the man, this struggle was part of who he was – a man of true integrity and uncompromising dedication to his values.

It is in this spirit that the family dedicates this work l'ilui nishmat Joseph E. Grazi, Z"L . It is our hope that this compendium of the laws of tefillin will be used by the legions of our community's young men as they reach the milestone of their Bar Mitzvah, and for many years beyond. To the extent that it will foster within them a commitment to performing this essential mitzvah with detailed precision, it will serve to successfully perpetuate the special legacy of a truly remarkable and dearly beloved man.