Veteran Jewish broadcaster Larry King put on a pair of tefillin this week as part of a very special campaign. King, 85, wore the phylacteries as part of the #tefillinforyitzi campaign, started by a Chabad rabbi in California. Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, stationed in the city of Temecula, was diagnosed six years ago with ALS. For his birthday this past weekend, he requested that people send in photos of themselves wearing tefillin in his honor - since he is no longer physically able to aid people in doing so himself. 'Rabbi Yitzi, this is Larry King, I know it's a tough fight you're in but you're a tough guy,' King said in the video uploaded to the Tefillin for Yitzi Instagram page earlier this week. 'We just said prayers for you, I wish you nothing but the best. A good, and better, and long life.' View this post on Instagram @larrykingnow put on #TefillinForYitzi!!! Watch his powerful message to Yitzi! Go to link in bio to view all thousands of photos and videos of this years TefillinForYitzi!!! Many more to come! A post shared by TefillinForYitzi (@tefillinforyitzi) on Mar 10, 2019 at 5:48am PDT While today Hurwitz is unable to speak or type, he uses eye gaze technology to communicate. 'I've been blessed with a voice that can't sing. With a body that doesn't work,' Hurwitz said in a video uploaded to the Chabad.org website last month. 'So I dance to a new rhythm. I'm Yitzi Hurwitz. And I know that I matter.' View this post on Instagram JUST IN!!! Beautiful message from Rabbi Yitzi to all participating in his birthday gift!! #TefillinForYitzi Go to link in bio!! A post shared by TefillinForYitzi (@tefillinforyitzi) on Mar 6, 2019 at 9:42am PST King, a veteran broadcaster and journalist, was born Lawrence Zeiger in Brooklyn to Orthodox Jewish parents who immigrated from Europe. In 2015 King visited Israel for the first time in 20 years, and in 2017 he accepted a lifetime achievement award at The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York.
