New Haven, Connecticut, has given the world many innovations, including the submarine (1776), the corkscrew (1860), the lollipop (1892), and the frisbee (1920). Now, nearly 400 years into its history, it has another offering for the world: Mitzvah Tanks.

The Mitzvah Tank, first developed in the ‘60s and ‘70s, as part of the Rebbe’s emerging campaign to encourage Jewish observance, has become a staple in cities across the US, Israel, and beyond.

A Mitzvah Tank is typically an RV, outfitted with signage and speakers and an interior that has been adapted to be a synagogue-on-the-go, with room for people to join an intimate Torah class, put on tefillin, or just enjoy a drink or a snack in a kosher environment.

Securing and retrofitting a “Tank,” however, has been a challenging task, with every prospective “tankist” charting their own path in terms of decor, signage, renovation, and furnishing.

Avi Meer, a real estate developer and builder in New Haven, says he and a group of friends, who built and maintain two Mitzvah Tanks in New Haven, now share their time and expertise to help communities around America outfit Tanks of their own.

New Haven has a long history in the area of Mitzvah Tanks. In 1978, Rabbi Boruch Shalom Kahan, who lives in New Haven, and a group of friends, pooled their money—each giving $100—to purchase a Tank of their own, which they used to reach out to students at Yale University.

The vehicle, with its striking signage, was picked up by the Yale News under the headline

“‘Mitzvah Mobile’ Boosts Jewish Identity.” Kahen sent the clipping to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe spoke about the New Haven activists and expressed his profuse thanks for their efforts. At the same time, he told his audience that he was not satisfied and that the success of the New Haven Tank just served to whet his appetite for more.

This same dynamic—the insatiable drive to do more—is what animates the current crop of New Haven Tank innovators.

It began when they studied a teaching of the Rebbe about the mandate to spread the word that Moshiach’s arrival is imminent, and that it is up to humanity to increase in acts of goodness and kindness.

As people were largely isolated then due to the COVID lockdowns, they hit upon the idea of commissioning some well-placed billboards to get the word out.

“The feedback was amazing. People saw it, it inspired them, and everyone got excited,” says Meer. “But it was too expensive to keep it up long-term, and we did not interact with the vast majority of the people who saw the billboards.”

The group then settled on the idea of professionally wrapping the large van of a local community member in signage as an alternative.

The local technician who wrapped the van for them identified as a non-Jew. As he worked on the project, he shared that his mother was Jewish. He soon put on tefillin for the first time in his life, and the New Haven Mitzvah Tank had its first customer before it even hit the streets.

The response to the Tank was positive, but it functioned primarily as a family car, and the group knew they could do more. They then went all out and purchased an airport shuttle van, which they converted into a dedicated Mitzvah Tank, complete with a mini-conference table, a hot and cold drink station, and shelving for books and other supplies.

It took trial and error, research and grit, but by the time they were done, they realized they had a template that could be easily replicated.

Within a few years, they began producing Tanks for communities as close as New York and as far away as Florida. They are all volunteers, and they offer their time and expertise at no charge.

While some of the vehicles are made to fit modest budgets, some are high-end—like the one currently being produced for the Shul of Bal Harbor, which includes leather seats and couches, custom lighting, giant screens, an onboard commode, and other amenities.

One memorable Tank was customized for a group of Jewish sports fans who meet regularly outside MetLife Stadium for a kosher tailgate party, afternoon prayers, and the pleasure of enjoying a beloved pastime with fellow members of the tribe.

The Tank is wrapped in Jets and Giants colors, with imagery that blends football and mitzvahs, emblazoned with the slogan, “Be an MVP, do a mitzvah!”

Their work has now been taken to the next level with a grant from Machane Israel, which will award $18,000 to three communities toward the purchase and outfitting of Mitzvah Tanks.

Reflecting on the work of the group, which operates under the banner of “Mitzvah Tank USA,” Meer has a simple message: “A Mitzvah Tank is a game-changer for your community. And it's easier than you think to get one.”

To learn more about Mitzvah Tank USA or to apply for a grant for your community, click here.