The sound of the shofar echoed through the room as a group of men stood silently in awe. For a moment, they were transported to a place of hope and connection, far from the harsh confines of the bleak prison walls that surrounded them. This was Rosh Hashanah behind bars—and thanks to the Aleph Institute, it was anything but forgotten.
Each year during the High Holidays, Aleph sends dozens of dedicated rabbinical students to prisons across the country. Their mission is simple, yet profound: To bring the joy and holiness of Rosh Hashanah to those behind bars. Armed with prayer books, shofars and abundant positive energy, these volunteers arrive at facilities around the country. Some of them park just outside the prison walls in RVs provided by Aleph, while others are lodged in nearby motels, all with the purpose of leading holiday services and creating meaningful connections with individuals who have often felt disconnected from their faith and humanity for years.
The impact of these visits resonates deeply, touching the hearts of the individuals both within and beyond the prison walls. For the volunteers, the experience is transformative.
“I was a bit nervous to go,” said Shalom Posner, a 22-year-old yeshiva student from Alabama who spent Rosh Hashanah at Everglades Correctional Institution in Miami. “I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to relate to the men there.”
“But it was surreal. This experience really makes you understand the complexity of human beings,” he said. “We sometimes define people by one action or mistake, but when you sit down and talk to these people, you see they’re full, complex individuals, just like us. That’s the point of shlichus [being an emissary], to reach every Jew. If there’s a possibility of igniting even the smallest spark, it’s worth it.”
For Jacob, who is serving a 27-year sentence at the Everglades facility, hearing the shofar moved him to his core. “It brought me back to a place of hope I hadn’t felt in years,” he said. “At that moment, I felt like I wasn’t just a number.”
He was deeply impacted by the immersive, three-day experience that included explanatory hands-on prayer services led by the students, singing, dancing and bonding with one another. “It was by far the best Rosh Hashanah I’ve had so far,” Jacob said. “The students really explained the davening for all of us, and I was able to actually understand what I was saying.”
Levi Moscowitz, a rabbinical volunteer from Illinois, spent his Rosh Hashanah in Palm Beach County, Fla., staying in a motel room arranged by Aleph that was within walking distance of the South Bay Correctional Institution. “There’s nothing in it for you, nothing they can give you back,” Moscowitz said. “Some of these people have been in prison since the 1980s, and they’ll be there for life. But knowing that someone cares about them enough to just show up literally revives them.”
He added, “If any bochur [rabbinical student] is even curious about doing this, I would tell them to go. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you’ll never forget.”
Thanks to Aleph, Rosh Hashanah is not just another day for those behind bars; it’s a reminder that they, too, are valued, seen and remembered. This year, Aleph sent more than 40 volunteers to 19 prisons nationwide and shipped out 502 machzorim, 46 shofars, 2,185 honey packets and 1,966 holiday cards to ensure that Jewish people in prison had access to all the items needed to properly celebrate.
“This holiday teaches that no matter where we find ourselves, we have the ability to start anew,” said Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, Aleph’s CEO. “At Aleph, we take pride in bringing this message to incarcerated individuals, especially to those who may feel like they’ve lost the opportunity for a fresh start. We remind them that renewal is always possible.”
Aleph is looking for volunteers to visit prisons for the holidays and throughout the year. If you’re interested in getting involved, email: mhendel@aleph-institute.org or visit: www.aleph-institute.org.