Discovering a Proud Jew in a Prison’s Iron Cell

RAMLEH, Israel — The following is an excerpt from Israel Behind Bars, a memoir of Rabbi Fishel Jacobs’ experiences as a chaplain in the Israel Prison Service. This tale of spending Yom Kippur with convicted Israeli criminals echoes similar stories shared by Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis and rabbinical students who cater to Jewish prisoners not only in Israel, but in the United States as well. This year, for instance, the Chabad of Houston will host the first ever Yom Kippur services at a penitentiary in Houston, Texas.

Boris, 6′ 4″, 240 pounds of hulking muscle, in his late forties, stood poised in front of me. He had a huge head set on a broad, powerful, muscular thick-boned torso. No bodily movement when he spoke; he just held you fixed with his steady glare, seemingly ready for a fight. Etched on his face was the intense ruthless expression of a killer.

How did I meet Boris?

A few years ago I spent Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in one of my prisons. The idea sprang from necessity. The cantors scheduled to lead the services, didn’t show up. There’s a budget for this; officers are not expected to spend their holidays with the prisoners. But, no cantorsóno services.

So, there I was. My wife, Miriam, packed the traditional knee-length, white gown worn on this day, slippers of man-made material (leather is considered too comfortable to wear on this atonement day), and ram’s horn, blown as a sign of the fast day’s completion.

Article continued (Chabad.org)