Bringing Purim Behind Bars: Aleph Is On A Mission to Share Joy, Tefillin, and The Spirit of Purim with Yidden Who Need It Most
Simon* has spent more than three decades in prison. Each morning, he wakes up to the same gray walls and clanking metal doors, counting days that don’t seem to matter.
Hope was something he had forgotten how to feel. But last Purim, thanks to the Aleph Institute, something changed.
“Two young rabbis from Brooklyn just left my cell,” Simon wrote to us. “We laid Tefillin. I had a truly joyful time with them. Toda Raba for sending them to share Purim with me. My heart is very happy!”
Purim is the story of hidden miracles—the light that breaks through even the darkest places. For Simon, that light came in the form of two young rabbis who saw him not just as a person behind bars, but as a fellow Jew—worthy of love, joy, and dignity.
This Purim, Aleph is preparing to bring that light to isolated individuals across the country. We’re sending 70 volunteers to over 130 correctional facilities in 25 states to read the Megillah, distribute hamentashen, and fill the bleakest of cells with the holiday spirit. We also shipped 1,768 Mishloach Manos packages and 324 Megillos to prisons nationwide.
Aleph’s military chaplains are delivering the joy of Purim to Jewish service members and their families, ensuring they can celebrate no matter where they’re stationed. We’ve sent 992 Mishloach Manos packages and 414 Megillos to bases worldwide—from Japan to Germany, Poland to Kuwait—bringing the spirit of Purim to those serving far from home.
At the same time, Aleph’s Family Services team is making Purim special for children by providing costumes, Mishloach Manos, and connecting them with local Megillah readings.
For those who feel invisible, it’s a reminder that they are seen. As one individual behind bars shared: “The students who visited us brought rays of sunshine to a place of perpetual darkness. I now realize that G-d has me right where I am needed—I understand it’s all part of the greater picture. Please know that it means so much to us here—simply being remembered.”
Aleph’s Annual Auction is taking place this Monday, March 10. By purchasing a ticket, you are directly supporting Aleph’s life-changing work and helping people like Simon reclaim their lives and celebrate the holidays, no matter where they are.
Buy a ticket to win. Give a ticket to a better life.
