The Forward, NY
August 1, 2003 - Letters
Jewish Inmates at Risk From proselytization
Rabbi Jerrold Levy, incarcerated in a federal prison in North Carolina, writes in a July 11 letter to the editor that Christian proselytizing does not greatly influence Jewish inmates because “the Jesus metaphor does not work for us Jews” (“Christian Jail Programs Instill Faith in Rebirth”). He concludes with a spirited defense of Prison Fellow Ministries and faith-based evangelical programs in general. Perhaps that’s the case in federal prisons, but the “Jesus metaphor” seems to work for many in state penitentiaries.
The Forward’s sympathetic treatment of Evangelical Christianity in letters and articles, as evidenced by the publication of Levy’s letter, has resulted in at least one person’s move to help Jewish inmates: me. After an 18-month hiatus, I’ve decided to “resurrect” my Washington State Department of Corrections volunteer badge and resume regular visitation with Jewish inmates at the local state prison complex.
Jewish and other minority inmates face incredible challenges, as do the directors and volunteers throughout the United States with Aleph and Jewish Prison Services International. Antisemitism flourishes in state pens, fostered by rural Bible-thumping communities, prison officers, Christian in-house chaplains and heavy-duty proselytizing by Prison Fellow Ministries and other fundamentalist church volunteers.
Getting prison officials to allow Jewish inmates to eat kosher food, receive religious books, wear kippot and tallitot, get matzo and other Pesach foods and light Shabbat candles is a never-ending battle. There are no such “constitutional impediments” for Christian inmates and their outside volunteers.
Levy’s assertion notwithstanding, the “Jesus metaphor” is indeed a very powerful draw for Jewish inmates surrounded by Christians and prison staffs with scant knowledge or interest in Jewish observance, ritual practices and the psychological needs of Jews in prison.
Akiva Segan