Jews, Judaism & Carcerality

This section of my website began a few years ago as an attempt to gather resources for anyone, myself included, interested in learning more about and addressing carceral systems, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Regardless of when you’re reading this, I am probably still in the middle of re-organizing these resources and seeking to build with like-minded people to work toward abolition; whatever time in the calendar it is, Jews are likely also in the middle of a struggle for Liberation.

For the record, this page was launched on Rosh Chodesh Iyar in the Jewish year 5785, during the third week of the seven week journey from Passover, the festival of “freedom,” to Shavuot, the festival of Torah-giving. All of which means it was started right in the middle — halfway between Passover and “Second Passover,” an ancient opportunity for those who missed Passover for whatever reason, to give Liberation another try. (More on this time period — and on some possibilities to mark that second-chance holiday.) As the calendar rolls on, the hope for Liberation persists.

Along with reorganizing older materials, I am attempting to add additional resources around Judaism and Jews’ relationship to incarceration (mostly in the U.S.). This page also links materials designed to support Jewish spirituality for those experiencing incarceration or re-entry and their study partners/loved ones.

Matir Asurim: Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People is “an emerging network of community organizers and activists, people directly impacted by incarceration, artists, rabbis, chaplains, healers and dreamers creating Jewish care and providing resources for people who are incarcerated.” It is a very small group for which I am a past (and possibly future) part of the organizing team. Especially given the size of its human and financial resources, one thing Matir Asurim has to balance, very precariously, is the need to support Jews and Jewish needs in particular while also addressing more universalist obligations.

  • Kol Yisrael Aravim Zeh Bazeh [All Jews Are Responsible, One to the Other]/Communal Responsibility: “All Yisrael is responsible, one for the other.” Jews have many universalist obligations, but we also have a special duty to other Jews.
    • SOURCE TEXT:
    • שכל ישראל ערבים זה בזה
    • “All Yisrael is responsible, one for the other.” – Shevuot 39a

FURTHER NOTE from Guiding Concepts: In Leviticus 26, God promises great reward if the people obey the commandments as outlined and warns of terrible punishments if they fail to do so. One of the punishment verses says: “And they shall stumble one upon another” (Leviticus 26:37). The Talmud takes this to mean that Jews can cause one another to stumble by failing to assist one another in honoring the commandments. Therefore, we are “all responsible one for the other” (Shevuot 39a). If we have the opportunity to prevent a member of the community from doing wrong, and do not intervene, we are responsible for the wrong.

This obligation is understood by many Jewish teachers to mean that we must help one another in matters of ritual, keeping kosher, etc. It is also interpreted to mean that we must not allow conditions that can lead to crime: lack of housing, food, education, etc.

There are many ways Jews, currently across the US, are failing to support the Jewish needs of incarcerated Jews: We are not meeting needs in terms of ensuring kosher food and access to appropriate worship and education opportunities. And we are not meeting the related need for Jewish community to help support those in search of Jewish spirituality while incarcerated. To a great extent we have outsourced care for incarcerated people to a few organizations, which means in practice that many who don’t fit how these groups see “Jew,” are left entirely without support. (See Jewish Currents article of 2023.)

There are at least as many ways Jews are failing to address the wider issues of human rights for for those touched by our carceral systems and the wider problems of carcerality. (Definitions and more basic information at Addressing Carcerality on this site.) I am no expert on the wider issues of carcerality or on Jewish approaches, historically and today. But I have invested a lot of time and energy in related studies. And in the spirit of “things we’re willing to offer and suggest” (“What if…?”), I am sharing what I have learned and a few connections I have made. Beyond that, not sure what is ahead, but hoping other Jews will join me in trying to figure it out.

Thoughts and Resources on Judaism & Carceral Systems

Additional resources not necessarily focused on Judaism

Torah, Holidays, and More (more coming)