Yeshiva in Prison

Many individuals in prison yearn to connect with something greater than themselves. 

The Adel Bas Avraham Learning To Live Yeshiva in Prison program is a unique initiative run by the Aleph Institute that operates within correctional facilities to promote rehabilitation and compliance with the law. The program sends rabbinical volunteers to facilities nationwide to administer a 2-3 day intensive learning program, with a comprehensive curriculum covering Jewish law, Talmud, ethics, and more. By recreating a yeshiva-like environment within the confines of prison, participants are given the opportunity to engage in immersive Torah study, prayer sessions, group-led discussions, and more.

The program facilitates participants’ reconnection with their faith while also forging bonds amongst the participants themselves, giving them a sense of brotherhood and community in an otherwise challenging environment. The ultimate goal is to provide participants with the tools and motivation they need to change the trajectory of their lives, reconnect with their Jewish roots, and become law-following, productive members of society.

In 2022, for the first time ever, we held this program over Shabbat, and participants had the opportunity to pray, receive aliyot to the Torah, hear lectures from Aleph rabbis and volunteers, participate in a Q&A session, learn Jewish songs, and enjoy delicious Shabbat food.

After a Yeshiva in Prison program was organized at Sumter Correctional Institution in Florida, Daniel*, who’s currently serving a 30-year sentence tearfully expressed, “Never in my life did I think I could be part of a community in this place.” 

To find out more about the Yeshiva in Prison program, please contact yip@aleph-institute.org.