Watch: Ben Brafman Discusses Those That Are Behind Bars This Chanukah

December 4, 2021
7:00 pm

Communicated Content

For the men and women spending Chanukah behind bars, this holiday looks starkly different. Their cells are bleak and lonely; there are no candles to illuminate the darkness, no latkes to eat, and no presents to exchange. They are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, but they feel entirely alone and forgotten.

Founded 40 years ago by Rabbi Sholom Lipskar at the direction of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Aleph supports people who are isolated, forgotten, and abandoned: those in prisons, mental institutions, the military—and their families left behind. Through religious programming, legal advocacy, and humanitarian aid, Aleph serves as a lifeline for these individuals and their shattered families, to ensure that no one is ever alone forgotten.

In the words of a young mother whose husband was incarcerated: “Aleph kept me from sinking into a bottomless black hole. There was no judgment – only understanding… It gives me the chills when I think about it because it really is true; when all hope is lost and you feel utterly alone, you’re really not because Aleph is always there.”

And we recently received this note from a man in prison: “You have brought me air when I didn’t know where my next breath was coming from. You have picked up my pieces when I felt being whole again was useless. I am not alone because of the Aleph Institute.”

For nearly four decades, Aleph has been creating and implementing programs designed to rehabilitate offenders, counsel, and assist them and their families, reduce or eliminate periods of incarceration, and provide moral and ethical educational programs. This past year, through compassionate release and clemency efforts during the pandemic, Aleph helped over 100 individuals be released from prison and reunite with their families.

Partner with Aleph and help bring light to those who need it most! #BETHELIGHT https://www.alephlights.org