“I just spent two days inside a prison,” shared Mendel Minkowitz, a 23-year-old bochur from California after Rosh Hashanah. “We had the chance to pray, to blow the shofar, and to sit shoulder to shoulder with men in minimum and medium security. What struck me most wasn’t the walls, the barbed wire, or the routine. It was how present everyone in that room was… Every person locked into the words, the songs, the meaning of the holiday.”
For the 13 Jewish men languishing behind bars in Lompoc, California, the holiday could easily have passed like any other day. But because of Aleph, that day was transformed with a simple visit from Mendel and his friend.
Each year for Yomim Noraim, Aleph sends dozens of rabbinical students to prisons across the country. Their mission is simple yet profound: to bring the joy, holiness, and hope of the High Holidays to those behind bars. Armed with machzorim, shofars, and boundless positive energy, Aleph volunteers arrive at correctional facilities nationwide. Some sleep in RVs parked just outside prison walls, while others stay in nearby motels—all with the singular purpose of leading services and forging meaningful connections with individuals who have often felt cut off from their faith and community for years.
This year, Aleph sent over 40 volunteers to 24 prisons across the United States for Rosh Hashanah, and 36 volunteers to 12 facilities for Yom Kippur. In total, more than 14,500 religious and educational items were shipped out for the holidays, including 553 machzorim, 72 shofars, 199 lulav and esrog sets, 2,141 honey packets, 9,522 Jewish calendars, and 2,095 holiday cards.
“Some men we meet won’t sit through an entire service,” Mendel said. “For them, it might just be the sound of the shofar echoing against the concrete walls. But that sound alone says: ‘You are still part of us.’”
He concluded: “This shlichus is so unique. It’s for anyone who wants to keep dreaming bigger even after their yeshiva years too—to be moved in a real way and to think beyond themselves.”
Tzvi Haber, another Aleph rabbinical volunteer, spent Yom Kippur visiting prisons as well. “We had a minyan the entire day—and especially during Neilah, when the gates are closing, you could feel the depth of their prayers,” he said. “These are some of the only people in the world who truly embody what that moment is about. Many shared that they were praying for mental clarity and peace.”
“The message of the High Holidays is that wherever a Jew may be, there is always a way to return, reconnect, and begin again,” said Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, Aleph’s CEO. “At Aleph, we work to make that message a reality, so that even in the most isolated places, Jews can hear the shofar, join in prayer, and feel part of our people.”
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Aleph is always looking for volunteers to visit prisons for the holidays and throughout the year. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email [email protected] or visit www.aleph-institute.org for more information.
