First the facts:
1. The fact that Otisville is close geographically to a “Jewish population” and “rabbis” has no bearing on the food or other services. A bit of research would have uncovered a national menu for Special Diets including kosher and Hallal which is provided for by approved vendors. We have no regular visiting Rabbi who ministers to us.
2. Your quote, “The Bureau of Prisons kind of unofficially designated it to meet the needs of Orthodox Jews” is inaccurate. Firstly, there are fewer than 2 dozen Orthodox Jews incarcerated throughout the entire Federal System. Secondly, in the New York-New Jersey regions, many Jewish inmates are designated to Fort Dix.
3. Your reference to Dr. Sam Waskal and Martin Frenkel in the same breath, makes it obvious that you have no idea regarding the various security levels of the BOP. Dr. Waksal served part of his time at the Camp, while Mr. Frenkel is serving his time at the medium security prison.
4. Otisville does not, as you say, “have a full time Jewish chaplain.” The Chaplain (who happens to be Jewish) is the Chaplain for all 14 denominations including Christians, Catholics, Moslems, Buddhists, Native Americans and Jews. He does not serve as the Rabbi of the Jewish community, and in fact his presence as “court Jew” is disadvantageous to the Jewish population.
5. Otisville boasts a “Kosher Kitchen” – False!
6. “Religious Perks” are non existent, unless you count worshipping as a perk under the Constitution.
7. Your Seder menu sounds much more appetizing than the prison provisions that inmates get. In fact, every religion receives under BOP rules, one religious meal per year. For the Jews it means the Pesach Seder with”table cloths” (bed sheets actually) because the prison tables are used for non-Pesach uses and to do otherwise would seriously compromise the stringent rules for Passover.
8. Otisville does have a unique “inmate run Seder” and that is because the inmates here comprise a microcosm of Jewish life, including Hasidic, Orthodox, Conservative, reform and unaffiliated Jews who work very hard at accommodating each others’ beliefs and customs, without any effort on the part of the Chaplain.

Just a bit of research would have provided the hard core facts regarding our brothers who are ‘behind the fence’ in the ‘medium security prison’ and who have to struggle daily to keep their basic beliefs. Jewish inmates have been forced to file suit in order to have the right to pray in a respectful area and not in a cell which contains an exposed toilet.

Did you do any research at all? Perhaps if you did, you have learned that the inmates at Otisville had to file suit this year together with their Moslem and Christian brothers to undo a BOP directive which cleared the majority of religious books from the Chapel!

More, inmates are constantly singled out for discipline when their sin is wanting to fulfill a religious obligation. Inmates in the medium security facility and in the prison camp are constantly subjected to taunts and anti-Semitic activities (including swastikas) from other inmates and some staff.

Your regurgitation of the Otisville/Club Fed myth is simple a statement of your lack of any basic research. Your depiction of Pesach in Otisville has done us a great disservice and based upon the BOP reacts to any publicity, it will probably result in fewer religious freedoms.
“Tonight We Are Free Men” – May the truth free you!

Sincerely,

The Jewish Inmates of Otisville Federal Prison Camp

Agav, DM, I spent 3 consecutive R”H/Y”K in prison for Aleph and one of the main things they tell you in prep is to NEVER become personally involved with the inmates. Yes, they may be “innocent,” but they got there SOMEHOW, and it is simply irresponsible to share personal information such as last name, hometown, etc. Every request should be channeled through the prison chaplaincy or an organization.

Yochi, no it is not a numbers game, yes you are right about the vastness of Aleph’s reach,* no it does not take away from anything anyone else is doing.

*I was just in touch with a Naval soldier aboard an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf who has been helped by Aleph for his sedorim AND by a ton of communities, and all he can say is the English equivalent of “Mi k’Amcho Yisroel!?” (He also learns with a Chavrusa from JNet.org.)

To # 25, this is not a numbers game and really yasher koach to all the chasiddim in those 3 towns. But to compare it to Aleph for even one second, means that you do not understand the scope of what they do…. I am not talking 1 prison or 10 prison or the East coast. Lubavitchers are in hundreds of prisons in the most fardurbener corners of this coutry and they spend yomim Toivim in these places and some time for only 1,2 or 3 yiddelach.
Aino doimah, it is comparing major leagues to little leagues.

Kudos to all of you from Kiryas Yoel, (Satmar) and from Nitra, and from Kasho… Groups of Chassidim from all three towns spend a good part of their lives visting Jewish inmates. Not Chassidish inmates. But ANY Jewish inmates. None of these get funding. They do it out of the goodness of their own hearts, with NO agenda other than to help a fellow Jew. Kudos to you all.

By the way, these wonderful Chassidishe people, not only visit inmates in Prisons, but continue with them, helping them when they get out, befriending them and maintaining friendships long after prison is just a bad memory. Kudos and thanks to Satmar, Kasho, Nitra and the other chassdim who give of themselves for any fellow Jew.

That being said, the fact that the prisons are willing to work with the Jewish prisoners in order to see to it that their religious accomodations are met (as much as is possible/feasible in prison) is something that should reflect well on the authorities of the federal government (which oversees Otisville).

In addition, I agree with ShalomChaver that Rabbis Katz and Lipskar (and anyone else who is involved) is to be commended for the good work they do in reaching out to those imprisoned.

The Wolf