After several years of advocacy by Chabad leaders on behalf of Jewish inmates in New Jersey state prisons, the NJ Department of Corrections reached a landmark decision to allow inmates to light the Chanukah Menorah in prison.

Historically, Menorah lightings were prohibited in the state�s penal institutions, says Rabbi Mendy Katz,

�Obviously safety and security were the main hurdles that we had to overcome,� explains Katz, director of the Aleph Institute. Corrections officials originally demurred, citing fire hazard concerns and that inmates could use fire as a makeshift weapon.

�Through many discussions and open communication with the Department of Corrections, we were able to come to a mutual understanding.�

Roger Jacobs, an attorney in West Orange, NJ provided expert counsel to the team of rabbis throughout the legal process. �To see how far we have come is truly a testament to the commitment of both sides to work together,� he says.

According to Rabbi Avi Richler, a member of Aleph�s advocacy team and Director of Chabad of Mulica Hill in Gloucester County, NJ, this agreement is significant of a commonality between the state and Jewish leaders, who share a commitment to the forward movement and growth of Jewish life.

�We tip our hats to Commissioner Lanigan and the Governor’s office for their willingness to explore, and ultimately agree to our proposals,�said Rabbi Richler.

�The fact that our State government really cares about our concerns is comforting,� he says.

Religious services throughout the rehabilitation process for criminals have proven effective in lessening the rate of recidivism. But until now, the Menorah�s message of peace and harmony has been all but non-existent for Jewish inmates who had to make do with electric Menorahs, hardly a substitute for the Menorah�s glow.

While electric Menorah’s make for a pretty ceremonial experience, �they do not fulfill one�s religious obligation of lighting the menorah,� explains Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, Director of Chabad in Livingston. The requisite blessings on the Menorah can only be recited on real, fire Menorah.

�Menorah lightings can be a very spiritually healing experience for an inmate,� said Grossbaum.

This year, fifty-five Jewish inmates in thirteen prisons across New Jersey will kindle the lights of the Chanukah Menorah and illuminate their surroundings in prison with a message of hope for a brighter future.

(Source: Lubavitch.com)