Photo Credit:
(L-R) Sheriff Lee Baca; Chaplain Dara Abaei; California State Senate leader Darrell Steinberg; Senior Chaplain Rabbi Shimon Raichik; Chaplain Gregory Metzger; and OJCB Director and Senior Chaplain Howard Winkler in the executive eighth floor lobby of Twin Towers Correctional Facility.

During Chol HaMoed Sukkot, The Orthodox Jewish Chaplaincy Board (OJCB) conducted holiday programs for Jewish inmates at Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail and Twin Tower Correctional Facility.

The inmates participated in the mitzvah of Lulov and Esrog, heard divrei Torah from the OJCB chaplains, and sang and recited tefillos and Tehillim. The chaplains distributed Jewish reading material to the inmates as well. It was an uplifting experience for those going through difficult times.

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During Rosh Hashanah the Aleph Institute, through Rabbi Zvi Bojarsky in Los Angeles and Rabbi Berel Paltiel in Surfside, Florida, arranged for two bachurim to visit, blow Shofar for, and daven with Jewish inmates in all of L.A.’s downtown prisons.

The L.A. County Jail System is not a long-term prison but instead a temporary detention facility for those awaiting trial. It is not uncommon for an inmate to be incarcerated for 30, 60, or 90 days for a traffic violation. But many inmates are there for more egregious crimes and, if convicted, go to state prison.

L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca and the LASD Religious & Volunteer Services Unit have always been very supportive of inmates from all religions and their right to participate in religious services. The OJCB visits all Jewish inmates, helping them during their challenging times. The chaplains attempt to help them in their physical and spiritual rehabilitative process.

The OJCB is in need of soft-cover siddurim, Chumashim, Tehillim and reading materials in Hebrew, Farsi, Russian and English. All books must be new or in good condition. A receipt will be sent to all contributors. Please send your tax-deductible contributions to: Orthodox Jewish Chaplaincy Board, P.O. Box 480454, Los Angeles, California 90048.

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