Gathering of volunteers in the prisons

The gathering was held in a hall in Kibbutz Hafetz Hayyim and tens of Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis and young men with a few women too filled the place. Among them were a few Christians, who represented the Christians who also volunteer in the prisons and coordinate their work with the rabbis who are employed by the Prison Service. Father David, Latin Patriarchal Vicar, attended the evening with Kirill, coordinator of the work of the Catholic Church in the prisons. Father David was warmly welcomed by the rabbis in charge in the prisons who expressed great appreciation for the work of the Church with the Christian prisoners.

The meeting was addressed by the chief rabbi of the Prison Service, Rabbi Yekutiel Wiesner, the new head of the Prison Service Ofra Klinger and renown initiator of an Orthodox network of institutions that caters to troubled youth, Rabbi Grossman. Perhaps the most moving of the speeches was that of a young 24 year old ex-prisoner who has become an Orthodox rabbi, who humbly shared his journey through the hell of crime and drugs and his emerging as a religious Jew, committed to service in the prisons.

At the end of the evening, the various organizations and the Prison Chaplaincy of the Church were presented with certificates of appreciation from the Prison Service.