The Satmar Rebbe R' Aaron Teitelbaum met some 20 Jewish men in Otisville prison, including Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.
I will give credit where credit is due! I believe, even though people are locked up, they still deserve some chizuk, and if Reb Aaron Teitelbaum offered chizuk, then "kol hakovod"
The only thing that I don't get is why Reb Aaron needed a translator, he speaks fluent English!
By COLlive reporter
Jewish prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, enjoyed an uplifting encounter before the start of the holiday of Chanukah, last week.
The Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel, R' Aaron Teitelbaum visited the medium-security federal prison for male inmates on Monday, December 15, and spoke about the power of spiritual freedom.
About 20 Jewish inmates met him in the prison chapel and prayed Mincha service together. For a total of one hour, the Satmar Rebbe spoke with each person present, encouraging them to stay strong and hopeful.
Serving as his translator and ad hoc gabbai was Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the Lubavitcher chossid sentenced to 27 years in prison for running the now-bankrupt Agriprocessors kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.
"Sholom Mordechai welcomed him in English," a Satmar source told COLlive.com. "The Rebbe said Divrei Torah in Yiddish and Sholom Mordechai translated it into English. And when they came to give 'kvitlach' he helped as well."
In his most recent email to his family, Rubashkin discussed the "contradictions and opposites" that can be found in "the place called prison."
"Starting with the opposites used to 'bring' the prisoner to the 'correctional' facility which in truth is a punitive facility, where a person's soul is constantly being destroyed, where the body is hardly fed enough food, and "served' in a 'Dining Hall' under flowery names that hide more than reveal."
He continued to describe prison as a place "where prisoner's clothes is called a 'uniform', and a prison cell is referred to 'home'; Where the claim is to promote family ties, yet the phones time with a child is limited to an impossible 9 minutes a day; Where torture of 'Solitary Confinement' is called 'Special Housing' and is for the person's 'Safety'."
The Satmar Rebbe raised a L'chaim with the prisoners - only it was said on grape juice. Prisoners told him they plan to light the Menorah with olive oil over the course of Chanukah.
The only thing that I don't get is why Reb Aaron needed a translator, he speaks fluent English!
By COLlive reporter
Jewish prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, enjoyed an uplifting encounter before the start of the holiday of Chanukah, last week.
The Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel, R' Aaron Teitelbaum visited the medium-security federal prison for male inmates on Monday, December 15, and spoke about the power of spiritual freedom.
About 20 Jewish inmates met him in the prison chapel and prayed Mincha service together. For a total of one hour, the Satmar Rebbe spoke with each person present, encouraging them to stay strong and hopeful.
Serving as his translator and ad hoc gabbai was Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the Lubavitcher chossid sentenced to 27 years in prison for running the now-bankrupt Agriprocessors kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.
"Sholom Mordechai welcomed him in English," a Satmar source told COLlive.com. "The Rebbe said Divrei Torah in Yiddish and Sholom Mordechai translated it into English. And when they came to give 'kvitlach' he helped as well."
In his most recent email to his family, Rubashkin discussed the "contradictions and opposites" that can be found in "the place called prison."
"Starting with the opposites used to 'bring' the prisoner to the 'correctional' facility which in truth is a punitive facility, where a person's soul is constantly being destroyed, where the body is hardly fed enough food, and "served' in a 'Dining Hall' under flowery names that hide more than reveal."
He continued to describe prison as a place "where prisoner's clothes is called a 'uniform', and a prison cell is referred to 'home'; Where the claim is to promote family ties, yet the phones time with a child is limited to an impossible 9 minutes a day; Where torture of 'Solitary Confinement' is called 'Special Housing' and is for the person's 'Safety'."
The Satmar Rebbe raised a L'chaim with the prisoners - only it was said on grape juice. Prisoners told him they plan to light the Menorah with olive oil over the course of Chanukah.
