- WelcomeThe Aleph Institute is a non-profit organization offering programs and services to incarcerated Jewish men, women, and their families. Read More
- VolunteerAleph Institute needs volunteers to visit prisons, state hospitals, and group homes, to bring a touch of humanity to those disconnected from society. BRING LIFE TO ANOTHER HUMAN
- In-Prison ProgramsWe offer religious programs and services for Jewish men and women in prison, with the help of trained Rabbis and lay volunteers. Read More
- Alternative Sentencing ProgramThe Aleph Institute works with the courts to provide an effective and meaningful alternative to traditional incarceration. Read More
- Shifra ProgramThe Aleph Institute's Project Shifra provides support for the community by working with jewish families to help secure basic needs and services. Learn More
About
We are a religious organisation that provides relief for incarcerated Jews and their families who tend to be overlooked by traditional American Jewish organisations. The Aleph Institute struggles against challenging odds to reach Jewish inmates who are scattered throughout the national prison system, state hospitals, and group homes. The programs and services of Aleph are designed to attain maximum impact not only within the prison environment, but also during the transition period after incarceration when a sense of religious community can help former convicts rebuild their lives as productive citizens. The success of Aleph's programs attests to the power of its Torah-based approach to serving prisoners, their families, and humanity.
Some programs are designed specifically for the Jewish population; however, our programs are not restricted to the Jewish community and we serve the broader community, as well, both in prison and in re-entry. Our center is open daily, and we see over 300 men and women every week who come for programs that help them improve their lives and stay healthy and productive. We assist with housing, social services, access to healthy food and healthcare, and employment resources.
More about Aleph
Some programs are designed specifically for the Jewish population; however, our programs are not restricted to the Jewish community and we serve the broader community, as well, both in prison and in re-entry. Our center is open daily, and we see over 300 men and women every week who come for programs that help them improve their lives and stay healthy and productive. We assist with housing, social services, access to healthy food and healthcare, and employment resources.
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Daily Thought
The Baal Shem Tov described life as a spiral
staircase, constantly deflecting away from your target in order to attain it.
In Yiddish it’s called a “swindling
staircase.” Some wise chassidim have pointed out a connection: Life swindles you into believing you are going in circles when
really you are traveling higher each day.
This is the way of every true and lasting
ascent: Just as you’re making some progress upward, you see yourself falling
away and stumbling in the dark.
If you could see the whole picture, how all
things resolve in the end, you would see how those periods of darkness and
failure are truly steps higher and yet higher.
They must be. Because we did not create life.
G‑d did. And for Him, there are...





