.•,••
Israel's Chief Rabbi of .Prisons Shuns Police Uniform While Serving 'His Congregation

4

By MOSHE RON
Special Jewish News
Israel Correspondent
TEL AVIV—A most inter-
esting type is the Chief Rab-
bi of the Israeli Police and
prisons, Rabbi Abraham Ha-
zon, who is always well

dressed in a blue suit and
shirt, golden cuffs, a colored
tie and a small woven cap
on his' head. He has a police
uniform, but he does not
wish to appear in it in front
of the prisoners, when he
fulfills his spiritual and so-

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cial missions.
Rabbi Hazon came to Is-
rael immediately after the
outbreak of the Six-Day War
in June 1967. Until then he
was the chief rabbi of the
French Army in Morocco
and was active in the Jewish
community. He kept contin-
uous contact with Jews who
enlisted in the French For-
eign Legion.
Rabbi Hazon came to Is-
rael with a family of seven
children and seven grand-
children. All the family mem-
bers knew Hebrew. When he
took over the duties of the
chief rabbi of the Israeli po-
lice he carried out a reor-

And ye shall. hallow the Fiftieth Year .-.
it shall he unto you a JUBILEE
Sh f 11 ert

Leviticus XXV:10

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ganization. His staff kept
talks with the prisoners,
helped them to learn and
plan their future in an hon-
est manner after their re-
lease. They hold lectures and
discussions about Jewish re-
ligious and ethical problems.
They help them to solve fam-
ily conflicts. They arrange
Bar Mitzva ceremonies for
the children of prisoners.
When a relative of a prisoner
dies, they enable the prison-
er to attend his funeral.
There are often compli-
cated problems which the
chief rabbi has to solve. For
example the problems be-
tween husband and wife, if
the man is sentenced to many
years of prison, some wives
demand in such cases a di-
vorce, with the agreement
that the prisoner is unable
to care for his wife and chil-
dren. A prisoner who is not
a dangerous criminal gets a
leave for some days every
three months to spend in his
home. In cases of prisoners,
who are not sentenced to
long-term prison sentences,
and if their wives demand - a
divorce, the chief rabbi tries
to settle the problems be-
tween the couple and does
not hurry to grant the di-
vorce.
The chief rabbi often keeps
personal talks with the pris-
oners. He does not preach to
them to become religious. He
talks to them about Jewish
ethics and morals, mercy
and customs, in order to in-.
duce them to become in pris-
on on their own initiative
more ethical and even relig-
'ious.
The food in the Israeli
prisons •is strictly kosher.

During the Passover feast it
is watched that no hametz is
coming to the prisons in the
parcels, which are sent to
the prisoners by their rela-
tives. Collective seders are
held. During the Feast of
Tabernacles, tabernacles are
set up in the prisons and
etrogim and lulovim are pro-
vided. Hasidim of Chabad
visit the prison often and
talk to the prisoners about
Jewish customs and values.
These young hasidim are
very popular amongst the
prisoners and many of them
have stopped smoking on
Sabbath owing to their in-
fluence.

The activity or the chief
rabbi is limited in the prison
for women in Neve Tirza
near Ramle. On Rosh Hasha-
na a man is sent to this pris-
on to blow the shofar. On
Fridays women prisoners can
light Sabbath candles. In gen-
eral there are religious worn-
en amongst the prisoners.
In Elul the prison rabbinate
organizes a month of spread-
ing religious values. Prison-
ers are told about the special
significance of Seihot, Rosh
Hashana, Yom Kippur and
repenting of sins.

t

ers vow to become decent
and to forget their past.
Each prisoner has the
chance to' ask for a personal
talk with Chief Rabbi Hazon.
Most talks are about family
matters. The rabbi is asked
to exert his influence with
the prison authorities to grant
the prisoners short leaves in
order to attend to urgent
family matters. The chief
rabbi promises and keeps his
promises. In general the rec-
ommendations of the chief
rabbi are accepted and short
home leaves are granted to
the prisoners.
Chief Rabbi Hazon and his
associates are satisfied with
their work. They think, that
if the prisoners put their
trust into them and become
ready to confide in them
their intricate family affairs
it means , already some re-
lief and comfort for prison-
ers.

Hasidic Wisdom

A rabbi was asked why one
does not recite a blessing
when giving charity, as we
do in performing other com-
mandments. "Were a bless-
ing required before giving .
charity, one could give an
excuse for not giving at a
particular time, that he is not
clean enough to pronounce
the blessing. Hence we are
freed from reciting the bless-
ing so that the needy should
be helped without delay."

On the eve of 'Rosh Hasha-
na hundreds of prisoners are
brought to the Wailing Wall
in Jerusalem. 'The prisoners
are dressed in civilian
clothes like tourists. The
same applies to their guards.
In these days the prisons are
Correct thy son, and he
full of Youno: Chabad hasi- will give thee rest; Yea, he
dim. They induce the pris- will give delight unto thy
oners to put on tefilin and soul.
to pray. Some _of the prison-
— Proverbs 29:17

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, October 11, 1974-23

You are cordially invited o attend the

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Thursday evening, October 31, 1974 at Beth Achim
Banquet Hall, 21100 W. 12 Mile, Southfield

Featuring Special Guest of Honor

The Honorable Abba Eban; M.K.

Former Foreign Minister of Israel

The Honorable Mr. Eban will present Akiva with
the 1974 Spiritual Bridges Award of the World
Zionist Organization's Department for Torah
Education and Culture.

Tickets for this gala event, $50 per person.'

For reservations and information,

Call: 354-4664.

The Honorable Abba Eban, M.K.
Former Foreign Minister of Israel

Honoree Rabbi James I. Gordon

Co-founder of Akiva, will receive the
Rabbi Akiva Award for his outstanding
and long-time dedication to the school.

AKIVA HEBREW DAY SCHOOL, The Best of Two World's.

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