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27-year-old Michael Litt, who is in his
sixth year of a 10- to 30-year sentence for
cocaine delivery.
"There are some advantages they feel
being Jewish in the prison system," he
says of the "holiday Jews."
"They'll say they're Jewish to come over
here and try to get a package of food —
salami, pistachios, halvah. During
Passover, we get Passover packages. They

see an opportunity to get something for
free: 'I'm a Jew today; tomorrow, Mus-
lim...,"' he says to more laughter.
Prisoners in the county jail who are
awaiting transfer to a state facility may
list their religious preference, which en-
ables them to go to Shabbat services. Or,
they can change it every six months while
they're in prison.
Mr. Litt, an Oak Park native who be-

came a bar mitzvah at Beth Shalom in
Southfield, is, like Mr. Whitney, something
of a maverick within the prison system.
At Muskegon, where he served the first
three years of his sentence, he successfully
petitioned for a kosher kitchen. He has
served the last three years at Jackson, reg-
ularly attending Rabbi Ponn's services and
studying the Torah portion every day with
texts provided by the Aleph Institute, a

Above: Joe Florian, Michael Litt (7)
and Harry Whitney gather 7
every Saturday for Shabbat
services in Jackson prison's
co
2
Jewish sanctuary.
Lu

Opposite: David made his
necklace in the Jackson prison
woodworking shop.

CD

51

