שתיל - שירותי תמיכה וייעוץ לקידום שינוי חברתי

Elisheva Blum met her first prisoner in a Jewish studies class she led for people in their last months of incarceration, sponsored by Mimizrach Shemesh, the Center for Jewish Social Leadership. Moved by the experience, she felt a responsibility to share with others her new awareness of what life is like for prisoners and ex-prisoners and the insight that we as a society have to take responsibility for their rehabilitation. If we turn our backs, she believes, chances are slim that released prisoners will not return to jail.

The opportunity to work on her vision came during Blum's Everett Fellowship this year. A former computer programmer now studying for her teaching certificate, the 36-year-old Blum took upon herself the organization of Mimizrach Shemesh's campaign to initiate a National Prisoner's Day on the first of the Jewish month of Nisan – the month in which we celebrate our liberation from slavery as a nation. The day is aimed at raising public awareness about the reality of prison life and the need to help freed prisoners build constructive new lives.

 As part of the campaign, Blum organized a unique evening at Jerusalem's Khan Theater on March 24: "Songs Born in Jail" featuring the well known singer- songwriter and former inmate, Michael Machpud.  

Machpud, who was in jail since age 17, on and off during 26 years, began the evening by asking forgiveness of anyone he may have hurt directly or indirectly. He stated that the fact that things are different for him today, doesn't mean he does not take responsibility for his crimes. Rather, it is a testament to the belief that one can repent with the right help.

The concept of tshuva (repentance) came up throughout the evening. In an opening study session, Blum pointed out that Judaism harbors no concept of prison. Rather, tshuva informs the Bible and Talmud. She demonstrated that a recurring motif in Judaism is God's constant willingness to take someone back, no matter how serious  their transgression.

Pointing out that all her prisoner-students had amazingly similar stories of alcoholic fathers, teachers who couldn't deal with their ADHD and social workers who entered the scene too late, Blum said: "I saw them as children in men's bodies; today we would call them youth-at-risk…our jails are filled with those who were hungry for warmth, for an embrace….I'm not taking away their responsibility for their acts; I just want to participate in it."

"No one is born bad," Machpud said. "People who have stumbled and fallen need the knowledge and hope that they can get up and start anew." Between songs, Machpud spoke about the difficulties of life in jail and in isolation, how prisoners cope, his regret. During his last year in jail, he founded the non profit ELA - Adam L'maan Ha'asir (People for Prisoners.)

Machpud told of the difficulties of convincing his guards to let him have a guitar in jail. "The guitar," he said, "is an instrument that expresses the depth of my soul. And even a criminal has a soul. When they finally allowed me to have guitar in prison, good things started happening to me: I began to express my frustrations, my tensions, my anger -- not on people but through song."

He began the evening with his popular, "Mammi, Mammi," written to his wife who had wanted to leave him when things got to be too much. Machpud also sang songs written to his two children, who, he said gratefully, did not follow in his footsteps.  His son and daughter, now adults, sang with him from the audience with palpable emotion.

As part of the campaign, Blum also organized a well attended evening at the Jerusalem Cinematheque on March 26, To be Born Anew, featuring "A Former Prisoner's Monologue" and the Philippe Claudel film, "I've Loved you so Long."