Episode 3: We Go HAM

06/19/24 • 44 min

Tales of the Unbound: Episode 3- “We Go HAM” follows Josh’s spiritual journey of claiming Jewish identity, finding healing through reconciliation, and what it means to lead from a place of faith. His joy in the face of adversity is captivating as he carries his own stories and the stories of others as part of his personal evolution. This episode will reach you in the kishkas* carrying the listener as we move from tears to laughter, embracing the raw humanity of becoming yourself.

*Kishkas = Literally: intestines; Colloquially: In the guts/ where you deeply feel emotion

[1] When Josh says, “We go H-A-M,” there are so many ways that it lands. “H-A-M” is a song by Jay Z and Kanye West. You can listen to it here, with the caveat that it’s VERY explicit and has all kinds of language and a subject matter that folks find offensive. So, just a flag for folks before clicking on that link! The H-A-M stands for “hard as a mother$*!” It’s a term used in pop culture as slang for extreme effort and enthusiasm. HAM, of course, has another meaning, of a pork product, which is also something you wouldn’t exactly jump to associate with being Jewish.

[2] We discuss the Three Strikes Law, or its formal name, the “Persistant Offender Accountability Act,” in the show notes of episode 2. Here’s a link for more information. It is widely understood as Washington State’s toughest sentencing policy.

[3] Joy in Judaism – it’s totally a thing. Here’s a great article by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett on ways that Judaism sparks joy and another one HERE by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg on Joy as a religious obligation. Also, check out THIS podcast with Eric Moffic on “The Happiness Prayer.”

[4] Josh has tried hard to advocate for prisoner rights, to speak publicly about restorative justice (see page 19), and co-authored a book about individuals who seek to rehabilitate while incarcerated.

[5] This is an article about Josh’s involvement in restorative justice with a picture from the ball of string and postcard activity that Amy talked about.

[6] Curious about restorative justice? Check out this resource to learn more. How about the Jewish pieces of Restorative Justice? We’ve got that too! Here’s a powerful dvar Torah by Rabbi Stacy Rigler and an awesome study sheet created by Rabbi Jericho Vincent.

[7] Josh mentions this book a few times: “Little Book of Restorative Justice For People in Prison” by Barb Toews.

[8] Many people find their Jewish path through DNA tests. Jewish ancestry, 23 and Me, and ancestry.com have led so many people to trace roots back to Jewish ancestors. For some, who connect to the Jewish biological lineage as something meaningful, find this DNA discovery transformative. This is less meaningful for others who don’t think of Judaism as a racial or genetic line. Clearly for Josh, it was a door that opened a pathway to connecting to a line of his family that he might never have discovered ...

*Kishkas = Literally: intestines; Colloquially: In the guts/ where you deeply feel emotion

[5] This is an article about Josh’s involvement in restorative justice with a picture from the ball of string and postcard activity that Amy talked about.

[7] Josh mentions this book a few times: “Little Book of Restorative Justice For People in Prison” by Barb Toews.

Previous Episode

Episode 2: Yes Way!

Tales of the Unbound: Episode 2 – Yes Way! explores the role of prison chaplaincy in cultivating a sense of belonging and Jewish connection among incarcerated people. This episode specifically follows Amy, the Jewish sponsor and chaplain at Monroe Correctional. We talk about what it felt like to first enter the space, how she cultivated a thoughtful community, and where the boundaries lay around Jewish identity.

[1] Do you love this music? We do, too! Ric Hordinski created special tracks for each interviewee, along with intros and outros. He’s amazing, and it’s worth checking out his many phenomenal works, including The Silence of Everything, Arthur’s Garden, and some of the Jewish music he created for JustLove, like this one based on Psalm 23.

[2] The garden at Monroe Correctional is beautiful. You can learn more about gardening as a practice through the Evergreen State College and Washington State Department of Corrections: Sustainability in Prisons project.

[3] Hineni, Here I am. Is a term we see through the Hebrew Bible. First, when God is searching for Adam in the Garden of Eden, Adam calls out to God “Hineni”. And when, Abraham is responding to God’s request to sacrifice his son, Abraham says “Hineni”. Hineni, as a response of readiness to do God’s will shows up 178 times in the Bible. And in Jewish pop culture from the song, “You Want It Darker” by Leonard Cohen to the book “Here I am” by Jonathan Safran Foer, Jews use this term to reference a response to a higher calling.

[4] Amy talks about where she couldn’t start from -and then goes on to name some Hebrew phrases that relate to the Jewish liturgy. She says “Kabbalat Shabbat” referring to the songs sung to help usher into Shabbat. It also means Friday evening – or the first stage of Sabbath.

[5] Siddur is the Hebrew word for prayerbook. Every Jewish denomination and community of Jews has a prayerbook for their specific group. The difference might range on whether English is included or transliteration (the phonetic way to process the Hebrew words in English letters). Some prayers are omitted, some have pictures or chords to sing, while others are all in Hebrew with no directions on where to stand or sit, respond, or sing along. There is a wide variation of what is included, but in most, you will find prayers (sung or read) for welcoming the Sabbath, gathering as a community of practice, healing, and mourning. The specific one that Amy refers to is likely the “Weiss Edition Siddur” which is provided free of charge by the Aleph Institute to those in the military and those incarcerated.

[6] Ari and Josh talk a lot about Amy’s singing. All the guys do. Jewish prayer includes lots of chanting and singing. But almost no organized Jewish prayer has a hymnal. There might be a projector with words or a song session with a songbook after services, but for the prayers itself, learning how we sing them outcomes primarily through osmosis. For Ari, he never had prayed Jewishly in song before Amy.

[7] Shalom Aleichem is the song that Amy is singing in this piece. The prayer calls on the angels of the Sabbath to join us. We welcome them and ask for them to reside among us. You can find the words here, a great traditional rendition here, and a powerful one by Debbie Friedman here.

[8] Amy talks about nurturing and damaging ... She says the damage part tongue in cheek. Meaning it in how we raise all our children – doing our best to do well and teach goodness, and still, our kids have plenty to complain about. So too it is with the guys. She nurtures, encourages, and loves them, and she’s very firm about boundaries and is careful about what she teaches.

[9] Hippocratic oath is the ethical oath physicians take to do their best only to pursue beneficial treatments. Typically, when we refer to the Hippocratic Oath outside of the medical field, we talk about the commitment to “first, do no harm.” Or in the Greek, primum non nocere. It’s actually not part of the Hippocratic Oath – it’s part of a different Greek writing called “Of the Epidemics”. But for our purposes, what Amy is talking about is to avoid harm or double down on trauma and the suffering that the guys have already been through and use Judaism solely as a tool for personal betterment and strength.

[10] Miriam references Pirkei Avot 1:1, which you can read in more detail here.

[11] ...

Next Episode

Episode 4: Do Good Time

In "Tales of the Unbound: Season 1, Episode 4: Do Good Time," the podcast explores the concept of "Good Time" within the context of Jewish conversion in a prison setting. Ari, the central figure in this episode, reflects on his journey from initial moral failings to embracing opportunities for self-improvement through education, religion and community engagement. Ari shares his experience of learning multiple languages, pursuing academic degrees, and discovering artistic talents while incarcerated. And how all those skills set him up to lead and support his Jewish community behind bars. Ari's transformation highlights his proactive approach to rehabilitation and deepening commitment to Judaism, paralleled with his aspirations to contribute positively to society upon release. The episode underscores themes of resilience, personal agency, and the transformative power of education and faith within the confines of a correctional facility.

[1] Meritorious Time, also known as: Good Time, Gain Time, Earned Time, and Merit Time, are all ways of talking about participation in programs for personal improvement, working in inclement weather, serving as a medical test person, giving blood, helping out in an emergency and no incidents of violence or write-ups that allow the state to award time credits to incarcerated folks to shorten the time serving their sentence before becoming parole eligible. How much time varies state by state, as do the standards for meritorious time. There are various opinions about these policies, here is a helpful article about effective strategies for managing long sentences and improving life behind bars to benefit society at large.

[2] Miriam talks about needing a teacher, friend, neighbor, or in Ari’s case, a guard to help spark a new way of looking at the world and time. This feels very similar to episode 3 with Josh and the importance of chevrutah, a study companion. In Pirkei Avot 1:6, we are to “find for yourself a teacher.” All of us need guidance and support to take new steps.

[3] Ari mentions the Second Chance Pell Grant, which extends access to education for incarcerated individuals. Here is an article about the change in 2015, when the government made these programs free in prisons.

[4] Ari paints all kinds of things. He works with folks in the administration to paint murals that they like. Even the superintendent (warden) commissioned an Ari painting for her office. In Monroe, and just about any prison where Ari has resided, the walls have been transformed by his art.

[5] Miriam talks about “Ari’s signature move” – the deep dive into subjects that he wants to learn. On the outside, he was like that too. He loved to scuba dive and was really advanced in his martial arts practice

[6] Ari lived a lot of his life traveling – his parents were standup comedians, and he grew up watching them hone their craft, learned how to read people, and learned by doing. We mention in previous episodes how Ari teaches himself Hebrew, but for those who don’t know, Ari works in the library in prison, and during slow times, he listens to Hebrew pronunciation on cassette tapes or CDs, working his way through old workbooks. He had a friend who was raised Jewish and Ari would bring what he learned back to him, and they would practice. Once Amy was on scene, his learning flourished, and with Marvin and Amy’s attention, his Hebrew and prayerbook engagement was able to deepen.

[7] We love the image of Ari discovering Judaism by first reading Psalms to his cellie. He was then surprised by their resonance and chose to share the words both with his fellows and with his guards. It’s a beautiful vision – that in a dark place, his inclination was to learn and share learning, not to explain it, but to shine a light on the beauty that he was discovering. We wanted to start our episode the same way, with a reading of psalms. We chose Psalm 23 for a few reasons. First, it’s recognizable. Second, psalm 23 uses “I” 17 times; it’s a reflection that is both personal and engages with our relationship with God and revelation. Third, it teaches the three-fold process of Ari’s journey: 1: I am ok and am trying my best to walk righteously 2: I am in the shadow lands, I am lost and hurt 3: I have found my peace and my place with the Divine. And Miriam’s favorite Ric Hordinski song is just a single line from psalm 23 ‘Ki Ata Imadhi” “For you are with me”, you can listen to that here. That’s not the only song of psalm 23! There are so many renditions of Psalm 23 such as:

• Psalm 23, Bobby McFerrin

• Too Many Tears, 2Pac

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