Episoder
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[1] We reference a definition of chevrutah as listed in Berakhot 63b:12, “Make many groups and study Torah, For the Torah is only acquired through study in a group.” You can find the full text here.
[2] Malcolm Gladwell socialized the Tipping Point theory in his book “The Tipping Point”.
[3] We sing “Veshamru,” a Jewish liturgical prayer that celebrates the observance of the Sabbath as a people. The tune is by Moshe Rothblum. Though there are many renditions of this liturgy, this is the tune many people think is “THE” way to sing this prayer.
[4] Miriam quotes Ruth 1:16. The Book of Ruth is historically read on the holiday of Shavuot as the story is set during the festival gathering season. Ruth is also generally understood as the first person who converts to Judaism. In the Talmud pieces that Tales of the Unbound has cited, there are rituals (beit din, milah and mikvah) that affirm Jewish identity. Here, in the Book of Ruth, dated much earlier than the Talmud, we only see a vow as the mode by which someone might join the Jewish people. It’s possible that there were other versions of joining and that the vow-only process was somehow not a full conversion, but Ruth goes on to be accepted and integrated fully into Jewish life after she makes this vow.
[5] Padraig O’Tuama is a poet, theologian, and poetry podcaster. We love his memoir/autobiography “In the Shelter”.
[6] Miriam mentions Peter Block. Peter is well known for his community organizing and leadership training. Check him out here, or pick up this book, “Activating the Common Good.” Joey (Tales Producer) also produces Peter’s podcast, The Common Good, which Miriam sometimes helps with. Here’s an interesting one with Miriam Terlinchamp and Reverend Ben McBride on the “slow practice of belonging.”
[7] Sabbath in Time – Miriam shouts this out as a call for hope, turning Abraham Joshua Heschel’s description of Sabbath – as a palace in time – on its head. In a place where all there is is time, hopefully, there can be spaces, moments that feel like Sabbath.
[8] You can listen to the song “Iron Sharpens Iron” by Ric Hordinski here on the Shabbatish album “Now and Eternity”
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[1] “There are no words” is a poem Miriam wrote on January 6, 2021.
[2] “You are Not Alone” by Ric Hordinski; you can watch this gorgeous rendition here.
[3] Psalm 23, we used the same translation here as we did in Ari’s episode, which is the poetic and non-gendered translation by Rabbi Richard Levy. But, Miriam was reading from the JPS translation of Psalm 23 at the time, which you can find here.
[4] Miriam mentions the funeral and shiva minyan. Typically, in a traditional Jewish burial, the funeral is followed by seven days of mourning, marked by “minyanim” services in your home to share in the grief. Learn more about the content and role of shiva minyanim here.
[5] She also mentions Kugel. Yum! Here are some favorite savory, and sweet recipes and seven other variations. Kugel is a diverse dish with many options!
[6] This episode mentions Jonah's story —his call to speak truth in Nineveh and his avoidance of that call. It’s worth reading if you haven’t done so in a while; you can find it here or watch a 4-minute animated version here!
[7] When Miriam says there is no hierarchy in Jewish practice and that none is more Jewish than the other… that’s just her opinion. And, Judaism Unbounds! But it isn’t necessarily a mainstream understanding of Jewish organizational practice.
[8] Miriam off-handedly drops the line that she made movies with her congregation. Just so we’re on the same page, that’s … very out of the box. Most synagogues are not creating movies about Jewish organizational theory. Interested? There are close to 60 different videos, but here are a few links to our favorites: The way we’ve always done it demon, The Little Table, Be Someone Else, Our Vision, “The Musical.”
[9] Miriam uses the word tribe a lot in this episode, which makes us think of this awesome movie by Tiffany Shlain, “The Tribe.” Trust us, it will be the best 18 minutes you’ll have all week!
[10] We can’t get enough of Benay’s crash theory up in this house! Watch it over and over, we do. Here’s the long version.
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Manglende episoder?
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Love the opening song? Check out Pitchu Li by Jacob Spike Kraus.
[1] Miriam talks about what a Mikvah looks like in traditional communal spaces. If you haven’t yet checked out Mayyim Hayyim, we’re so excited for you to discover it. There’s a video-guided tour with details on how to prepare and where to find local places to immerse near you. You might also like ImmerseNYC or you can DIY your mikvah with some great resources from Ritual Well. Also, there’s a neat storytelling venture called “Mikvah Stories” through Mikvah.org if you want to hear personal accounts. If you’re mikvah curious, call up your local mikvah and talk to them about it. Look into mikvah training at Mayyim Hayyim, or head down to your local living water and offer your own ritual.
[2] Mikvah baths in Temple times were critical to the sacrificial culture. They provided purification rituals before entering the sanctified areas of the Temple. There are 200 mikvah baths in the old city of Jerusalem that date back to the 2nd century, 50 of which are around the Temple Mount. Read more about it here.
[3] Our ancient texts have all kinds of regulations and directions on how to build a mikvah. Here is a great study resource from the book “Gray Matter” by Chaim Jachter if you want to get waaaay into the details.
[4] We know you want to see some Mikvah pop culture clips!
2003 Sex in the city with Charlotte’s conversion, Season 6 episode 3
2012 Oprah in Brooklyn studying the ultra-orthodox culture
2015 Sex in the City, with Cindy’s conversion Season 3, Episode 13
Transparent, Off the Grid, Season 1, Episode 6 and Season 3, Episode 9
Weeds, “Red in tooth and claw” Season 8, Episode 5
[5] Miriam talks about how much water needs to be in a mikvah. A whole tractate in the Mishnah called Mishnah Mikvaot deals with how much water, when and how to immerse, and contingencies. It also has different modes for measurements than we do now, hence why Miriam says “40 se-ah,” which is roughly 575 liters. A “se-ah” is a unit of measurement from the Bible that we think is somewhere between 7-12 liters. The BDB gets more precise, stating that a Se-ah is 1/3 of an ephah, which is 12.148 liters. Regardless, it’s a lot of water that needs to allow for your entire body to submerge.
[6] Want to know more about the procedure for a bris? JewBelong.com has a nice set of explanations and even a printable booklet to accompany the ritual. This is also a quick and sweet video about a bris. Here’s some information about Tipat Dam and it’s role in Conversions. And finally, if you want to see how the Reform movement talks about Tipat Dam, here you’ll find archives of responsa (legal decisions based on case studies) around ritual circumcision.
[7] Circumcision?!?!? No thanks! There are also plenty of resources out there for Jews and Jews by choice who are anti-circumcision. It’s not for everyone, it’s a choice. Here’s an article about the “circumcision debate” with links to many articles. Also, there’s an alternative that people are doing with Hatipat Dam with a drop of blood from the heel.
[8] Here is the link to the Trans Halacha project on circumcision through SVARA that Miriam mentions. It also has amazing resources for gender transition in the mikvah and trans approaches to conversion.
[9] The Shehechianu Prayer (Lex Rofeberg beautifully sings our version) is sung or said at times of deep gratitude, when experiencing something for the first time, to mark a positive lifecycle moment, and when seeing a friend after a prolonged period of time.
[10] Ari and Josh chose very traditional books for their community: Midrash Raba and the Mishnah. These are also sets that would be included in traditional Jewish libraries.
[11] Miriam mentions the story of opening the gate in Brachot 28a. For a deep dive into a great analysis, listen to Dan Libenson and Benay Lappe study this text on the Oral Talmud.
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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
• Ripple, Grateful Dead
• Psalm 23, Leonard Bernstein
• Psalm 23, Judy Collins
• Psalm 23, Nechama Carlebach
• Psalm 23, traditional
• Psalm 23 (I am not alone), People and Songs
• Der Herr Ist Mein Getreur Hirt (Psalm 23), Bach
• Gangsters Paradise, Coolio
[8] Ari cites the failings of characters in the Bible: Moses for manslaughter (Exodus 2:12), King David for accessory to murder, (II Samuel 11) and Joseph being used for good while he’s imprisoned (Genesis 40:1-23).
[9] Rabbi Benay Lappe, sigh… amazing, right? Listen to her whole video here, or even better, check out her amazing organization, SVARA here.
[10] Ari mentions his certificates that are on his wall in his cell. The Jewish one declares his Hebrew name (Ari ben Avraham v’Sarah) and has the signatures of his beit din: Miriam, Marvin and Amy. A copy was also sent to the American Jewish Archives.
[11] Ari fights for his right to kindle lights, he refuses to accept the solution of electric lights as a substitute. According to Orthodox halacha (legal code) it is a violation of the sabbath and a holiday to turn on, off or dim an electric light. However, there are plenty of reasons why we may need to use electronic lights in lieu of paraffin or oil. In hospitals, or if you have oxygen in your home, or if it’s just you have on hand and it’s the only way to acknowledge the start of Shabbat. Here is an Orthodox take on why we might or might not use electronic lights. Here is an Conservative one, that addresses computers, ipads and electronic lights. If you haven’t listened to Judaism Unbound Podcast with Brett Lockspeiser, creator of Sefaria, the largest Jewish digital library in the world, you’ll love it! He has a gorgeous take on the use of technology as a sacred practice.
[12] We have some “insider” words in this episode. So here are a few translations: daven is a Yiddish term for praying, typically referring to the traditional three times of day prayers that happen in a traditional observant practice. Tefillin are phylacteries, the leather boxes and wraps that bind the covenantal prayers to our bodies while we pray. Rav is an affectionate term for Rabbi. One might learn or pray with many rabbis in one’s life, but your Rav or your Rebbe, your rabbi, is the person that you turn to or orient towards for moral leadership.
[13] Ari talks about the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. You can learn more here about the impact of the loss of the Temple as the place where Jews practiced their Judaism.
[14] Ari briefly mentions Tana visiting and feeling connected to her. We will talk more about this in later episodes, but for now, Ari is referring to a Chanukah celebration they had within the walls of the prison where rabbis and community members and in this case, Congressional Representative Tana Senn joined the guys for Chanukah.
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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 otherwise.
[9] Josh uses a few Hebrew words in this episode, so – here are a few quick definitions: Chumash is a printed/bound book version of the Torah.
Siddur is a Jewish prayerbook.
HaShem, literally means: The Name, referring to one of the names for God.
[10] I sent Josh and Ari a few books early on. They included, “Judaism’s 10 best ideas” by Rabbi Art Green, “Here All Along” by Sarah Hurwitz, “Judaism for Dummies” by Rabbi Ted Falcon and “My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew” by Abigail Pogrebin.
[11] Josh refers to the biblical dreamer … that gets us singing, “Go Go Jo!…”
[12] Josh refers to Pirkei Avot 2:16 several times it reads: Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short and the work is much, and the workers are lazy and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is pressing. He used to say: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.
[13] Miriam talks about the role of chevrutah in Talmud, Taanit 7a:8-12.
אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד״, לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה בַּרְזֶל זֶה — אֶחָד מְחַדֵּד אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ, אַף שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים — מְחַדְּדִין זֶה אֶת זֶה בַּהֲלָכָה.
The Gemara cites other expositions that deal with Torah study. Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17)? This verse comes to tell you that just as with these iron implements, one sharpens the other when they are rubbed against each other, so too, when Torah scholars study together, they sharpen one another in halakha.
Also – if you are into the idea of chevrutah learning, check out our friends at the Torah Studio who have an awesome chevrutah style model for deep and super accessible Torah learning.
[14] Here’s a helpful way of thinking and defining Halacha, the Jewish way (and also, Jewish law)
[15] So Miriam mentions that she tries to talk Josh out of conversion. This is mostly because she wants him to believe that the way he names himself, defines his Judaism and lives it out is enough. He is Jewish. But for Josh, being recognized by others, particularly through the conventional mainstream understanding of Jewish identity, lineage and conversion, is critical in allowing him to feel safe and secure in his Jewish identity.
[16] Ok… so the whole matrilineal piece of Judaism also depends on where you are coming from the conversation. Classically, Judaism is understood to be passed through the maternal line. Where a Jewish mother has irrevocable Jewish status- even if she converts to another religion, she’s still Jewish according to the Jews! In Reform Judaism, patrilineal descent is also accepted as equally valid. There is a ton of literature on why matrilineal, why it’s good, why it’s bad… all the things. For Josh, and his relationship with parental figures, with his chaplain and his rabbi both identifying as women, there is an added layer to his Judaism connecting to women in his life.
[17] Miriam riffs on a Midrash about God offering the covenant to other nations before offering it to the Israelites. It’s based on Midrash Sifrei Deuteronomy 343 , she takes a few liberties with it (umm, hello, she’s a storyteller). If you’re into this – dive deeply into this book,” which has a compilation of all kinds of amazing midrashim (sacred stories) like that one. The index alone will make you so happy!
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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] Miriam uses the words “Kosher” and “Tref” creatively in this metaphor around a bounded community. Kosher is classically used in reference to food that is permitted by Jewish law to consume. whereas Tref is a term used to connote non-kosher or prohibited foods. If you are into a deeper dive into Kashrut (Kosher rules), here’s a nice article on the word Tref (it gets spelled: Tref, Treif, Treyf… all kinds of ways because it’s a Yiddish word). And, a nice intro on Kosher cooking by Tori Avey (who has an amazing Challah recipe!)
[12] Amy and Marvin use acronyms when referring to different correctional facilities in Washington State, like WSR, TRU, and Twin Towers. The important thing to note for our story is that the guys were kept in different spaces and segments of the sprawling facility until Amy brought them together under the call for a minyan.
[13] The fear of scattering is no small thing. It’s baked into Jewish culture of being cast out/scattered away from one another. We read about it in the Prophets and Psalms and in the historical realities that the best way to diffuse the power of a community is to scatter it.
[14] Amy uses the concept of Minyan to help keep her guys together. We need each other in order to pray. Here’s a brief background on the requirement of a quorum to pray. But there is a ton of information about the shift from counting only Jewish men over the age of 13 in a minyan to expanding it to include women. What Amy does- by counting those who identify as Jewish, those in her community but may not have converted yet – is revolutionary.
[15] Ari mentions that there are specific prayers that require a minyan for public prayer are listed in Mishnah Megillah 4:3: Kaddish (for mourners), Barchu (communal call to prayer), Kedusha (central prayer of holiness), separating from holy and mundane, and the repetition of the Amidah (the standing prayer).
[16] Amy uses the word “Hashgacha,” which is a term for supervision, usually specific to rabbinic supervision, for determining whether something is kosher. Typically, this centers around designating food as kosher, but it can also be used to talk about Divine Providence or interference.
[17] Miriam says that she feels that she is part of the lineage of Puah and Shifra. These were the midwives in the Exodus Story who continued to help deliver Jewish babies even after Pharoah decreed that this was forbidden. In Exodus 1:12-21, you can read their resistance. Miriam is specifically talking about being a midwife (rather than a mother) of this moment for the guys, helping facilitate the next chapter but not being the creator of it.
[18] Miriam uses the word “Mitzrayim” and defines it as the narrow strait, which is the literal translation of the Hebrew in Exodus. Making the place where the story takes place less about Egypt or a nation-state and more about the state of any space or place where we are constricted and seeking. The term can be understood literally, but Miriam is leaning into the metaphor of Mitzrayim, the narrow place, where hope is hard to find, and yet we still do what is right and best for our wellbeing and for our community.
[19] The Priestly benediction first shows up in Numbers 6:24-26. Here’s a fun video that describes its origins. Typically, this blessing is seen in synagogues led by Kohanim (a specific class of Jews who are said to be descendants of the priestly class) or by the rabbi, but it can be said by anyone. Many Jewish families bless their children on the Sabbath with these words. It is both a formal and one of our people's oldest prayers.
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Episode 1 - "Jewish Enough" follows the stories of Ari and Josh, two men pursuing Jewish conversion while incarcerated. Despite facing obstacles and judgments, they find belonging and community within Judaism. The episode explores themes of identity, conversion, and belonging, shedding light on the challenges and joys of practicing Judaism behind bars. Through their journey, listeners witness the power of faith, resilience, and the pursuit of personal transformation. Join us on this heartfelt exploration of Judaism and the human spirit.
[1] Miriam mentions that Jewish conversion is forbidden by traditional Jewish conversion practices.
[2] Miriam briefly mentions that the guys were meeting for Shabbat. This mostly involved using prayerbooks without transliteration, guiding themselves through the service, and lighting electric candles. Amy changes all that—she brings in challah and juice, teaches them how to sing, and helps them navigate the meanings behind the ritual. But in the beginning, it’s just 3-5 men working their way through the prayerbook as best as possible.
[3] You’ll hear a lot more from (and about) Ari in episode 3, but he’s amazing. The first language he learned while incarcerated was German, inspired by an employee in another correctional facility who would practice with him. He never painted before in his life, but a mentor in a different prison took him under his wing and taught Ari. One trend you’ll notice is that Ari is a voracious learner, a true embodiment of learning for learning's sake. He wants to be an attorney and is currently studying law.
[4] Ari learns Hebrew by tapes and CDs. If you’re interested in learning on your own, check out this great book for adult learners , Aleph Isn’t Tough, or try out prayer karaoke, you can practice with just about any liturgy, this one is for the Shema prayer, which you hear Josh say during the conversion ritual.
[5] Josh is featured in episode 4. He’s super into support animals. He makes beaded jewelry of Magen David stars, earrings, and bracelets. Here’s a tutorial, if you want to try and make some too! He also co-authored a few books, including this one: Incarcerated Individual’s Pathway to Restorative Justice.
[6] We briefly mention the COVID pandemic. It cannot be stated enough how difficult it was to be incarcerated during those initial 18 months of the pandemic, particularly in Washington State, where the first USA cases emerged. There are all kinds of studies around what happened in congregant living situations. Here’s one report from Washington State Institute for Public Policy. For the folks on this podcast, life meant restricted movement. Including confinement to pods if you were healthy, or if you contracted COVID you might be moved into an isolation unit, also used for solitary confinement, to reduce the spread. Yet, COVID spread quickly. There were mass deaths. It was an incredibly difficult time. One positive element, is that tablets were made available for every individual that included books, podcasts, access to video and email communication (through a restricted and monitored service). This made passing the time more manageable, reduced loneliness, and encouraged education. There are mixed experiences with the tablets, as you see here and here, but for Ari and Josh, the tablets were the gateway to the Jewish community and Jewish learning.
[7] We make a big point not to declare that a certain way of converting or being Jewish is THE only way to convert or be Jewish. But that statement in itself is a radical declaration. What Judaism Unbound took on in this case, is counter to many denominational requirements and processes around Jewish conversion. Huh… not a huge surprise that Judaism Unbound is counterculture! We will dig deeper into how the Judaism Unbound approach differs from many mainstream approaches. This great article on www.myjewishlearning.org breaks down some basics and denominational differences.
[8] We make a strong statement about how we don’t want to tell the story of the crimes that landed Ari and Josh in prison. This is because our story is focused on the piece of their lives that started after they began experiencing the consequences of those actions. There’s a whole road this story could take around prison reform, abolitionist theory, the Jewish response to incarceration, the death penalty… you name it. But, since this is about Ari and Josh’s story of spiritual affirmation, their Jewish identity formation, being shared as much as possible through their own voices and realities, we feel it is theirs to share.
[9] It is no secret there are powerful sources of protection and violence in prison. Some of those sources are gangs, primarily aligned along lines of race. If you are Caucasian, as Ari and Josh are, they might find protection within the white supremacist gangs. In fact, some of the men who are part of the Shabbat minyan at one time in their prison sentence did align with a gang at one point but then were able to escape for a healthier lifestyle. So, to choose to identify as Jewish and therefore become hated by one of the only gangs that might protect you now increases one’s vulnerability. Here’s a powerful story by David Arenberg of his experiences of antisemitism and gang culture while incarcerated.
[10] The free will thing! This is pretty nuanced. This podcast “Can I convert because I love someone?” by the Hadar Institute (or you can read the transcript) discusses some of the different ways people read into the requirement and definition of free will as it relates to the conversion process.
[11] The audio is tough on this part of the call with Josh. He’s agitated. He wants to convert, but folks keep telling him, “yes…BUT… only when you get out.” And Josh is a lifer. He may never get out and, therefore, never convert to Judaism. Josh is a lifer because he was convicted under Washington State “Persistent Offenders Accountability Act” more commonly known as the “3 Strikes Your Out Law,” as a young man.
[12] We briefly describe the three rituals for conversion affirmation. Here’s a little more information on the Beit din, Milah and Mikvah.
[13] Were you way into the early conversion story for Yevamot 47a? Yeah, us too. Nerd out on Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson on the Oral Talmud episode 139 where they do a deep dive into this text.
[14] Interested in learning more about the Introduction to Judaism course, “Judaism inbound” that Dan Libenson and Miriam Terlinchamp co-authored? Great! Listen to the Judaism Unbound Episode 374 or go straight to the class sign up!
For information on how to reach out to connect with Jewish agencies who support folks who are incarcerated and their families, connect with a Jewish penpal, donate to help bring kosher meals and access to Jewish supplies, or give straight to Ari and Josh’s Jewish minyan in Monroe … connect with us at: www.judaismunbound.com/tales
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In its inaugural season, Tales of the Unbound follows the Jewish journey of two incarcerated individuals, their chaplain, and the community they co-created in the most unlikely of places. It happens to be within a prison context and about Jewish conversion. Yet, it is also a case study for all of us, regardless of where we are in our lives, about how we can transcend barriers to the life we want to lead through possibility.
