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Luv Michael
42 Walker Street (Tribeca) New York, NY 10013
(646) 661-1224
luvmichael.org
Name of contact: Founder-Lisa Liberatore
Lisa cell: 917-699-5118

“A 501c3 established in the home of the founders in 2015 to train, educate and employ people with autism. In 2016, the program moved to an entrepreneur space (industrial kitchen) in Long Island City with son Michael and one other person to they can make and package Luv Michael granola. The program, now much larger, sells to several well-known stores and is in the process of moving from Long Island City to Tribeca in Manhattan. Participants do not pay for the program. They receive a paycheck for their work. The founders handle most costs with grant support helpful as well. The goal is to have for-profit and not-for-profit divisions.”

My 2018 Visit (Keep Reading for 2019 Updates!)

Luv Michael is the first job site I visited and in many ways, was the inspiration for this project. Dr. Liberatore reached out to me at the suggestion of a mutual friend. I went to visit the program’s rented kitchen and classroom space in Long Island City, NY. I observed the entire granola making process and learned that Liberatore needed to hire many professionals for both the vocational training component, and for recipe development (“granologist”), packaging, etc. Participants combine ingredients, bake and measure out the correct quantity, weight and consistency (not too crumbly) and package it. During the visit, I asked if Dr. Liberatore knows of similar programs and job sites specifically geared toward training and employing people with disabilities. She referred me to the Facebook group, Autism, Entrepreneurship. This was a useful starting point for identifying businesses and tuning in to the concerns of parents expressed in the discussion. I have kept in touch and recently updated the Lessons Learned section.

Updated provided by Luv Michael August, 2019

Luv Michael is a Non-Profit 501c 3organization that produces high quality organic, gluten-free, and nut-free granola without all the harmful chemicals and toxic allergens. The company was founded in 2015 by Lisa Liberatore, MD and her son Michael with the goal of providing meaningful employment and on the job training to those diagnosed with Autism.
Michael Kessaris is the inspiration for Luv Michael Granola. Michael’s new line of gluten-free and nut-free granola is taking its first delicious bite out of the fast-growing natural foods niche with distribution in the fifteen Manhattan locations of Fresh & Co. stores. In addition to meeting consumer demands for a high quality snackable granola in the growing market for nut-free and gluten-free foods, Luv Michael is part of an inevitable wave of career-finding solutions for those, like Michael, living with Autism.
For Michael and his team, producing the highest quality gluten-free and natural products was a logical tie-in; healthy dietary alternatives have been found to be beneficial to many with Autistic symptoms. Providing training and income for others on the Autistic spectrum became their mission. With the disability affecting 1 in 68 births and rising, employment for the maturing Autistic population has become an increasingly significant challenge for many. The success of Luv Michael is even more compelling, considering that employment for those on the Autistic spectrum is lowest among those with disabilities.

Finding a career was not easy for Michael, a Port Washington, NY native. Despite his love of cooking, Michael was unable to enroll in culinary school without a high school diploma. Michael’s parents, both physicians, Lisa Liberatore, MD and Dimitri Kessaris, MD, helped create the food-based business so that their son and others with Autism would not be a burden on society or limited in their potential to lead happy and productive lives. They started Luv Michael under the parent company, Indigo Life, which represents a commitment for doing even more for the Autistic population.

The idea was born to make a healthful quality product that could provide income and a career for both Michael and other individuals with Autism. Luv Michael provides a therapeutic employment environment, which caters to the special needs of the employable Autistic person. Luv Michael now employs over 10 full-time granologists that provide fresh granola to Starbucks, JetBlue, Fresh and Co, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Gristedes Neighborhood Grocers, Wild By Nature and over 60 other retailers.
The Liberatore and Kessaris family are working with autism specialists to develop an entire curriculum based upon the New York State food handler’s license and are dedicated to not only teach cooking and food safety but also all aspects of a small business including sales, marketing and customer service and distribution.

Luv Michael’s mission is to “provide a meaningful culinary vocation for the Autistic population and to produce exceptional gluten-free and natural products.” So far, success is sweet for Luv Michael.
Luv Michael’s story is about to take a huge leap forward with the opening of our higher-capacity kitchen and learning center in the Tribeca section of New York City. Luv Michael’s new headquarter is expected to open in October 2019. In this dedicated space, granologists will learn their trade and take part in the manufacturing process. Most importantly, they will grow as workers and members of the working world. The skills they gain here will most assuredly be used for many years to come in future jobs and careers

Founder Dr. Liberatore Shares Observations/Lessons Learned:

  • Legal Fees Are Enormous! (very important to set up each system and mechanism properly; last year, paid $10,000 now to get nonprofit registered in different states (we will have a nonprofit and a for profit division—nonprofit is training, curriculum, special education teacher salary, etc.)
  • How to Work and Not Lose Social Security Benefits? “The System Is Barbaric! –this is why parents don’t want their children paid—don’t want them to jeopardize SS benefits. “I went down to SS—if he works, the $700 meant for living (residence), food, clothing, etc. automatically has $85 deducted off the top, then for each dollar he makes, they deduct $.50—to incentivize him to work. And the mom must go in person so I would have to miss a day of work.” “how do I pay them when parents don’t want them to get paid.” (I bring 5 one dollar bills and tape it to their work stations…so they “see” they are getting paid for their work.”
  • Costs—we have funded it (we reason our other son is going to NYU and we pay the tuition; starting this program is training for 10 with disabilities)
  • When trying to make a financial sustainable business you need to focus equally on the business as you work on the mission.
  • You need experts in the field to really commit to your project.
  • You need to try and keep overhead as low as possible but also spend where it counts. For us, it was recruiting a great special education teacher with many years of successful teaching the autistic population and is willing to think out of the box.
  • You must believe in the mission fully because it will be a costly project to finance before it becomes financially viable- that means years of hard work and doubts!
  • Others will say you are crazy
  • Stay true to the reason you started it and don’t compromise. We want a healthy and tasty product and also to provide education and enrichment to our granologists.
  • That is counter to the business world where they want to make a cheap and unhealthy product, mass produced and employ people for the low skilled jobs without future growth and stimulation.
  • When you do it “right,” people get it and start helping you for low cost or pro bono.
  • Protect your brand and don’t try to grow too fast. You need your ducks all lined up and the project completely worked out and written down before it can be replicated.
  • This next year will show whether we are sustainable or not as we move into our own space, grow our snack line and procure more outside funding.

Updated on : October, 2019

Luv Michael Co, now in its fourth year of business, recently opened a 3,000 square-foot,  state of the art commercial space in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood.  It is outfitted as both a comprehensive learning and training center as well as a high capacity commercial kitchen where young adults with autism will train for the New York State food handler’s license and produce the company’s product – organic, all-natural and gluten-free granola.  

Currently, Luv Michael Co. employs 10 ‘granologists’ that provide fresh granola to Starbucks, Fresh & Co, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Gristedes Neighborhood Grocers, Wild by Nature, totaling over 60 retailers in the greater New York City area. A replication expansion project at the Greek Orthodox Church of The Hamptons, employs 10 more.  Luv Michael Co. will soon begin producing its products for JetBlue.

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Yes She Can (Job Skills Development Program) at Girl Again—A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls
4 Martine Avenue, store 2B
White Plains, NY 10606.
YesSheCanInc.org
Name of contacts and title:
-Marjorie Madfis, President
marjorie@yesshecaninc.org
Office: 914-428-1258; Mobile: 914-837-1467
-Lesli S Cattan, LCSW, Director of Training Programs
Lesli@yesshecaninc.org
(917) 880-5478

“Yes She Can is an incubator, laboratory and job skills development program at Girl Again: A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls Girl Again, a business around a special interest: American Girl dolls. Young women with autism and related learning and social disabilities are coached by clinical professionals and business managers in all aspects of the business. Trainees develop transferable skills including technical skills and work place social skills as well as self-advocacy and emotional regulation. .”
Founders report that 80% of adults with autism are not in the workforce despite the fact that most have a desire to have a job.

My Visit:

The Girl Again store is located on a busy street in White Plains, New York, near other stores, cafes, offices and a large city parking lot, where I parked. Marjorie, the founder, and Lesli, were generous with their time in explaining every aspect of the “incubator” and business, from how they got the space, to how they get merchandise donations, and make sales. The store receives donations of dolls and all their accessories from across the United States; they have received more than 700 donations in five years
from doll lovers and collection drives as “mitzvah projects.” They report a challenge has been attracting customers given an overall decline in the country in the purchase of toys and dolls. At one point, girls were purchasing American Dolls which looked like them and had interesting stories—and purchased clothing, accessories and books. Competition recently has been online games.

We walked through the small store with neatly arranged merchandise and I saw dolls, outfits, books beautifully displayed on shelves at various heights. We then sat in the training area where many large clear bins containing outfits and components awaiting sorting were neatly stacked. Lesli and Marjorie explained that one important aspect of the training has been helping the trainees develop perspective taking, something which is difficult for people with autism. “I know this may appeal to you, but will an 8 year old want to buy this?” Similarly, a trainee may have a hard time understanding that a customer may want to buy a doll without the necklace (which is “supposed” to be with the set)—this is part of the training in perspective taking. Similarly, it is often a challenge for trainees to “shift,” and to do tasks that were not on their assignment sheet – because priorities can change unexpectedly in a business It’s hard to anticipate a task which needs to be done.

Trainees use Chromebooks with a shared drive where everyone has access to the same information and tools. Trainees use a spreadsheet to log and track the customer “wish list”, from across the country where doll collectors are looking for specific dolls and accessories. The trainees need to check the wish list and they then work on calling or emailing the customer when an item they want becomes available.

They also conduct online research for the original components of a doll outfit or accessory that is no longer available from American Girl to determine if they have the complete set to prepare for resale.
They use guidelines to determine the price to sell the item at but then need to learn how to make decisions when the guideline does not apply. They input this data into a spreadsheet called the inventory management tool – an exercise in data entry, accuracy, and quality. Some items they input
are factual and some requiring inferencing, which can be more difficult.
An important area trainees are working on is in learning the nuances of phone calls. They are learning to make outbound calls, where they start the conversation. One area which can be challenging is in not knowing what the customer may ask i.e. item costs and shipping costs. In short, it is difficult when the conversation doesn’t follow a script. They are also learning to initiate phone calls to customers whose wish list item is now available.

Reasons for Starting the Program:

Marjorie notes that 80% of adults with autism are not in the workforce and she had her daughter, Isabelle (Izzie), who she describes as “in the ‘gray area’, in mind when she created the program. She notes, “We are a training program and incubator—we are not an employer.” Marjorie points out that
Izzie’s teachers did not believe she would be able to pass the NY Regents Exam for a high school diploma but Marjorie didn’t want Isabelle to be assigned to a life skills program.. She wanted Izzie to be in an environment with high expectations, something she didn’t find in the internships she was assigned to as part of her IEP in high school. “She further notes that they didn’t give the interns transferable skills. Marjorie’s starting point was Izsies passion for American Girl dolls. Isabelle’s declared career goal
it to work at American Girl store. “When I thought of all that she should learn, I considered resale. There are many tasks to do in a resale business that are transferable to other work environments. . g With American Girl merchandise there is enough to motive someone like my daughter to learn the skills she really needs – primarily appropriate social interactions.” At Girl Again, trainees learn data entry and importance of accuracy. They also learn to do things they don’t necessarily enjoy – because it is work.
They learn to accept and act upon critical feedback. They also learn how to talk to managers, co-workers and customers – each differently.

Brief description of business from website):

Yes She Can (job skills program) At Girl Again (A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls)
Yes She Can’s job skills program is delivered at Girl Again, a resale boutique for American Girl dolls and
all their accessories and books. Visit us in White Plains New York.
We sell dolls, but we’re not in the doll business, we are in the job skills development business.
Yet, we operate Girl Again just like any other business – we meet customer needs efficiently and
effectively.
We have built a business around a special interest: American Girl dolls. Our customers include first time
buyers as well as long time collectors. While most are girls between 7 and 10, our customers include
boys and men as well as teen girls and women. We embrace our diverse customers. And our customers
appreciate our trainees.
While most typical girls lose interest in their dolls by the time they reach middle school, girls with autism
do not experience the social pressure to put their dolls away. Some of our trainees still have a great
passion as well as a developed expertise in their American Girl doll collection. This expertise has a
market value. And it can be used as a platform to develop other business skills that can be transferred to
jobs in the competitive work environment. While not all trainees have an affinity for AG, they all learn
from all the tasks that are involved in running the business.
Pat Rowan coaching trainees: Our goal is to enable the young women to increase their potential to get
and keep a job where they can shine.
Resale Value: The advantage of the resale business is that there are many and varied business tasks, and
employees can either specialize in what they like best or choose to expand their skills. Micro-tasks include:

-sorting through donated clothes and created complete outfits (skirt, shirt, jacket, shoes, socks for example);
-pricing products competitively by researching and comparing prices on eBay;
-cleaning dolls;
-researching the doll’s original hair style and styling the doll hair;
-price tagging the merchandise;
-taking photos for marketing;
-posting content on digital platforms;

managing and tracking inventory, book keeping, organizing and hosting events and parties, and more.
Girl Again is a first-of-a-kind incubator and laboratory where we nurture young women at work without the pressure of a for-profit business. We are applying the most effective training techniques that conventional employers as well as autism employment entrepreneurs can use as they begin to hire people on the autism spectrum.
Yes She Can focuses on vocational skills that are challenging to persons on the spectrum. And, because we operate within an authentic business, trainees gain real work experience while learning and practicing a range of skills needed in the world of work.
WHAT WE DO: Yes She Can has developed an intensive learning and training experience within an authentic business setting that has proven successful in helping young women (ages 18-28) gain the skills necessary to be successful at work. Teaching methods are used to address the challenges
associated with autism. Coaching is provided by clinical professionals with a focus on improving social, emotional and communication skills for the workplace.
OUTCOMES: Quarterly assessments enable our monitoring of the progress each trainee makes. We then adjust our interventions to help trainees move towards their personalized goals. Program outcomes include a rise in employment, an increase in participants’ independent functioning in the
community, and positive self-regard.

Lessons Learned/Observations:

  • Be attuned to overall trends. Doll (and toy) sales have declined in an age of computers and video games.
  • Find a business where the work is engaging and skills learned are transferable.
  • Use the training (in sorting, merchandising, sales, etc) to also train for perspective taking—how would the display appeal to customers of different ages?
  • A real challenge for some of the workers with disabilities is anxiety and frustration. Similarly, many have a difficult time doing things not written on their assignment sheet. Flexibility is tough.
  • Understanding the concept of TIME is often difficult for workers (i.e understanding her new glasses will arrive “maybe Thursday”)
  • Learning all aspects of initiating and sustaining a phone conversation can be challenging as it deviates from a script (i.e. when customers ask questions about item or shipping costs)
  • There is a great deal of “unlearning special education” to be done as part of the training. Trainees need to be taught “Don’t make me do your thinking.” Some things which could be taught in school but which
  • usually aren’t include: risk taking, making a recommendation, supporting your reasoning and turning to your peer for input/consultation.
  • Important tasks and skills include learning thoroughness (“what is good enough?” –is it worth it to spend 30 minutes picking lint off of an outfit?), efficiency (as above with the lint example—if we sell the item for $10, is it worth spending a few hours preparing an item for sale?), and not taking it personally (i.e. if manager questions efficiency)
  • Use various assessment tools and use them regularly (including self-assessment, employer assessment and parent assessment). -there are free legal services for nonprofits in NY, NJ and CT—Pro Bono Partnership: https://www.probonopartner.org/.
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Original Article Published on The Chabad.ORG

Tell a friend you are going to federal prison and responses vary from surprise, to sarcastic comments, to questions about why a person would spend precious volunteer time visiting someone who had committed a crime. When I was asked to take part in a new visitation program as a reporter, my own first reaction to the assignment was one of nervousness and even embarrassment. What could I possibly have in common with these guys, even if we were both Jewish? What would we talk about? How would I explain my participation in this program to my friends and family members? Why would I go through an application and screening process just to visit people who had done something bad?

I spoke to a few friends who, much to my surprise, shared with me that each of their communities had several members who had spent time in prison. I began to think about those inmates’ families and what it must be like to have a family member in prison. I wondered what it’s like being Jewish in prison, and what the process of re-entering the Jewish community after release is like.

I’d have to venture inside a facility to find out.

A few months later, with the help and guidance of the Chabad-Lubavitch affiliated Aleph Institute—the leading Jewish organization caring for the incarcerated and their families—I found myself passing through a metal detector and having my hand stamped at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York, not far from City Hall. A federal facility known for its strict security, MCC is a 12-story concrete fortress in the heart of Manhattan, a place The New York Times quotes an inmate describing as “less hospitable than Guantanamo Bay”—he would know, he’d been in both. MCC is adjacent to the courthouse where I’ve gone for jury duty, but I’d never even known of its existence. Stripped of my phone, keys and wallet, and with only my reporter’s notebook and pen in hand, an officer led me through a series of claustrophobic passageways, eventually to the visitation floor.

In the small, triangular-shaped room where I was told to wait for the Jewish inmates I’d be meeting one at a time, I noticed a would-be inspirational poster on the wall. “Make it happen,” it cheerily read. “There is no challenge too great for those who have the will and heart to make it happen.”

It dawned on me that though geographically close to my own home, I was in an alternate universe.

Visitation Opens Up

The Aleph Institute was founded in 1981 by Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar at the express direction of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who was an early and passionate proponent of criminal justice reform. With the goal of reaching out to Jews in limited environments, Aleph has a division dedicated to the incarcerated and a separate one working with the military. It has been a pioneer in both fields.

The guiding principle behind Aleph’s prisoner initiatives, following the Rebbe’s leadership, is that someone who has committed a criminal act is still dear to G‑d and created in His image, with religious responsibilities, the ability to improve, and human emotional needs. Above all, each person has a unique role to play in the world, and the goal must be to assist them in reintegrating into society, where they can resume their individual missions.

“When a person finds himself in a situation of ‘after the sunset,’” the Rebbe wrote in a November 1977 Chanukah letter addressed to prisoners, “when the light of day has given way to gloom and darkness—as was the case in those ancient days under the oppressive Greek rule—one must not despair, G‑d forbid, but on the contrary, it is necessary to fortify oneself with complete trust in G‑d, the Essence of Goodness, and take heart in the firm belief that the darkness is only temporary, and it will soon be superseded by a bright light, which will be seen and felt all the more strongly through the supremacy of light over darkness, and by the intensity of the contrast.”

Despair and despondency is part and parcel of prison life, a feeling of being alone in a harsh, dark world. That’s why Aleph’s motto is: “No one alone, no one forgotten.”

And by feeling “not forgotten,” the chances of making a smooth post-prison transition improves drastically. Of the nearly 2.2 million people incarcerated in the United States today, nearly 75 percent will return to prison within five years of release. As reform advocates continue to work on various programs across the system to lower the recidivism rate—including pre-sentencing diversion, drug rehabilitation and, crucially, educational efforts—one aspect that has continuously borne results are visitation programs. Prisoners who maintain connections with the world outside, members of their families and communities, have a far better chance of landing on their feet once they re-enter society.

Aleph has facilitated prison visits by Chabad rabbis and rabbinical students for decades, but as I learned from Aleph Visitation Circle coordinator Binah Banayan, the process is now opening up. In fact, the Aleph Visitation Circle recently became the first organized volunteer effort in the Jewish community to involve “regular people” outside the rabbinate in one on one prisoner visitation.

“The visitation program was started with the idea in mind that there are a lot of inmates that do not get any visits from their friends or family,” explains Rabbi Dovid Raigorodsky, also an Aleph Visitation Circle coordinator. “This can leave them feeling very lonely, almost like they don’t matter.”

Aleph contacted the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin the work of setting up a one-on-one volunteer visitation program, and BOP eventually granted permission. Since September of 2018 the program has enlisted 65 active volunteers who have visited 20 different federal institutions nationwide, making over 250 visits to date. Another 30 volunteers are currently pending approval by the BOP.

The process of becoming a volunteer is fairly straight-forward. When I decided to make the plunge, I completed the online application form, provided references, and a few weeks later was accepted and offered several possible visitation dates at MCC.

I carefully read the rules about the prison dress code required for visitors and policies on what they may take inside into the prison (essentially nothing). Several days before my first visit, I was given the names and inmate numbers of two Jewish prisoners and told to report at MCC.

I found the entrance and approached the check- in window—not entirely confident the clerk would find the folder with the letter authorizing my visit. To my surprise, they had the information, and I headed in.

In the Tank

Like the rest of the building, and despite the inspirational posters, the visitation floor is not very welcoming. Several of the rooms were occupied by attorneys meeting with their clients, clad in their drab, brown prison garb. The vending machine, I noticed, was broken.

My meetings would last an hour each, and as I waited for the guards to return with the first inmate I’d spend time with, I wondered what we’d discuss.

The first prisoner, “S,” was a man approximately 55 years old. He immediately put me at ease. We spoke about our lives and learned that we had children studying in the same university, lived in a similar neighborhood and were deeply connected to Jewish practice.

Though I didn’t ask, he proceeded to tell me about his financial crimes. “Everybody has problems and makes mistakes,” he told me. He’d already served 15 years in prison.

S spoke fondly and with great appreciation of the rabbis who visit regularly. “You meet these people, and you are magnetized to them. Getting visits means you are alive. Visitations are called ‘not forgetting;’ in here, you are forgotten to the world.”

He seemed to know all of the Jewish inmates, including two women who work in the commissary. He described the experience of being a Jew in prison. “It is difficult. We are a minority in the U.S., and especially here!”

S expressed great appreciation for the visitation program. “Aleph is important because when you are in here, you live in a different world than outside; you are not in touch with society. Aleph helps you know what is going on outside; we live vicariously through others.” S feels that the visits by Aleph will greatly help him make the adjustment to the outside world easier after all his years behind bars. “Aleph gives services for people to re-enter society, funds for relocating and to get on our way.”

Minutes after S left our meeting to return to his job, “V,” a muscular man in his mid-30s, entered the small room. He, too, is committed to Jewish practice and belief, and is upset at what he describes as the lack of services Jewish prisoners receive. “There are no religious services for Jews; we get juice on Friday nights for Shabbat—no challah. This year, we did start getting matzah for Passover.”

V proudly says that he puts on his tallit and tefillin each day, and prayers three times a day.

V has struggled with addiction for many years, and acknowledges his past errors. ”Everybody makes mistakes in life,” he says, noting that “addiction is a sickness.” At the same time, he points out, ”everybody deserves a second chance … we are not bad people.”

V, too, feels a kinship with other Jewish prisoners. Although it will be years before he is released, V remains positive. “I know G‑d is with me. I have faith. I keep going.”

A Fulfilling Experience

Though my first prison visit went smoothly, on the second attempt I learned it’s not always that easy. For some reason the clerk at MCC couldn’t find my authorization and I was sent away without seeing the inmates I was scheduled to visit. Even more frustrating, I had no way of communicating with the inmates to explain to them what happened.

I had never met or spoken with others who have decided to spend time visiting prisoners, and I wondered if their experience was similar to mine. What did they do or speak about on their visits?

Avrumi Frankel of Lakewood, N.J., has been visiting prisoners at nearby FCI (Federal Correctional Institution) Fort Dix for about a year. After seeing an ad looking for people to read the Megillah on Purim, Frankel eventually connected with the Aleph Visitation Circle and completed all the paperwork. He has made 15 prison visits since. As opposed to the MCC, where I had been, Frankel says the visiting room at FCI Fort Dix is one big room where he can meet with many inmates at once, a reflection of the various rules and regulations that govern each facility differently.

“It is a very fulfilling experience,” Frankel says. “You feel that they are desperate for visitors, and that they really appreciate it. They feel good that people are thinking about them.” Frankel points out that even people not on his list come over to him during the visiting time.

Frankel has developed an ongoing, evolving relationship with the Jewish prisoners, and he makes a point to say that he never judges them—that job has already been done by someone else.

“I don’t think they are bad people,” says Frankel. “I think they are good people who have made bad choices.”

Another volunteer I got the chance to speak with was Rabbi Zalman Gansburg. Gansburg is co-director, together with his wife, Chani, of Chabad of Palmetto Bay and Deering Bay in Florida, but as opposed to going in as a rabbi, Gansburg chose to visit prison through the Aleph Visitation Circle the same way that all non-rabbinic visitors do.

“There is a special spiritual fulfillment visiting someone in prison; the impact you have on his life is amazing,” Gansburg explains. As a Chabad emissary Gansburg is no stranger to assisting people from all walks of life, and yet he feels there is something special about the simple act of visiting the incarcerated.

“You see the impact right away,” he says. “How can you not when the inmate tells you you’re the first visitor they have had in over a year?”

The experience has shaped the way Gansburg views and relates to all people. “It’s humbling. It brings you down to reality.”

Gansburg’s visits have also developed over time, and what started as friendly talk about life experiences and the like now involve a formal learning component. One of the men he visits got himself a Tanya, the foundational text of Chabad Chassidic philosophy, and each of them study the same section of the Tanya. Since Gansburg isn’t allowed to bring in books, now when he visits they’re able to discuss their studies and trade perspectives on the Torah they’ve both learned.

Gansburg hopes his own experience will encourage others to volunteer with the Aleph Visitation Circle. “When you go into a prison and interact with someone behind bars, and talk to him and try to understand him, you expand your views on life and you are able to understand people more and life more. It makes you a better father, husband, son, brother, and above all, a better person.”

Judging by my own experience 1,200 miles north, I couldn’t agree more.

As the program expands, volunteers are needed in every city and state—especially Brooklyn, Miami, Los Angeles, and Chicago. To date, over one hundred and four prisoners have received visitors thanks to the program. The goal, Aleph says, “is to reach every Jewish prisoner and remind them that even in prison they are never alone or forgotten.”

To volunteer for the Aleph Visiting Circle, visit their website or contact Sara Schmukler at sara@aleph-institute.org, 310-598-2142 ext. 231.

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