Passover in Prison

For centuries, isolated in ghettos or the pale between Russia and Poland, Jews created their own culture built around education. They needed literate men and women to comb through the sacred texts to discover the ideal way to live. One that would restore them to god's good grace. As the doors of isolation finally opened in the 19th century, Jews began to mingle with the rest of society on a more or less equal basis. Crime came hand-in-hand with opportunity. Many went to jail, where they found terrible conditions. it's difficult to survive there. A bureau of justice statistics survey of prisoners across the country found that 4.5 percent (or 60,500) of the more than 1.3 million inmates held in federal and state prisons had been sexually abused. For women, the number was closer to 25 percent. The situation is even worse for Jews. once arrested and jailed, Jews once again found themselves isolated and harassed by members of their new environment. in society, they were equal, but behind bars, they were the Christ killers of old, now trapped and vulnerable - as they were for long centuries when death was often the only escape. This is their story.