Chasidic masters teach that through prayer one becomes freed of all limitations. A new synagogue inaugurated this December 12th in a S. Petersburg prison, will allow Jewish inmates to experience this spiritual freedom. The correctional facility, S. Petersburg number 7, also known as Yablonevka, is only the eighth prison in all of Russia to provide a synagogue for incarcerated Jews.

 Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, S. Petersburg Chief Rabbi Mendel Pewzner, and Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia military and law enforcement liaison Rabbi Aaron Gurevich, all Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries, presided over the opening ceremony. Joining them in the ribbon-cutting and dedication were Federal Penitentiary Service regional director I.V. Potapenko and the agency’s deputy in charge of social, psychological and educational programs, Vladimir A. Zatonsky.

Although the number of Jewish prisoners at Yablonevka is small—seven to twelve prisoners at a time, and the number of Jews who take part in the prayer services and Torah classes led by S. Petersburg Rabbi Ifrahom Abramov is six at most, the synagogue provides a welcoming oasis where Jews can seek spirituality.

 “There are no people lost to society,” declared Lazar. “According to Jewish tradition, every person is an entire world. And if six Jews need a synagogue, then we must do everything within our power to make that happen! When a person, even if he is in an institution, realizes that he can continue to evolve and to grow spiritually, that is a special moment. Hence, he is able to correct his previous mistakes.”

The Jewish prisoners sought support and encouragement from the visiting Rabbis. “What will it be like after release?” one inmate asked. “Will we be a part of the Jewish community?” The Rabbis replied in the affirmative, describing a rehabilitation program that has been set-up to help released convicts find work and integrate into the Jewish community. 

The small synagogue is equipped with Torah scrolls, prayer books and other books on Judaism in Russian, donated by members of the S. Petersburg Jewish community. Rabbi Ifrahom Abramov will visit the prison once a week to host prayer services and Torah classes.

The first synagogue established at a Russian prison was opened two years ago in a correctional facility in the Arkhangelsk region as a joint initiative of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation. After that, a few more were opened at other institutions in Mordovia (a prison for foreign nationals), elsewhere in the Arkhangelsk region, and one at the in the infamous Butyrka jail in Moscow.

These synagogues mark a new era for Russian Jewish prisoners, ensuring that despite their physical incarceration they remain spiritually free and stay connected to their families, communities and Jewish heritage.