Matir Asurim

Matir Asurim is a Jewish religious support organization for incarcerated people. Their name refers to one of the traditional divine names, which means "the one who frees the captives."

History

The group was formed in January 2021 by a group of Reconstructionist Jewish organizers in response to letters from incarcerated people who were seeking Jewish spiritual resources, but were not considered Jewish by the Aleph Institute and other Orthodox prisoner support groups.

Principles and Work

Matir Asurim is a prison abolitionist organization. They provide Jewish religious materials and access to religious education. They also connect the incarcerated people they serve with non-incarcerated Jewish pen-pals.