Join us for a moderated discussion about books with Jewish themes.
This month’s selection: The Prison Minyan by Jonathan Stone
“The Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York stands apart from most prisons.”
“…the prison’s minimum-security camp has ‘long been the lockup of choice among Jewish white-collar offenders’, who are able to access kosher food and daily prayer services.”
The novel is set “inside Otisville at a pivotal point when a religiously observant lawyer with close ties to the president arrives to serve out his sentence on fraud charges.”
“There are crimes a plenty within the prison walls…. Can middle-aged men who spent their entire lives flouting rules and laws, cheating and lying, and knowingly hurting others, find self-worth, meaning and even salvation by forming a community adhering to ancient traditions?
The novel raises more questions than it answers. It also veers between legitimate scares and a sense of the absurd….Still The Prison Minyan occupies terrain few others will likely explore.”,
–The N. Y. Times Book Review, January 9, 2022
A synagogue member leads the discussion. $5.00 suggested donation for guests.
