Today we’d like to introduce you to Rabbi Binyomin Scheiman.
Rabbi Binyomin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been working as the Jewish prison chaplain for all of Illinois including county jail, state and federal prisons for over 38 years. Essentially, I think of myself as running a “recycling plant” for human souls. We take people that have metaphorically been “discarded” and help them find the “positive” within themselves and new “purposes” so that they can reintegrate successfully into society.
I began working in prisons almost immediately during my first month as a new rabbi in Chicago. I got a call from a businessman in Brooklyn that the son of one of his business associates was sitting in prison in Joliet for Passover and needed matzo and grape juice. I was only in my twenties and had never been to a prison in my life but I made the delivery. Over the following 12-18 months, I was contacted by a number of families that called me for assistance for their families in prison. It became clear to me that this was my calling. I made a decision then and there that I would see it to it that any Jew in any correctional facility in the state of Illinois would be visited at least once a month no matter how many miles I needed to drive or how dark, oppressive or intimidating the environment might be. I realized that these people were in fact the forgotten souls of society. They were termed useless, relegated by their communities to the dumping grounds of humanity and were entirely alone. I learned through my continual associations with them that it was never too late and that there were no lost causes.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I essentially had three struggles along the way.
First and foremost, I had resistance from the prison establishment itself. They were guarded, suspicious and initially not eager to let me into the prisons or even to give me a list of the Jewish inmates. I had to lobby local politicians and met with the governor’s office. It was finally agreed upon that just like the clergy from other faiths, I should be provided with a position and a list of Jewish inmates. Over the next decade, I was able to expand operations to include monthly visits to the state and county facilities.
Secondly, it was hard to bring awareness to the Jewish community. Many people didn’t believe that there were actually Jews in prison; they didn’t acknowledge that there was in fact an issue. When they did, many felt that these people weren’t worth anything and they didn’t want to put any effort into helping them. I had to be persistent, passionate and knock on many doors; but I stuck to my dreams and my belief in the souls I was servicing.
The last struggle was organizational. I eventually “hit a wall” in terms of my capacity as one-man show. I needed to work on reentry with my clients, follow up with families as well as visit my clients in the institutions. I needed to hire others and focus more on fundraising. Eventually I was able to hire more staff, offer more services and open offices in Peterson Park and in Carbondale Illinois.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I discovered that I have a special ability to relate to and reach otherwise unreachable people. I am known for my nonjudgmental attitude, good listening skills and faith in human nature. As I became known in the prisons, not only Jewish men and women but others who needed advice and counseling came to me. One of the main products of my “company” is helping people with low self-esteem who have given up regain belief in themselves. We are proud of the countless humans that come out of institutions and become contributing members of society; some of them leaders in the fields of business in their communities. I am most proud however that a significant part of our funding comes from these successfully reintegrated clients.
Our recidivism rates are way below the national average because we follow our client from prison throughout their whole lives. Research has indicated that faith based association, strong relationships and mentoring significantly reduces the recidivism rates (see table below).
In effect, we calculate that our company saves Illinois tax payers $652, 469 dollars a year; this is what it would cost to pay for the incarceration for those in prison.
Source: the Vera institute of justice
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least about our city?
The best thing about a big city like Chicago is that there are so many resources and so many people doing good work. This means that I am able to collaborate with many agencies for job placement, addiction counseling etc. This city is full of opportunities that you could not find anywhere else. There is still exists however many who still judge or label others, bias and racism. We need to work together to eradicate this negativity. We need to give everyone in our community the opportunity to change, develop, grow and hope for the future.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3535 West Peterson Avenue
- Website: https://jpafil.org
- Phone: 847-334-1770
- Email: hindahelps770@gmail.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
