New Jersey allows menorahs in prisons for Hanukkah
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Jewish inmates in New Jersey state prisons will be allowed to use menorahs for Hanukkah this year.
The state Corrections Department unveiled a Hanukkah policy this week. Corrections spokesman Matt Schuman says this is the first time there's a uniform policy.
Previously, most prisons were uncomfortable with allowing real candles. Now, authorized volunteer religious leaders or prison staff will light candles with inmates present.
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Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum of the Rabbinical College of America-Lubavitch is praising the new policy, saying it shows the Corrections Department is sensitive to inmates' religious needs.
Hanukkah begins Dec. 8 this year.