Tale of the Unbound: Episode 3- “We Go HAM” follows Josh’s spiritual journey of claiming Jewish identity, finding healing through reconciliation, and what it means to lead from a place of faith. His joy in the face of adversity is captivating as he carries his own stories and the stories of others as part of his personal evolution. This episode will reach you in the kishkas* carrying the listener as we move from tears to laughter, embracing the raw humanity of becoming yourself.*Kishkas = Literally:  intestines; Colloquially: In the guts/ where you deeply feel emotion[1] When Josh says, “We go H-A-M,” there are so many ways that it lands. “H-A-M” is a song by Jay Z and Kanye West. You can listen to it here, with the caveat that it’s VERY explicit and has all kinds of language and a subject matter that folks find offensive. So, just a flag for folks before clicking on that link! The H-A-M stands for “hard as a mother$*!” It’s a term used in pop culture as slang for extreme effort and enthusiasm. HAM, of course, has another meaning, of a pork product, which is also something you wouldn’t exactly jump to associate with being Jewish.[2] We discuss the Three Strikes Law, or its formal name, the “Persistant Offender Accountability Act,” in the show notes of episode 2. Here’s a link for more information. It is widely understood as Washington State’s toughest sentencing policy.[3] Joy in Judaism – it’s totally a thing. Here’s a great article by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett on ways that Judaism sparks joy and another one HERE by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg on Joy as a religious obligation. Also, check out THIS podcast with Eric Moffic on “The Happiness Prayer.”[4] Josh has tried hard to advocate for prisoner rights, to speak publicly about restorative justice (see page 19), and co-authored a book about individuals who seek to rehabilitate while incarcerated.[5] This is an article about Josh’s involvement in restorative justice with a picture from the ball of string and postcard activity that Amy talked about.[6] Curious about restorative justice? Check out this resource to learn more. How about the Jewish pieces of Restorative Justice? We’ve got that too!  Here’s a powerful dvar Torah by Rabbi Stacy Rigler and an awesome study sheet created by Rabbi Jericho Vincent.[7] Josh mentions this book a few times: “Little Book of Restorative Justice For People in Prison” by Barb Toews.[8] Many people find their Jewish path through DNA tests. Jewish ancestry, 23 and Me, and ancestry.com have led so many people to trace roots back to Jewish ancestors. For some, who connect to the Jewish biological lineage as something meaningful, find this DNA discovery transformative.  This is less meaningful for others who don’t think of Judaism as a racial or genetic line. Clearly for Josh, it was a door that opened a pathway to connecting to a line of his family that he might never have discovered otherwise.[9] Josh uses a few Hebrew words in this episode, so – here are a few quick definitions: Chumash is a printed/bound book version of the Torah.Siddur is a Jewish prayerbook.HaShem, literally means: The Name, referring to one of the names for God.[10] I sent Josh and Ari a few books early on. They included, “Judaism’s 10 best ideas” by Rabbi Art Green, “Here All Along” by Sarah Hurwitz, “Judaism for Dummies” by Rabbi Ted Falcon and “My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew” by Abigail Pogrebin.[11] Josh refers to the biblical dreamer … that gets us singing, “Go Go Jo!…”[12] Josh refers to Pirkei Avot 2:16 several times it reads: Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short and the work is much, and the workers are lazy and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is pressing. He used to say: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.[13] Miriam talks about the role of chevrutah in Talmud, Taanit 7a:8-12.אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד״, לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה בַּרְזֶל זֶה