The Prison Minyan

by Jonathan Stone

Welcome to Otisville, America's only Jewish prison...where a new celebrity inmate is about to shatter the peace.

‘Erudite, trenchant and touching'- Michael Arditti

'Delectable... glorious... this most cherishably Jewish of books.' - Jewish Chronicle

The scene is Otisville Prison, upstate New York. A crew of fraudsters, tax evaders, trigamists and forgers discuss matters of right and wrong in a Talmudic study and prayer group, or 'minyan', led by a rabbi who's a fellow convict. As the only prison in the federal system with a kosher deli, Otisville is the penitentiary of choice for white-collar Jewish offenders, many of whom secretly like the place. They've learned to game the system, so when the regime is toughened to punish a newly arrived celebrity convict who has upset the 45th president, they find devious ways to fight back. Shadowy forces up the ante by trying to 'Epstein' - ie assassinate - the newcomer, and visiting poetry professor Deborah Liston ends up in dire peril when she sees too much. She has helped the minyan look into their souls. Will they now step up to save her?

Jonathan Stone brings the sensibility of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth to the post-truth era in a sharply comic novel that is also wise, profound, and deeply moral.

Genres: Fiction, Jewish, Book Club, Judaism, Mystery

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2021

About the author

Jonathan Stone, author of the Julian Palmer novels, is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House in Fiction Writing and twice won the English Department's John Hubbard Curtis Prize for Best Imaginative Writing. He works in advertising and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[BOOKLOVER EB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan Stone’s “Prison Minyan” is an acerbic, politically incorrect, profane, and insightful novel that focuses on the Jewish inmates in Otisville, a minimum-security correctional facility in upstate New York. The incarcerated Jews eat kosher meals, attend religious services, and engage in Bible study. They are serving time for such crimes as fraud, embezzlement, bribery, and forgery. Bill Richardson (Big Willie) is a thoughtful and observant corrections officer who guards them during their morning prayers.

The convicts know how lucky they are to be in Otisville, where they are free to schmooze and make jokes; watch their favorite cable news shows; feast on such delicacies as gefilte fish, pastrami, blintzes, and rugelach; and think up ways to game the system. Meanwhile we get to know the other guards, several wardens, and an idealistic professor, Deborah Liston, who conducts a poetry workshop in Otisville that turns out to be a surprisingly transformative experience.

The clever and intriguing plot involves the arrival of an individual who ratted out his former boss, the President of the United States. How will this celebrity’s arrival change things? Before long, the inmates’ most cherished privileges are revoked, and they resolve to fight back. The final portion of the book is a bit more serious and intense. A new warden, known to be an anti-Semite and white nationalist, issues edicts designed to demean the Jewish inmates. Furthermore, a series of unforeseen events will force certain individuals to make difficult choices that will test their core values. Jonathan Stone’s Otisville is a microcosm of our world. There is deceit, dissension, and violence, but also camaraderie, creativity, and self-awareness. “Prison Minyan” is a wildly entertaining and witty satire that has a great deal of truth in it.

[Debbie Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts slow then suddenly becomes a page turner

While the beginning seems possible since it is a real prison, it is not possible to know whether any of the characters are real. The end seems possible due to many other things happening during the timeframe in which the the book took place.

[Liz Mc2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow my skim of the blurb left me with the impression that this was a comic cozy mystery along the lines of Harry Kemelman's Rabbi books and . . . it is so not that. When I realized the new celebrity inmate whose presence brings changes is basically Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading. But he is a very minor character. This is a political satire, I guess, but allusions to real figures (Trump, Barr) are minimal, and Stone is more interested in broad questions about ethics (justice, punishment, revenge...), prejudice, class, and even the value of poetry. I ended up liking it a lot. A lot of the members of the minyan blended together, but it didn't really matter.

[Stephen Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book which began slowly and I was unsure about it.

The more I delved in to it, the more I became interested in a clever mystery written very well about greed, power, politics, antisemitism, crime, rehabilitation, the Jewish story and more.

What helped was the writer clearly had an affinity with the characters of his book and so they jumped off the page.

The writer cleverly ratcheted up the tension in the book and as someone who adores poetry, I loved the central role it played in the story.

The book takes some getting used to and starts slowly, but once you get in to it, it's a thoughtful, well paced, intriguing and interesting page turner. I would definitely recommend it.

[david · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary non-fiction read.

It centers around white-collared inmates at the minimum-security Otisville prison in Otis, NY.

However, coincidentally, Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer was remanded there when it was written.

The book does not concern him other than that he was considered a 'celebrity' there and treated as such.

I highly recommend it.

[Arnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and often funny novel centered in the rather famous prison known for meeting the needs of Jewish white collar criminals.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t but help love a book where poetry saves the day.

[Quinn Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my synagogue's book club and honestly it was enjoyable most of the time. I found the character-driven stuff really interesting, so much so that I felt like the plot-driven stuff almost...got in the way. Like, I would've read the entire book just focused on the poetry classes and see how the character development played out. The plot-driven stuff almost ended up feeling forced to me when you compare it to one of their scenes with his father and the rabbi's scene with his children, which felt so much more authentic (in a good or bad way, it doesn't matter because they show you who they are).

I didn't like how blunt it was with spelling things out. To avoid spoilers, all I'll say is that when you use imagery from notable historical events, we don't need you to spell out what you're doing. It sort of reads like you think the readers are stupid and wouldn't get it, especially when this obviously is aimed a lot toward jewish readers. I also felt like the voice was very odd and it should've been written in first person. It's obviously third person focusing on certain people each chapter, but then provided commentary from...? One of the notes I had was highlighted something like "Oy. Ezra. King of drama" or something and I wrote "who's talking here? God?" because I really could not figure out whose voice that was supposed to be.

The ending felt a bit...deus ex machina-d for me. When the biggest, most dramatic plot point got introduced like 3-4/5 of the way through the book and still wrapped up neatly...it's just not my thing. Especially because after it's wrapped up, the main two people who would probably have some sort of mental health struggle afterwards (PTSD or not...whatever) but one of them we just don't hear from and the other goes back to business as usual after time skip. It felt a little bit lazy for an ending.

I also found some of the writing just kind of cringe, which isn't a crime, I just don't think I was the target age for this because of that. The "don the con" and "epstein" as a verb stuff was just...it just read as pandering to liberals and cringey. I also thought it was weird how when the prisoners were divided into two groups (the Fox News and MSNBC watchers, iirc) the MSNBC watchers didn't get nearly the same amount of shade as the Fox News ones, which again just reads as pandering and a lot like you're trying to shit on one group instead of provide actual social commentary. It also was odd that all of the main characters we say sort of read like they were supposed to be in the MSNBC category and there were none obviously in the Fox News camp which is...I'll say unrealistic in my experience with extremely conservative rabbis at the very least. I'm further left than liberals and like I said much younger than a lot of people (23) so maybe that's why I felt a lot of this, though. If you're liberal, maybe that's right up your alley, I won't yuck anyone's yum.

I really enjoyed the true social commentary that was basically just asking questions. I really wish more time was spent on the topic of justice and what that looks like--I wish they would've explored what justice looks like besides prison and if prison is really justice.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but probably won't read it again except for certain chapters. Certain chapters were awesome and I loved it where others just fell flat.

[Valeri Drach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and compassionate read. Although the criminals are certainly criminal, they all show a courageous humanity when put to the rest. And who can resist a prison poetry workshop with a gay martial arts professor who can stand up to a neo nazi warden.

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The TITLE caught my attention. The blurb on the back intrigued me. The story went in a variety of directions that connected in interesting ways. Jonathan Stone is a brilliant writer who managed to create a novel full of criminals who you can't help but love, never ignoring their crimes yet finding the humanity in them.

You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the book, but being a "MOtT" certainly enhances the nuances of the characters, discussions, and situations within the book.

The Prison Minyan is humorous, touching, thought-provoking, and timely.

[Richard Silberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a terrific book on so many levels. The concept of a group of white collar Jewish criminals serving time in a Kosher minimal security prison was a hilarious premise but Jonathan Stone deftly crafts a masterful plot to deal with so much more with so many layers of profound insight about politics, racism, anti-Semitism and much more. A stunningly deep and exciting novel that manages to include humor and suspense with a cast of likable antiheroes and despicable villains. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a surprising story. I didn't know there was a real Otisville federal prison, but there is -- and I especially enjoyed 'the Pisk's' similarity to Michael Cohen and the not-really oblique tongue-in-cheek references to Don the con and Epstein-Barr. And thank goodness there actually are some Big Willies in the prison system because it's a terrible job.

This story was very well told. These strange Jewish (mostly) white-collar criminals could be quite endearing. I will gladly read anything this author writes in the future.

The strangeness of the crossover between reality of Michael Cohen's prison time and the novel almost made me wonder if any of this stuff actually happened up at Otisville when he was still there.

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a white-collar Jewish prison taken over by an anti-semitic warden and the adventures that ensue. It sounds like it should be a light comedy but there are deep moments throughout.
There are a lot of characters introduced in a short space of time and I did find it rather confusing to get to know the key players until much deeper in the story.
It's read at a decent pace, I finished it in just over a day. I really wasn't sure where the story was going to end but I liked where it went.
The author writes his characters very well and I found the backstory to them very interesting.
A good wee read.

[Sam | Sambooka23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read however, different to my normal books. It was more of an informative book. I liked the idea of the book it just didn’t grip me.

I thought all the characters introduced at the one time was a slight overload as it was hard to keep track of who was who and remembering all the names.

I found it quite comical in places and I’m not sure if that was what Jonathan was aiming for or not? But anyway, although quite meaningful and powerful, I did laugh at some parts.

Thank you to @lovebooktours , @igbooktours for having me on tour and to Jonathan for allowing me a copy of your book. Also to @eyelightningbooks 

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. That sure was a book. I liked the characters well enough for what they were - though the reviews pointing out antisemitic stereotypes aren't completely wrong - and I think I liked the story. Maybe. It wasn't the political satire I was expecting, the Michael Cohen character (or all the Trump/cable news/white supremacy references) weren't really the main plot, so much as... a thing that happened to be occurring? There wasn't much of a plot at all until about halfway through, and even that was meandering and confusing until about the last fifth or so, which certainly had... A Plot. Talk about a cartoonishly evil villan.

If nothing else, it certainly felt very Jewish. 3.5/5, I guess.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book to read after my own synagogue's rabbi was arrested and will have a prison term due to his alleged crimes... but! The book itself has many characters (and tries to help the reader remember each of them at varying levels of success). The first chapter was excellent and drew me in. New details and new conflict kept unfolding as the story continued.

[Rome Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Its a mystery store that also contains some Talmud lessons, and some discussion of being Jewish in America. Then its all wrapped up with an exciting climax and some undertones of life in Trumps America. Good fun and well written.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! Alternately farcical and deep, The Prison Minyan, is just the answer to your search for something different to read this summer. I won’t be at all surprised if this fast read gets made into a movie.

[Arlene Englander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it fiction? Perhaps not!

Amusing satire that takes place in an unlikely setting. The villain is Donald Trump and the plot is preposterous... or is it?

[tzipora Frager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book states very clearly how many Americans view Jews in the context of Diversity, Inclusion and equity. Must read.

[Robert Weiss, · Rating 5 out of 5]

very funny, and teaches much.

Under cover of humor, of which there is plenty, there is also much Talmudic and general life teaching going on at Otisville. We’ll worth the read!

[Pascale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual and much meatier than 99% of the murder mysteries out there. The setting is Otisville Prison in Upstate New York, temporary home of a group of Jewish white-collar criminals, including Rabbi Morton Meyerson (Reform), who embezzled 3.5 millions from his congregation, and Rabbi Moshe Samuelson (Ultra Orthodox). They have it pretty easy with an excellent chef, Dmitri, who makes superb rugelach, the right to have a minyan, and even a poetry class run by the idealistic but strong-willed professor Deborah Liston, who is a lesbian. The lounge has been equipped with 2 TV sets, one for Fox viewers and one for CNN viewers. Everything hums along until Michael Cohen, Trump's fixer, is transferred to Otisville. Initially he is put in the same cell as Matt Sorcher, whom he knows from a long ago Summer Camp where he already demonstrated his ability to blackmail his way out of unpleasant chores. Things change when a new white supremacist warden is appointed to Otisville. Dmitri is transferred to another prison, the quality of the food goes down, etc. Under the leadership of Simon Nadler, bank fraudster, a number of inmates band together to outfox the new warden. Things get uglier when Cohen (nicknamed "Mighty Mouth" or "The Pink") is moved to Saul Solomon's cell. Unbeknownst to his fellow prisoners, Solomon is actually a murderer who is serving a short sentence for insurance fraud because his crimes went undetected. When emissaries of Donald Trump blackmail him into poisoning Cohen in return for burying the evidence they've found against him, Solomon faces a stark moral choice. His initial instinct is to do as asked, but Professor Liston's poetry classes have started to awaken his conscience.... I found Stone's style fluid and propulsive. The book offers a window on an unusual milieu, and it is chilling to read this, which was published in 2021, at a time when the newly reelected Donald Trump is about to embark on the massive revenge campaign which seems to constitute his only agenda for his second term. Humorous, thoughtful, and relevant.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intriguing book. A meditation of sorts -- and often an acerbic one -- on the nature of criminality, loyalty, anti-semitism, white nationalism, gaming the system, and truth.

The eponymous prison is meant to be one in upstate NY, one where Jewish inmates prefer to serve their minimum security sentences. The prisoners' deal is initially pretty sweet: the prison has a daily minyan, complete with rabbinic supervision, plus a kosher deli and a chef who makes sweet music with rugelach and blintzes.

The peace is shattered when 'the Pisk' arrives. The Pisk is clearly Michael Cohen, who evidently did serve his sentence at this prison (IRL), though no idea whether the rugelach, kosher deli, and daily minyan are reality-based.

We meet the members of the minyan and learn about their crimes. An interesting, post-Shaharit, study session on the Ten Commandments reveals some interesting perspectives and back stories, and from one of the members especially. The story turns after that, and becomes considerably darker.

Poetry is a central character and plot device, wielded deftly by the author. I quite liked the Poet.

The anti-Semitism is sphincter-tightening, but there are comeuppances for most of those who need them. Saul and Big Willie have interesting story arcs.

If I ever find myself in an anti-Semitic prison, I hope I encounter a real-life Big Willie.

Cherry on top: new terms of derision for #45 abound. I enjoyed 'El Hefte' but 'BLOTUS' for the win.

[Paterson Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

i recommended this to a friend who graduated harvard law and recently retired and is in a book club. i told him 'i don't know if your book club wants to read about a bunch of jewish con artists in a federal country club prison, but this is a great book'. i don't want to give away any spoilers, but it is very current, if you look at the con artists in the news these days. it seems about 95% possible to be representative of a real modern day situation, including jeffrey epstein, RIP, if you catch my drift and i think you can.
i hope they find a place for adam sandler in the movie. did you see 'uncut gems'?
he would fit right in. jason alexander, too. not larry david, eh, but maybe larry david. he is so annoying but there are a couple of characters who are also annoying. it's just that larry david has
no nuance whatsoever. judd hirsch would be okay. patton oswald could play a guard. the warden could be played by the guy who played the warden in shawshank.
there is a guard called big willie but he's short. i get the impression he is white, but anthony anderson would be terrific.

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Stone wrote an excellent novel about a minimum-security men's prison with Jewish inmates. In an ironic sort of way, it casts a light on the shadowy doings of the 45th president, and imagining how that might have trickled down into the lives of the men in the prison. The book depicts the subtleties of anti-Semitism as well as its greater prevalence out in the open under that administration and since. The characters are...characters in a humorous, exaggerated way. And the story allows them to develop, to examine their characters in terms of their values, who they really are, and what they are capable of doing. Perhaps it invites the reader to do the same for the characters and our own.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled up this book like ruglasch. One of the fastest readings for me, and I'm going to read it again right away.
In a prison there is a Minyan, a Jewish study and prayer group - and then there is the addition of a poetry class, and some past crimes and present ones.
I love writing that includes an cast with wit and humor, brilliant parsing of ethical and moral principles and an examination of humaness. Maybe I'll write more Coherently later, when I've had time to think more, turn the puzzle over and over, teasing out the meanings from every conceivable point of view; a thoroughness I thought would repel me, but is something that engaged me more than most I've ever read.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read. Otisville, a minimum security federal prison in upstate New York where many of the inmates are Jewish. The inmates have privileges that most inmates don't have anywhere. Rugelach, blintzes, kosher deli. A minyan that also does Torah and Talmud study led by a fellow inmate--a rabbi. And a poetry class. Many white collar convicts angle to get into this prison. Even one famous one. But that's when things begin to change. Orders from the top? The very top? Even ordering an "Epstein" an assassination. During the course of the Talmud study and the poetry workshops the inmates wrestle with some of life's most persistent questions.

[Kelly Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
It takes a while to get through the character introductions, and they all kind of end up running together, which makes their similarities that much stronger, rather than what separates them.
There is a lot of commentary on morality in a very practical and relatable sense. Even if most of the characters are criminals, they end up being on the right side at least as often as their counterparts that are responsible for them. There's a good reminder how everything changes but everything stays the same so very often in life, even in a little prison in upstate new york

[Kimalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a book group at my synagogue. It’s probably a 2.5. The beginning was fun. I enjoyed the backstory on the prisoner’s lives. Where the book jumped the shark for me was in the left wing conspiracy fantasy. The conspiracy was implausible and forced. I have no love for right wing politics , but the book’s plot reduced the novel to a political take down which was not at all interesting. I’m giving it a three for some good character development and some interesting commentary on Judaism. This despite the text often not being clear on what it was trying to say about being Jewish.

[Mich · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to DNF this book though I read almost half before getting totally disgusted with cartoonish depictions of Jewish white collar criminals in an upstate New York Prison for white-collar fraud perpetrators. There’s even a rabbi who was convicted for stealing money but the rest is absolutely insulting and should not be even published. Why does this author think it is funny that when the prison is trying to save money they cut down on the size of a minyan from 10 people to eight people.