Justice ministers and human rights officials joined rabbis and jurists this week for the third European Chaplains Conference hosted jointly by the European Aleph Institute and the Ministry of Justice of the Netherlands.

Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Levy Itzhak Kanelsky, director of Aleph, summed up the meeting when he stressed the importance of catering to prisoners’ religious needs: ‘The responsibility to fulfill prisoners’ basic rights falls on each and every country.”

Over the course of three days in Noordwijkerhout, Holland, participants focused on combating high rates of recidivism and toured two Dutch prisons.


A panel discusses issues hampering the free exercise of religion among prisons throughout Europe.


Alvaro Gil-Robles, a former human-rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, addresses the European Chaplains Conference.


A primary theme of the conference was the ability of chaplains to help prisoners adjust to living on the outside.


The agenda included screening videos produced by the European Aleph Institute and touring two Dutch prisons.


European policy-makers held discussions during breaks in the conference’s schedule.


The conference was held in Noordwijkerhout in western Holland.