Wednesday Nights: Faith, Reentry, and Prison Reform
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
5:30 - 9:30pm EST
Programing runs 5:30-8:00 PM.
Two hundred and fifty years after the Declaration of Independence proclaimed liberty as both a right and a responsibility, communities across the nation continue to wrestle with how justice, accountability, forgiveness, and restoration are lived in practice.
Join us for a powerful interfaith dialogue on faith, reentry, and prison reform, bringing together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders to examine how religious traditions have shaped American approaches to rehabilitation, moral responsibility, and reintegration since the nation’s founding.
Rooted in Eastern State’s Semiquincentennial theme, A Time for Liberty, this conversation situates faith communities as enduring civic institutions, places where people returning from incarceration find belonging, support, accountability, and pathways to rebuilding their lives. From abolitionist movements and prison chaplaincy to modern reentry advocacy and restorative justice initiatives, the dialogue will explore how faith traditions continue to influence public life, public policy, and the evolving meaning of justice in American democracy.
Presented in partnership with Philadelphia’s Office of Muslim Engagement, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Culture Changing Christians, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History, this evening brings together civic, faith, and community leaders committed to building more humane, restorative systems of justice.
This event is presented as part of Lecture250—a series of free, public educational lectures related to Pennsylvania and Declaration of Independence-Era History. Made possible by a grant from America250PA.
About the Panelists:
We strive to make the penitentiary and our site, programs, and exhibits accessible to all visitors. Click here to learn more about accessibility and accommodations at ESPHS.
This program is part of Wednesday Nights at Eastern State - With a different theme each week, Wednesday Nights provide a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting. Enjoy immersive experiences, interactive events, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of Philadelphia’s most unique landmarks.
This is part of The Aaron Reichlin Restorative Justice and Faith Conversations, a four-part event series celebrates the rededication of Eastern State Penitentiary’s historic synagogue and is made possible in part by a generous grant from The Reichlin and Tuck Families.
This program is part of A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, a yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs exploring the evolving meanings of liberty and justice in America. A Time for Liberty is made possible with support from civic and cultural partners including the City of Philadelphia, America250PA, Campus250, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, the National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program series, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
