With a blast from the shofar, the faithful are being called to service today for Rosh Hashanah, to celebrate the Jewish New Year 5768. It also marks the beginning of the ten Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), culminating on Sept. 21 with Yom Kippur, the most sacred of Jewish holy days. At a time of year when many are more conscious of their faith, online video is providing new ways to connect the community.
Taglit-birthright israel, an organization that — in the hopes of strengthening connections between the Jewish community around the world — sponsors trips for young adults to visit Israel, produced I Gotta’ Love You Rosh Hoshanah, a lighthearted take on tradition set to a catchy R&B hook. Chozinn has released a similar video; filmed in the Lower East Side, it even includes a shout-out to my favorite knishery, Yonah Schimmel. Yes, he does Bar Mitzvahs.
The strictly observant might cast the evil eye on browsing the web instead of going to temple — broadcast television is, after all, off the air in Israel during Yom Kippur. For those looking for guidance, Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein has answered questions on Yeshiva.org.il regarding the finer points of using the web on shabbos. But the Reform movement has embraced online video as a way to connect the community in reflection and celebration. There’s certainly no shortage of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur videos on YouTube, including the rituals of atonement among the Orthodox.
Many secular Jews who don’t normally attend services return for the day of atonement, and it can often be difficult to get a seat. Overflow rooms with closed-circuit video of the service for the annual influx of worshippers are not uncommon. The Jewish TV Network (JTN), which launched in July, will be broadcasting the
Kol Nidre prayer live from the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the oldest synagogue in Los Angeles, starting at 4:45 p.m. Pacific.
“Different denominations deal with this issue in different ways,” Jewish TV Network CEO Jay Sanderson explained in a phone interview when I asked whether tuning into services on a laptop is, ahem, kosher. “It all comes down to what’s good, and what’s in the best interest of the community,” he said. The site will feature lots of programming over the holidays, including home decorating tips and modern takes on traditional recipes from New Jewish Cuisine. Sanderson feels that the beauty of the Kol Nidre will appeal to Jews and gentiles alike; for those who miss the live broadcast, or just want to see how it’s celebrated in L.A., the service will be archived.
“One of the things that we’re really striving for is to take advantage of the medium that we’re now in — we are going to do some things that are controversial and edgy,” Sanderson explained. The site will also offer holiday programming for Purim, Channukah and other events throughout the year. He said he hopes that this time next year, JTN will be broadcasting prayers from congregations around the world. “We’re excited about the ground-breaking aspect of it,” he said.
For those who feel that watching online is neither in the spirit nor the letter of the law, and can’t bring themselves to scalp a ticket the way Larry David did in last season’s debut of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Senior Editor Michael Steinhart of Ziff Davis’ PC Magazine suggests No Membership Required, a guide to open services in the U.S. and Canada. Since Moses and Maimonides are silent on questions of atonement via video blog, that site may help you find a rabbi to settle the question.
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