of of Or
Lisa J. Grushkow 47
use the internet on Friday nights, but couldn’t resist checking Facebook and Twitter ; and my own experience, even on maternity leave with an“out of office” message set on my computer, of checking email almost constantly.
In 1971, Rabbi Morrison David Bial wrote Liberal Judaism at Home, and in it he contrasts traditional and liberal Shabbat observance. He observes:“Most willingly, the traditional Jew separates himself from much that most Liberal Jews consider necessary, the telephone and radio, all mechanical transport... cooking, smoking, and much more.” This is evocative of Bettan’s reference in his responsum to“necessary acts and additional delights.” The word“necessary” is notable. From this vantage point, it could be argued that the issues raised by the internet are nothing new; there are many aspects of weekday life which liberal Jews are not willing or wanting to abandon on Shabbat . However, when it comes to the issue of connectivity, it is worth noting that this phenomenon is not limited to the liberal Jewish world. Within Orthodoxy, the phenomenon has emerged of teens observing“half shabbos,” in which they keep using social media on Shabbat , arguing that they can’t communicate without it.”
Notes
2. Personal correspondence,with Jane Dystel March 24, 2011.
3 Rabbi Israel Bettan,“Sabbath Observance, ” Walter Jacob (ed.), American Reform Responsa 1889-1983(excerpted from the CCAR Journal, Vol. LXII, 1952, pp. 129-132).
5. Bettan, op cit.