Posts Tagged Technology

Revisiting “The New Colossus”

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on November 3, 2011

digitalhistory.uh.edu

Nextbook Press just introduced a wonderful interactive version of Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus.” The tool provides background on allusions and does an excellent job of marrying technology to a sonnet written in 1883. When I clicked on “huddled masses,” a blip about Lazarus’ work with Russian immigrants appeared. It talked about Lazarus’ work at “the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society at 105 East Broadway, where she helped train refugees and she also taught English.”

Reading about Lazarus’ devotion to Russian immigrants made me think about my day in school today. One of my students was asking about my background, particularly wondering from where in Europe my family came. He assumed England or Scotland (kind of amusing because I have no Anglo features), so when I told him Russia and the Ukraine, he was mildly shocked. He didn’t connect Russian ancestry to Jewish ancestry, but for me (and many others), the two go hand-in-hand.

My Bubie’s family hales from Kiev. Sometimes my Bubie shares stories her mother would tell her of the Old Country. During Passover last year, she shared a bunch of stories about continued practices in America. She focused a lot on her parents’ attempt to re-create daily life in Kiev here in Philadelphia. We talked for a long time, mostly her sharing and me commenting. Her stories and my rereading of  “The New Colossus” remind me a lot of JPS’ book 36 Letters. 36 Letters tells the story of one couple as they experience courtship and immigration. The book is amazingly detailed, yet familiar for readers with similar family histories.

As the country celebrates the Statue of Liberty’s 125th anniversary, spend time with not only “The New Colossus” and Joan Sohn’s 36 Letters, but also stories of your own family’s immigration to America.

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Who’s Ready to Tweet #Torah Next Year?

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on June 17, 2011

First and foremost: if you tweeted #Torah with us for Shavuot, thank you infinite times!  Over here at JPS, I thoroughly enjoyed tweeting the Book of Ruth.  Similarly, I enjoyed watching others tweet and re-tweet various parshas or lines.  It felt quite wonderful to know that a group of us were focused on Torah for an entire day of tweeting- not pop culture or political turmoil, but Torah.  While the rest of the Twitter world focused on Anothony Weiner, we celebrated the receiving of the Torah by sharing it in 140-character-slices.  So now what?

Admittedly, we did not manage to get #Torah trending in the top ten.  I could blame Anthony Weiner, but instead I’ll venture to guess that many more people expressed interest in tweeting than actually tweeted along with us.  So how is it that we can spread the word more successfully next year?  I think that it could prove significant to engage students and congregants who would not usually use Twitter.  I myself am not an avid user of Twitter, honestly only tweeting for JPS and not a personal account, but I really got a kick out of tweeting something of significance.

For Bloomsday (the literary holiday that celebrates the day on which James Joyce’s Ulysses takes place, chosen because it was the day Joyce first stepped out with his life companion, Norah Barnacle), some Twitter users tweeted all of Ulysses (whoa, way intense).  As a student and lover of literature, this tweeting of Ulysses is totally rad to me and almost makes me want a personal Twitter account to join the fun.  So how do I move from an onlooker to a participant?

11ysses.wordpress.com/

I would like to figure out how to get students and lovers of Torah from the “that’s-so-groovy” stage, to the “I-am-creating-a-Twitter-account-so-I-can-join-this” stage.  So I ask myself: what would it take for me to create a Twitter account to tweet Ulysses?  Probably a group of my equally nerdy friends creating accounts for the same reason.  Based on the above Ulysses analogy, I charge those of you who tweeted Torah this year to talk it up and encourage your fellow lovers of Torah to join you next year!   I would also greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have as to how we can attract more participants in next year’s tweeting of #Torah!

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Help us Tweet #Torah to the Top!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on May 31, 2011

In exactly one week (June 7th), we at JPS (along with CCAR Press and Davka.org) will aim to tweet #Torah to the top ten of Twitter for Shavuot.  In order to do so, we need as many people to join us as possible.  JPS has created a #Torah Twitter tool that breaks text into Twitter-sized portions (140 character pieces), so it is really simple for others (YOU!) to join us on our journey to tweet #Torah to the top!  Here’s how it will work: You select your favorite public domain Torah text (sign up for your free copy of the 1917 JPS Tanakh!), paste the text you wish to share into our tool, and then tweet away!  You can use your preferred Twitter tool to schedule automatic tweets throughout the day or overnight.  The hashtag #Torah will automatically be added to each of your tweets, making it even easier to join the movement.

So why should you join us in tweeting #Torah to the top?  MyJewishLearning.com puts out a daily e-newsletter called “Jewniverse,” and in yesterday’s edition they wrote: “The project’s immediate goal is to make “Torah” one of Twitter’s most-talked-about topics. But the larger goal is to remind us how inspirational the Torah can be–even if you’re reading it 140 characters at a time.”  Even if you’re not a regular user of Twitter, the opportunity to fuse Torah and technology is extremely exciting.  Tweeting the Torah not only displays the Torah’s relevancy in modern society, but also gives followers an opportunity to take in the text in smaller chunks.

Shavuot, a holiday marking the joyous occasion of the receiving of the Torah, is celebrated with Torah study and dairy consumption.  Why not make Shavuot a little sweeter this year by sharing Torah text with your Twitter friends?  Whether you tweet Ruth or a portion you find particularly meaningful, please join us as we tweet #Torah to the top on June 7th!

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Modernizing Yiddish

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on May 12, 2011

modiya.nyu.edu

I have grown up with a Bubie who boasts impressive Yiddish skills.  She always reminds me of which songs she can still sing in Yiddish, teaching me phrases along the way.  What amazes me is the way in which Yiddish is more of a way of life for her than just a language.  Speaking in Yiddish is a link to her upbringing, and teaching it to my mother, and then bits to me, was a way of infusing a past way of life into our modern living.  I have my favorite Yiddish words – mishegoss and schvitz –, and though many have snuck into modern English, I still feel a bond with my Bubie when I use them.

This feeling that I am describing is probably most aptly termed “communal,” for it ties me to Jews all over the world.  Orthodox Jew and non-observant Jew alike use “oy vey,” and in a sense we are connected across oceans and through primary language barriers because of Yiddish.  This being said, the newly introduced Yiddish cell phones in Israel offer a more modern way for Yiddish speakers to connect.  Manufactured by Alcatel-Lucent, the phones are the product of many months of hard work to help bring traditional Jews into contact with modernity.  Yiddish phones have a Yiddish interface and – most shockingly for me as a Western cell phone abuser – are without internet access or texting capability.  The phones also screen calls from sex lines, for the community fears explicit calls or texts.  Essentially, Yiddish cell phones are a way for those using them to say in touch, but without outside temptations or distractions.

The modern Yid phenomenon is really well represented in the anonymous blogger, “Katle Kanye,” highlighted by The Forward.  Katle combines Yiddish street lingo with rabbinic literature vernacular, while writing about Hassidic life.  (Side note: Katle has my vote, for the article lists P.G. Wodehouse among Katle’s influences, and I harbor extreme affection for Bertie Wooster and Jeeves.) The article describes Katle as not only “amusing,” but also quite clever.  Is Yiddish finally emerging from the past, floating from the tongues of our grandparents to modern bloggers?  The future for Yiddish seems rather bright, and somewhat hip- not a description those of my Bubie’s generation would expect.

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Jewish Books Technological (r)Evolution!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation, Link Roundup on April 11, 2011

The Jewish book publishing community is not only rich with texts, but also tech (ha!).  This blog post is dedicated to celebrating the fantastic rise of technology within Jewish book publishing.  Happy clicking!

http://www.shalomshirts.com

  • Preparing to chant Torah?  Make sure to check out URJ’S Torah and Haftarah MP3s. URJ also offers free downloads of blessings for before and after the readings.  Call me crazy, but the blessing after the Haftarah has always been my favorite to chant.
  • CCAR has eBooks for both eReaders and smaller handheld devices.  You can purchase entire books, individual chapters, or the Responsa Collection as an annual subscription.
  • Have you always wanted to insert photos of your family in your Passover Haggadah?  Behrman House has created a customizable Haggadah in which you can include photos and clippings for or from your Seder.  Behrman House also has really neat podcasts with authors and a free webinar explaining how to use your synagogue website to create a community.
  • Artscroll has come out with their A Daily Dose of Torah Series in eBook form.  They also have a series of audio lectures from rabbis and other popular personalities.
  • Kar-ben’s eBook collection is viewable through the Lerner Publishing Group site which also has a groovy eSource program that provides digital and printable supplemental resources for their books.

Of course, JPS has also been hard at work building our own eBook store. Don’t forget to check it out!

Do you have a favorite tech resource in the Jewish book world that I forgot?  Let us know!

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A Penny for Your 140-Character Thoughts

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on March 24, 2011

bradfitzpatrick.com

March 21st, 2011 marked the fifth year anniversary of Twitter.  If you’re like me, a Twitter neophyte, you’re just learning that the art of writing only 140 characters is no game of jacks.  Rather, writing 140 characters of pithy but still interesting material is really rather intimidating.  For those who have mastered Twitter, 140 characters is all one really needs for breaking news alerts, serialized posts, and even poetry.

The Week in Review section of this past weekend’s New York Times celebrated five years of Twitter with “twaikus” written by readers.  The celebratory article was titled “How Do I Love Thee?  Count 140 Characters,” and highlighted other examples of brief but entertaining tweets, ranging from 140 character summaries of great literature to a serialized twitter story from author John Wray.  In reading the article, I couldn’t help thinking: is this what the current age is about- brevity?  If so, why am I about to begin my senior seminar paper that requires at least twenty sources?

For the Jewish world, being brief seems rather impossible.  I don’t want to generalize, but we tend to be a people with a knack for gabbing.  There are a few arenas in Judaism for which I cannot picture 140 characters would provide enough wiggle room.  Though I can’t say how many Jews tweet their experiences in synagogue, I suspect most would have much to say in reaction to a sermon or joyous occasion.  Examples of Jewish moments that need more than 140 characters to tweet about include my rabbi’s sermons, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah speech, and an adult education lesson.  Examples of Jewish moments that I sometimes wish would only be 140 characters include my family’s Passover Seder so that I can eat, the lecture I get every year at five minutes to sundown on Yom Kippur when I am dying for a bagel, and endless kvetching.

On the other hand, could Twitter be a way to get kids more engaged in Jewish learning?  Instead of a response paragraph, could an educator ask for a tweet response and possibly see greater participation?  If blog posts are the current form of discussion that educators are including in their curriculum, tweets could be next.  140 character summaries or responses are not only trying, but also require true knowledge of a text.  Next time you finish a book or an article, see if you can boil it down to 140 characters!

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iJew

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on March 1, 2011

 Two Sundays ago the New York Times Sunday Styles section had a small piece about customizing your iPhone signature.  The thought of customizing my iPhone in general has occurred to me before, but I have never really acted upon it- unless you count my very own Septa app.  This creative signature really has me thinking.  I rather like the idea of changing my signature to “Sent from my Brain” or something about excusing any mistakes in my email because the iPhone autocorrect often changes my type (my only real complaint about the phone).  I am thinking that this small change could be a great way to give my iPhone some personality.  Some people bedazzle their phone, others name it, but I am been seeking other ways to make my iPhone unique.  In seeking, I have realized that one way to customize an iPhone is to tailor it to its user’s cultural identity.  This realization has led me to design the perfect Jewish iPhone.  By loading it with the best Jewish apps and creating the perfect customized signature, I am going to pimp (even my mom loved the MTV show Pimp My Ride) my little iBubbelah. 

The Jewish Week put together a great list of the 2010 best Jewish apps.  My favorites are the Grogger Factory, the iManorah, the Hebrew Calendar, and the ParveOmeter.  The Jewish iPhone Magazine highlights a few apps that are a bit more obscure.  There’s an app called What to say that provides material for bar/bat mitzvah speeches, eulogies, and possibly sermons.  This particular app makes me uncomfortable; however, SparkNotes and CliffsNotes are a cherry bomb of a success.  The extremely tantalizing iHummus allows users to wipe hummus across the screen.  I plan on positioning this app between my mail and New York Times app so that I can snack between work and the news.  Sites such as Gigaom.com have lists of some really great kosher apps.  There are apps for cooking kosher, finding kosher restaurants, and also determining if a food is kosher.  Finally, there are a bunch of really great Jewish texts and studies apps.  The iTalmud is a bit out my price range, but the JPS Tanakh is a perfect addition to my Jewish phone.  The iPhone community has really thought of everything.  For those who watch Curb Your Enthusiasm: the only app I am still waiting for is George Costanza’s “iToilet”.

Sent from an iJew.

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Introducing the Future of the Encyclopedia

Posted by Rachel Feltman in Jewish Innovation, Jewish Knowledge on June 29, 2010

The internet has gained a fun and exciting new resource for those interested in Eastern European Jewish culture! The Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe was actually published two years ago, but the online version just launched earlier in June.

http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research has designed a great online encyclopedia. The site is free, easy to browse, and incredibly thorough. Check it out, whether or not you have any specific research to do. Warning: With all the articles to read and images to enjoy, you’ll probably lose track of the time!

The online version doesn’t just feature text. Each article features relevant images, and even video in many cases. The fully interactive media resources turn the encyclopedia into something of an archive. It’s not to be missed.

For more information, check out Tablet Magazine’s podcast featuring the encyclopedia’s editor in chief, Gershon Hundert, talking about the project.

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June is Audiobook Month! Who Knew?

Posted by Rachel Feltman in Publishing on June 17, 2010

Audiobooks have been around in the US since 1930. Their original purpose was to provide the blind with access to books that weren’t printed in Braille. In fact, we recently collaborated with the Jewish Braille Institute to produce an audio version of the JPS Tanakh.

Over time, audiobooks have become an important media of their own. Many audio books enlist actors and add soundtracks to make the listening experience as engaging as possible. Now, audiobooks represent an industry worth almost 900 million dollars. From long car trips to preschool classrooms, audiobooks have become an entertainment staple. They even have their own award!

The Audies are awarded every spring by the Audio Publishers Association to recognize distinction in spoken-word entertainment. A frequent winner (and now a Hall of Fame member) is the Harry Potter series, narrated by the iconic Jim Dale. His brilliant narration and voice acting has brought the books to life for children all over the world. His work is an excellent example of how the audiobook has evolved: far from simply reading the text, Dale has created 146 unique character voices for his recordings. This year’s Audiobook of the Year went to Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, which featured the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, Don Cheadle, and Alan Rickman.

To learn more about audiobooks and the Audio Publishers Association, check out http://www.audiopub.org.

Also, check out Associated Content’s article on the positive impact audiobooks have made around the country.

Happy listening!

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Passover 2.0

Posted by admin in Link Roundup on March 22, 2010

Sarah, our New Linkages intern, guest blogs today with a Passover Roundup.

Behrman House

In this day and age, technology and education are advancing so rapidly it’s hard to keep up.  Just in case you feel threatened that all these advancements might happen to “pass over” you, in honor of Passover, we are bringing you a tech-savvy, literary round-up! These new innovations can help make your Passover Seder a more fun-filled family experience.

  1. Feeling a little lost about what to do for your Seder this year?  Haggadot.com, a new take on the Open Source Haggadah, allows you to create your own Haggadah. Users can upload their own content and borrow from others to create a Haggadah that makes your Seder a more personal and spiritual experience.
  2. Even iTunes wants to help make your Seder interactive and educational.  iMahNishtnah, an iPhone application, is a new way to practice reading over the Four Questions.  It’s colorful, fun and easy to use for children!
  3. Itunes also offers a complete Haggadah application for iPhone. In case you forgot your text or you’re in a rush, this brief but thorough guide will definitely come in handy.
  4. A group of 140 Rabbis have decided to add a bit of excitement to the Passover story by reenacting the tale online through tweets, giving the ancient story a contemporary setting. This project will continue through the holiday.  Stay updated with TweetTheExodus!
  5. Want to make Passover a bit more kid-friendly? Babaganewz’s Pesach Central has a multitude of movies, games and recipes all about making Passover more fun for your family.
  6. In addition to all their great Passover resources, MyJewishLearning is holding a Best Seder Ever. You can submit your own story or video describing your best Passover. Hurry since the contest ends today at 5pm!

If you happen to know of any other online Passover educational tools, games, recipes or anything at all, let us know in the comment section.

We hope you have a happy and healthy Pesach!

-Sarah

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