In an earlier post, I wrote about the increasing number of free High Holiday prayer services that had blossomed around the country this year including the Jewish Television Network’s virtual Kol Nidre service which was offered online. I received several comments about that blog from people who decried the loss of community such isolated prayer would promote. Jay Sanderson, the CEO and Executive Producer of Jewish Television Network and soon to be President of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation, sent this summary of responses, Kol Nidre Comments 2009, from that online service that are worth reading.
It’s clear to me that JTN not only met an important need but created quite a wonderful global Jewish village if for only an hour or two.
image: Marc Chagall ‘Shofar’
There are so many Jews who cannot attend services for one or another reason – this is a wonderful way to allow them to participate in services and have a meaningful Jewish experience despite their limitations.
Kudos to JTN!
For those like myself who cannot reach a temple for one reason or another, such as lack of transportation out of town, or confinement due to health, the online prayer service is a miracle long needed. I highly commend JTN and anticipate future offerings of this nature.
At OurJewishCommunity.org we not only videostream our High Holiday services, but we have a year-round online congregation. Weekly Shabbat services, blogs, podcasts, recipes, educational materials, conversations, eCards, book and movie reviews, scholarly essays, and liturgy are only some of what we offer.
Like JTN, we also received hundreds of comments thanking us for our services which are online. People also wrote about how much they felt connected to others in the community. Throughout services, people were chatting with each other on Facebook and Twitter.
Feel free to check our community out at http://www.OurJewishCommunity.org.