More powerful PC’s and broadband Internet have created a revolution in the online world, and that includes the Jewish online world. It is now possible and easy to listen and watch a wide variety of material at home through your computer. (This assumes that you have a high speed connection at home, have a laptop that can be schlepped to an Internet Café or you can go to a library.)
Sound files are usually in a format called MP3, and they can be downloaded to your computer and listened to there or transferred to other more portable devices. One can download music, some is free and most can be purchased for 99 cents a song. (Don’t buy music from Apple, if you want to play it in the non-Apple world.)
A number of Jewish sources publish regular audio teachings, on a wide range of topics and from a vast spectrum of perspectives. These range from the very Orthodox to secular. There are teachings on the weekly Torah portion, Jewish history, matchmaking, Kabalah and Gehenna. Some of these postings can only be streamed, but many can be downloaded and listened to later. With a small investment in technology, you can listen to these broadcasts in your car or as you walk along the ocean.
In addition to audio, you can access video through your computer. You Tube is the premier source for video. You can watch an encounter between Jack Benny and Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life, visit the graves of Hassidic Rebbe’s in Tsfat or learn how matzah is made commercially.
The best way to start is to go to a search engine like Google or Yahoo and search on the topic of your choice, e,g, matzah ball. And yes there are several videos on making matzah balls, and even a rap song on the topic of matzah balls. The quality varies enormously from professional productions to teenagers with webcams. There is material on the web that may not be appropriate for young viewers, or anyone really, so a little caution is advisable.
Because of the immense volume of material available, I can’t even begin to describe what is out there, but I will post a list of a few of the places to find audio and video that I have enjoyed on the MCJC website along with this article. http://www.mcjc.org/cybertorah/MJARE007.htm So start surfing, and explore some Torah online.
| This is a somewhat random selection of video and audio that is available over the Internet, just to give an idea of the wide range of material that is available. | |
|---|---|
| Torah Study from Pardes in Jerusalem | http://podcasts.pardesusa.org/subscribing-to-the-podcast/ Paredes is a progressive Orthdox center for study in Jerusalem, where you can download a weekly Dvar Torah in English. |
| Center for Jewish Thought | http://www.cjh.org/programs/programarchives.php The Center for Jewish Thought in NY is a joint effort by 5 Jewish institutions to present information on Jewish culture and history. |
| Jews In America | http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/Religion-and-Spirituality/Judaism/Only-In-America-Podcast/6865 A program on the history of Jews in America, starting in 1654 |
| Groucho Marx and Jack Benny | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wNK1Jt4JLg An appearance by Jack Benny on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life TV show, where Benny appears as a contestant in "disguise". |
| Matchmaking | http://www.adultjewishlearning.org/podcasts.html A variety of lectures from the Skirball Center in NY on topics ranging from matchmaking to Torah commentary |
| Kabbalah | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKa1yNcI3Ow I don't know much about Kabbalah, but there are many videos about it available, here is one. |
| Jewish Shalom Video | http://youtube.com/watch?v=VTh6r15FWf0 This is, I think, a very amusing parody of a soft drink commercial. I haven't seen the original commercial, but it is still quite funny. |
| Lori Almost Live |
http://www.aish.com/spirituality/LoriAlmostLive/ Lori Palatnik is a Jewish educator who offers a short Jewish teachings on video, that can be viewed at the aish.com website. This is the best Jewish offering that I have seen on the web. Two of my favorite teachings are one on the Asher Yatzar blessing (blessing after going to the bathroom, thanks that our bodies work; and one on Gehenna |
| Rebbe Moshe's Rebbe Nachman Breslov Jewish Torah Story of the Diamond | Rebbe Moshe has a number of teachings on Hassidic topics often set at the tombs of tzadekim in Tsfat, including Rebbe Nachman's story of The Diamond and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwTlb4jGC6k&feature=related and on the Ramak (Rebbe Moshe Cordevero), |
| Making matzah | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvcPSImWxJA Making matzah at the shumrah matzah bakery in Lawrence, NY. |
| matzah ball search | http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=matzah%20ball&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv# A search vis Google for videos related to matzah balls. |
© Robert G. Evans 2008
updated 05/25/2008 - rge
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