So… this week the American Jewish World (Minnesota’s Jewish print newspaper) made a promise to its aging readership that it would never get hip to the 21st century.
In an editorial in the AJW’s April 30th edition, Editor Mordecai Specktor stated:
We have no plans to port the AJW to the iPhone or the iPad or any electronic gizmo. . .
Basically, we believe that there is a window of opportunity still for this newspaper that dates back to 1912. . . . This is your Jewish newspaper.
(emphasis added)
I’ll leave it to you to ponder whether there is a window of opportunity in Minnesota’s Jewish community for the AJW. As they say in journalism, no comment.
What I want to take issue with is Mordecai’s statement that instead of learning how to channel modern technology – computers, iPhones, iPads, etc, – to disseminate Jewish news to our community, the AJW, Minnesota’s only Jewish print newspaper, is opting out.
But why shun technology?
If someone could tell me how to create a TC Jewfolk podcast, I would make one.
If someone could buy me an iPad and teach me how to make TC Jewfolk’s content most-readable on that platform, I would learn.
Our generation knows all about learning and adapting to new technologies – in our schools, in business, in pop culture, and in society. There’s truth to the statement that the most successful people and organizations are those that can see changing times, learn new skills and apply their knowledge to a more complicated (and exciting) world.
TC Jewfolk is not alone in harnessing the web to bring Jewish media to its community. For example, one of oldest Jewish newspapers in the United States, The Jewish Daily Forward, has a spectacular website, hosts a dozen different blogs, and maintains a popular twitter account to connect new readers to their message and to the Jewish community.
Yes, change is scary. But it is inevitable, essential and wonderful.
We welcome all of you to join TC Jewfolk in continuing to build a truly interactive Jewish media for the Twin Cities, right here, online, every day. We are your Jewish news source.
Kudos to Mordecai keeping the press rolling during these economic times. We are, afterall, the People of the Book and as such very attached to the printed word.
Us boomers, the technologically challenged, still make up the majority of the population… & Mordecai has made the quantum leap with us to the internet – but the latest in electronic gizmos & gadgetry is for those with better vision & hearing and more patience than me …& us aging boomers.
There is a gap to fill – & you Leora are doing it well.
Maybe you can help bridge that gap?… e.g., TC Jewfolk could take out an ad in the upcoming special edition Mordecai was soliciting for… or submit articles to the AJW? to keep us parentals better informed of what’s important to you/your generation… l’dor va dor.
All the best. Shalom.
Cheryl,
I’d like to pick a small nit on you saying “We are, afterall, the People of the Book and as such very attached to the printed word.”
I like physical books better, too. And I agree that there is a very strong traditionalist element in Jewish culture. And yet, when it comes to knowledge, I think we Jews are often eager to embrace new things that help us learn more.
By your premise, we’re the people of the scroll, not the book. After all, that’s the form our Torah takes, long past the invention of movable type in the 16th century, and very long past the invention of a codex (book with pages) in the early centuries C.E.
So I don’t think that we’re so attached to a machine-printed paper codex as all that. Even though all Orthodox study halls are filled with printed books of Talmud, quite a few Orthodox rabbis are making podcasts nowadays.
In our pursuit of learning, we Jews move boldly forward!
I’m with Leora on this one.
It gets worse!
They just announced that one of the summer issues will be transmitted in Morse code!