Esteemed Jewish educator Rabbi Jeffrey Schein will present a study session entitled "The Ten Commandments of Monitoring Our Evolving Digital Selves".

We live in a highly digital Age. At no time has the relationship between Judaism and Technology been all at once so rich, complex, enriching, and problematic. Based on a wide array of Jewish sources learners will first explore their own relationship to digital technologies such as smart phones and computers. Paying attention to the author’s argument that as well as traditional categories of Jewish ethics such as between a person and God and a person and his fellow human being we need a new Jewish ethical vessel named “between a person and his/her technologies”, learners will explore practical aytzahs (ideas/suggestions) for infusing their relationships to technology with Jewish values. The exploration culminates with dialogue and argument about the author’s Ten Commandments for Managing Our Evolving Digital Selves.

View the Study Session Here

About Rabbi Schein 

Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Schein is a 1977 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and a 1980 doctoral graduate in education from Temple University. For forty years he ran Jewish schools, developed Jewish curricular materials, and taught and guided over a 100 graduate students to their masters degrees in Jewish education at Siegal College in Cleveland where he was the director of the education program. He is the author of twelve books and dozens of articles appearing in Jewish and religious education journals.

He founded and now directs the Text Me and Amphibious Jew projects through his position as the senior education consultant for the Mordecai Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood. His recently published book Text Me: Ancient Jewish Wisdom Meets Contemporary Technology (2019, Hamilton Press) is also available in digital formats via his website textmejudaism.com

Presently, Jeffrey is working on a volume L’Dor V’Dor in the Digital Age with Rabbi Hayim Herring. 

What Others Have Said about the 5780 Text Me: Ancient Jewish Wisdom Dialogues and Lectures

The two "classes" featuring the teachings of Rabbi Jeffrey Schein were filled with valuable insights for all.  For those who might be a bit skeptical about the way in which technology has seemed to overpower more traditional educational styles these presentations were particularly helpful in alleviating that skepticism.  Rabbi Schein's ability to weave traditional texts with the language of modern technology is outstanding.  He is showing the way to make good use of technology while at the same time alerting us to the potentials for abuse of technology that must be reckoned with.

-Rabbi Hillel Cohn

In the face of the terror, rage, sorrow and helplessness evoked by the COVID pandemic, we must struggle to cope.  We utilize common defenses available to all of us.  These might include avoidance, denial, isolation and retaliative actions.  Rabbi Schein guides us, through the use of technology, to mobilize more constructive defenses against these destructive forces.  Through his teaching and in Text Me, Rabbi Schein helps us to enlist love and understanding with the comforting unifying actions of faith, prayer, ritual and community involvement.  He instructs us to protect and preserve goodness in the face of evil.  His is an urgent message.  We should heed his call.

-Miriam G. Winikoff