Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Internet in Lakewood

No, this isn't your typical post, either demeaning the ban or praising it. (By the way, it wasn't a ban. But that's for a different post.) This post is about the Internet in Lakewood.
Let's start with a few links:
http://www.yeshivaworld.blogspot.com/
http://yeshivaorthodoxy.blogspot.com/
http://www.kashrut.org/
http://www.shukkers.com/
http://newsfrombmg.blogspot.com/
http://www.jewishissues.blogspot.com
http://www.semgirl.blogspot.com/
http://davidoflakewood.blogspot.com/
http://www.esefer.blogspot.com
http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/
http://voiceoflakewood.blogspot.com/
http://www.pediatricsinlakewood.com/

All these are based in, or mainly coming from, Lakewood. Post ban. We have to realize that the Internet is here to stay, and that we must deal with it. We aren't doing a very good job of it. Did anyone see the filtering recommendation that the Askanim were supposed to come out with? It was supposed to be announced Sukkos time. Tick, tick, tick... They are dropping the ball.
Additionally, perusing this list of sites makes clear that Lakewood is no way near the one-dimensional town it was even ten years ago. People are standing up, and (for better or for worse) are making noise. We will see ramifications in politics, in Yeshiva and in the school system.
Another thing that will change is the way interaction happens between the Gedolim and the hamon am. Signing a poster doesn't work anymore. Saying a schmuess doesn't work anymore. There has to be an entirely new paradigm for communication.
(It's only partly tongue-in-cheek that I suggest the Roshei Yeshiva start a blog.)
My prediction is that we will see a resurgence in people relying on their local rov, and that the Gedolim will stop making public proclamations. The rabbonim will (of course) still speak to the Gedolim, but da'as Torah will be proclaimed privately.
This is all a direct result of the Internet, which enables the generation to be shofet es shoftav. Ironically, the greatest facilitator of communication in the history of the world, will - in this case - have the effect of curtailing communication.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is likely to lead to a renaissance of the strength of the community rabbi, and supremacy of the mesora. The Yeshiva system has caused the balance of power to shift from the Rov to the Rosh Yeshiva. (Not to criticize - this is just what happened.) This new set of circumstances will cause power to revert back to the Rov.
By the way, the person who had the most to do with causing this whole situation, was Reb Natan Slifkin. When he successfully fought back against the pashkevillin (rightly or wrongly), he changed the paradigm for communication with Gedolim.

8 Comments:

Blogger defen said...

"We have to realize that the Internet is here to stay, and that we must deal with it."

How do you think we could best go about doing this?

18/1/06 4:38 PM  
Blogger defen said...

Oh and btw - you missed http://www.kolbramah.com/

18/1/06 4:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kashrut.org is not from Lakewood.

22/1/06 7:59 PM  
Blogger MYG said...

One of the main contributors, CYA, lives in Lakewood. That's why I wrote "mainly coming from".

22/1/06 8:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

One of the main contributors, CYA, lives in Lakewood. That's why I wrote "mainly coming from".

True, however AA, who actually runs the site is certainly not from Lakewood, so to "mainly coming from Lakewood" is inaccurate IMO.

24/1/06 11:25 AM  
Blogger MYG said...

As you wish...

24/1/06 12:01 PM  
Blogger Pragmatician said...

You are right on the mark, banning everything makes it look like we're back in the 1800's.
You have to convince people nowadays, speak to their hearts yes, but also their minds, people are able to think nowadays, something that maybe once upon a time they weren't able to.

1/2/06 4:22 AM  
Blogger Jewboy said...

Shkoach on acknowledging these things. If only the roshie yeshiva felt the same way.

1/2/06 9:33 AM  

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