Comments on: Resources in response to “The Third Place” http://albanroundtable.org/archives/680 a virtual gathering place for congregational leaders Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:12:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Rabbi Hayim Herring http://albanroundtable.org/archives/680/comment-page-1#comment-647 Rabbi Hayim Herring Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:29:36 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=680#comment-647 Hi, Rabbi Dror--One clarification: STAR has been at the forefront of working with rabbis and synagogues in virtual time, going back to 1999. But--you've offered an excellent insight about expanding our thinking to include online spaces as third place communities--fantastic addition! Can you say a little more about the parallels between the "Hechalot" literature and online spiritual communities? That's an intriguing idea, too, and I want to make sure that I understand your point. Rabbi Lev--agreed about your point about living in real worlds and virtual worlds as a healthy complement--at least for now. But what will happen when we move to Web 3.0 platform, with 3D images of people we're talking to before us? My point is that today we can't imagine someone living primarily in virtual reality or strictly virtual Jewish communities. But that may be a function of our imagination! Hi, Rabbi Dror–One clarification: STAR has been at the forefront of working with rabbis and synagogues in virtual time, going back to 1999. But–you’ve offered an excellent insight about expanding our thinking to include online spaces as third place communities–fantastic addition! Can you say a little more about the parallels between the “Hechalot” literature and online spiritual communities? That’s an intriguing idea, too, and I want to make sure that I understand your point.

Rabbi Lev–agreed about your point about living in real worlds and virtual worlds as a healthy complement–at least for now. But what will happen when we move to Web 3.0 platform, with 3D images of people we’re talking to before us? My point is that today we can’t imagine someone living primarily in virtual reality or strictly virtual Jewish communities. But that may be a function of our imagination!

]]> By: Rabbi Lev Baesh http://albanroundtable.org/archives/680/comment-page-1#comment-645 Rabbi Lev Baesh Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:09:08 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=680#comment-645 I think the combination of both real and virtual connective places is the connective tissue for Jewish community in the 21st Century. It is my experience that once people meet on the web, they begin to desire face to face connection as well. They live in both worlds. I would add to the above, a trend toward identity fragmentation as well as comunity fragmentation. People are seeing "Jewish" as a piece of identity and not the whole of their identity. I think it would behoove the Jewish institutional world to open it's understanding of what "Jewish" is these days and look toward an understanding that includes interfaith families on equal footing with other Jewish families. The spectrum of practice, participation, and engagement with "Jewish" living crosses these boundaries in a way that our own boundaries often negate or exclude. We include those with "proper" Jewish labels who might otherwise engage preipherally and exclude those who engage deeply but stand outside of our historic boundaries. Part of our getting with the program is engaging this identification shift as well as spacial shifts. We stand in a transitional moment worth openiing engagement with Jewish as Jewish holds some of the tools for supporting our world and moving it forward. History will determine what survives and what vanishes, we get to make the invitations to Jewish engagement, without knowing where it all leads. I find living in this time exciting and enlivening as one who looks to engage people with "Jewish". I think the combination of both real and virtual connective places is the connective tissue for Jewish community in the 21st Century. It is my experience that once people meet on the web, they begin to desire face to face connection as well. They live in both worlds.
I would add to the above, a trend toward identity fragmentation as well as comunity fragmentation. People are seeing “Jewish” as a piece of identity and not the whole of their identity. I think it would behoove the Jewish institutional world to open it’s understanding of what “Jewish” is these days and look toward an understanding that includes interfaith families on equal footing with other Jewish families. The spectrum of practice, participation, and engagement with “Jewish” living crosses these boundaries in a way that our own boundaries often negate or exclude. We include those with “proper” Jewish labels who might otherwise engage preipherally and exclude those who engage deeply but stand outside of our historic boundaries. Part of our getting with the program is engaging this identification shift as well as spacial shifts. We stand in a transitional moment worth openiing engagement with Jewish as Jewish holds some of the tools for supporting our world and moving it forward. History will determine what survives and what vanishes, we get to make the invitations to Jewish engagement, without knowing where it all leads. I find living in this time exciting and enlivening as one who looks to engage people with “Jewish”.

]]> By: Rabbi Moshe Dror http://albanroundtable.org/archives/680/comment-page-1#comment-644 Rabbi Moshe Dror Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:42:15 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=680#comment-644 Shalom Rabbi Herring- Thanks for an interesting article on the "The Third Place". There is still another place=space that is becomimg increasingly significant in the lives of the Gen Xers, net Geners etc. and that is CYBERSPACE. All of the wonderful work you are doing is limited to face-to-face ,bricks and mortar places. What about the world of virtual communities, augmented communities, cyberspace as a space for significant spiritual community, study,and communication and transformation. There are many groups that are dealing with: Online Religion, Religion Online, Cyber religion Cyber spirituality. Each oine of these is unique and offers another way of dealing with the spiritual quest we are all on. If this seems so strange as a part of Judaism --just remember the vast literature dealing with the "Hechalot" -The heavenly mansions of the past Jewish religiosity. Thanks for reading this Rabbi Moshe Dror Shalom Rabbi Herring-

Thanks for an interesting article on the “The Third Place”. There is still another place=space that is becomimg increasingly significant in the lives of the Gen Xers, net Geners etc. and that is CYBERSPACE.
All of the wonderful work you are doing is limited to face-to-face ,bricks and mortar places. What about the world of virtual communities, augmented communities, cyberspace as a space for significant spiritual community, study,and communication and transformation.
There are many groups that are dealing with:
Online Religion,
Religion Online,
Cyber religion
Cyber spirituality.
Each oine of these is unique and offers another way of dealing with the spiritual quest we are all on.
If this seems so strange as a part of Judaism –just remember the vast literature dealing with the “Hechalot” -The heavenly mansions of the past Jewish religiosity.
Thanks for reading this
Rabbi
Moshe Dror

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