Internet Resources for Researching Orthodox Judaism

Abstract Scholars researching the varieties of Orthodox Judaism have different types of primary and secondary resources available to them electronically. Books and journals are available digitally. Web sites emanate from institutions, organizations, and individuals that have clear ideological and political preferences. There is increasing use of the Internet by Orthodox and Haredi Jews for a variety of religious, communal, personal, and educational purposes. Religious Jewish residents of the West Bank maintain community Web sites that provide historical, theological, institutional, and communal information. This article describes some of the Web-based resources and tools that reflect the wide range of Orthodox thought, activity, and practices. KEYWORDS: Orthodoxy Jews Judaism databases online resources web sites Acknowledgments Heidi G. Lerner is Hebraica/Judaica Metadata Resource Librarian, Metadata Development Unit of Stanford University Libraries at Stanford University. Notes 1. Among the varieties of belief and practice within contemporary Orthodox Judaism, most scholars have identified German Neo-Orthodoxy, Eastern European Traditionalism, Religious Zionism, and various streams of American and Israeli Modern and Haredi Orthodoxy. For a useful resource to explore the varieties of Orthodox Judaism see Varieties of Orthodox Judaism, ed. Professor Eli Siegel, n.d., University of Calgary, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/363_Transp/08_Orthodoxy.html>; see also: "Haredim," Encyclopedia Judaica , 2nd ed., 2007. 2. A number of articles have been written on Haredi opposition to the Internet and other "secular" modes of disseminating information. See: Edward Portnoy, "Haredim and the Internet," © 2004, Modiya, Jews/Media/Religion, New York University, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://modiya.nyu.edu/handle/1964/265l>; Oren Livio and Keren Tenenboim Weinblatt, "Discursive Legitimation of a Controversial Technology: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Women in Israel and the Internet," Communication Review 10.1 (2007): 29–56. In spite of this opposition, many of the various Haredi communities do allow and make use of the Web for professional or religious purposes. 3. Many of these resources provide some or all of their material in Hebrew and require knowledge of the language. 4. Yoel Cohen, "Religion News in Israel," Journal of Media and Religion 4.3 (2005): 179–197. 5. Shiur [plural shiurim] is the Hebrew word for lesson and in the context of this paper refers to the group or individual study of the major Judaic religious texts. 6. Joel Greenberg, "Pirates Do Gods Work on Jerusalem's Airwaves," New York Times on the Web, April 24, 1999, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E6DD113AF937A15757C0A96F958260>. 7. Shas is an ultra-Orthodox religious political party in Israel. For a description, see: "Shas," Encyclopedia Judaica , 2nd ed., 2007; Shas party official Web site [Hebrew only], <http://www.shasnet.org.il/Front/NewsNet/newspaper.asp>. 8. Yechiel Spira, "Jail time and fine for operator of Kol HaEmet radio, Yeshiva World News, June 5, 2008, Nov. 6, 2008 <http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=19316>. 9. Halakhah deals with the legal side of Judaism. For a detailed description, see: "Halakhah," Encyclopedia Judaica , 2nd ed., 2007. 10. Menachem Butler, "Rav Yuval Cherlow visits Yeshiva," The Commentator, April 18, 2005, Nov. 8, 2006, <http://media.www.yucommentator.com/media/storage/paper652/news/2005/04/18/News/Rav-Yuval.Cherlow.Visits.Yeshiva-921828.shtml>; teshuvot are part of a body of rabbinic literature called "Responsa" [in Hebrew these are called "she'elot u-teshuvot," i.e. questions and answers] which are written responses on issues within Jewish law or halakhah, see: "Responsa," Encyclopedia Judaica , 2nd ed., 2007. 11. A yeshiva is a Jewish religious seminary for advanced study of Torah and Talmud. 12. A hesder yeshiva is a type of Israeli institution that allows Israeli soldiers to combine advanced religious studies while doing their military service. 13. Dape parashat ha-shavua are essays on the traditional weekly Torah readings; Simeon D. Baumel, "Weekly Torah Portions, Languages, and Culture among Israeli Haredim," Jewish Social Studies 10:2 (Winter 2004): 153–189. 14. For a brief introduction to the daf yomi see: "HaDaf HaYomi—the Daily Page of Talmud Bavli (or Mishnah)," The Jewish Agency for Israel, Dept. of Jewish Zionist Education , n.d., Nov. 6, 2008, <http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/dafyomi.html>. 15. He describes the phenomena of recorded sermons in: Kimmy Caplan, "God's Voice: Audiotaped Sermon in Israeli Haredi Society," Modern Judaism 17:3 (1997): 253–279. 16. Tamar Rotem, "The Inner Sanctum," Haaretz .com, Dec. 25, 2002, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=244769&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=244769>. 17. Ofri Ilani, "Internet? There is no such thing," Haaretz .com, Jan. 8, 2007, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=808642>. 18. The Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful) movement was founded in March 1974 following the Oct. 1973 war. Its major focus has been to promote Jewish settlement of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. See: "Gush Emunim," Encyclopedia Judaica , 2nd ed., 2007. 19. Avishai Margalit, "A Moral Witness to the 'Intricate Machine'," New York Review of Books 54:19, Dec. 6, 2007, Nov. 6, 2008, <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20856>. 20. Hagit Ofran, e-mail to the author, Dec. 1, 2007. 21. Shomron is the Hebrew word for Samaria (a mountainous area in the northern part of the West Bank). 22. On Jan. 1, 2008, the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem changed its name to the National Library of Israel; Pashkevilim are posters or printed notices that are mounted in public spaces in Orthodox Jewish communities.

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