Common sense tells us that technology can either be a blessing or curse in our lives. The assertion flows easily but deceptively from us. Beneath the flowing assertion, lay many cross currents and much complexity. These complexities are named and laid out for individual and group exploration throughout the book. They provide mirrors for the reader and groups of readers to discover their own affirmations and arguments with their own digital profiles based on Jewish/humanistic religious values.
The iterative analysis points back to the double-entendre in the book's title, "text me" can be a command to engage in the famously quick communication as in receiving a text on our smart phones and "text me" can also serve as an imperative to explore the wisdom contained in Jewish texts. The synergies, gaps, creative tensions, and paradoxes living within this double use of "text me" permeate the volume. Though rooted in Jewish sources the tools of analysis can be used by Christians, Muslims, and people who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." Indeed, the book is an invitation to all who live in the digital age which is to say all of us. Commentaries provided by scholars of all three of the western, monotheistic faiths highlight this universal dimension.
Industry Reviews
Finally, we have a resource that meets the needs of spiritual leaders and educators living in the digital age. In Jeffrey Schein's book, Text Me: Ancient Jewish Wisdom Meets Contemporary Technology: Jewish Resources for Understanding, Embracing and Challenging Our Evolving Digital Identities they will find theory, experience and practice distilled into usable wisdom. What makes this book so critical is that it fills a void that is only getting larger. And with its real-life stories, it's an engaging and instructive read for which rabbis and religious educators of all faiths will make time. It isn't likely to languish on their "must read" list as my hunch is that they will want to purchase and read it immediately. -- Hayim Herring, Author, Organizational Consultant, and Educational Futurist
Jeffrey Schein's book, Text Me: Ancient Jewish Wisdom Meets Contemporary Technology: Jewish Resources for Understanding, Embracing and Challenging Our Evolving Digital Identities offers religious leaders a resource for critically engaging the changes taking place in a thoughtful and practical way, exploring in depth particular aspects of technology and resources of his own faith traditions. While written primarily for a Jewish audience, the insights and understandings of each of the chapters provide insights Christian religious leader can reflect on, as well as a model of interdisciplinary engagement other faith traditions could reproduce within their own sacred texts and writings. -- Elliot Dorff, Distinguished JPS author, Editor JPS "Jewish Choices, Jewish Values" , Professor American Jewish University
Among the many ways in which religion might enrich our lives is the moral guidance it provides. That is why the Jewish Publication Society published the six-volume series, Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices, on body, power, money, sex and intimacy, social justice, and racism. This volume artfully carries that project further, examining the many Jewish sources of wisdom in a variety of educational formats for how to benefit from modern technology without falling prey to its many pitfalls, even to the extent of becoming addicted to it and losing sight of the many other sources of meaning in life. As such, it is essential reading for our age. -- Etan Weiss, Director of Judaics, Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School
