Not content to just sit around all weekend waiting for the season premiere of Mad Men?
Well, you could start things off Friday night by taking part in the National Day of Unplugging 2012 (or, as it’s called in some Jewish homes, Shabbos).
You can even sign the "Unplugged Pledge."
Here’s some more info:
The National Day of Unplugging is a respite from the relentless deluge of technology and information. With roots in Jewish tradition, this modern day of rest was developed by Reboot as a way to bring some balance to our increasingly fast-paced way of life and reclaim time to connect with family, friends, the community and ourselves. Shut down your computer. Turn off your cell phone. Stop the constant emailing, texting, Tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you. Connect with loved ones. Nurture your health. Get outside. Find silence. Avoid commerce. Give back. Eat Together.
And that’s not all. Once you’re done unplugging, you can plug back in and take part Sunday night in what Sh’ma is billing as the first-ever "virtual tisch":
There has never been a “Jewish table” quite like this.
Sh’ma, a print and online journal of Jewish ideas, is inviting participants from around the world to join its first ever “virtual tisch” – fostering Jewish learning, connection, and conversation in a unique community event.
“Sh’ma has been committed to promoting conversation and pushing the boundaries of Jewish thought since its founding 42 years ago,” said Editor in Chief Susan Berrin. “This event pushes those boundaries even further – for the first time taking the Jewish table out of the dining room and creating a sacred virtual space.”
Please join us on Sunday, March 25th at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST for this community “tisch” (Yiddish for “table”), which will feature Rabbi David Ingber, Storahtelling founder Amichai Lau Lavie, Reb Mimi Feigelson, singer Renna Khuner-Haber, community activist and teacher Karen Erlichman, Bible Raps’ Jerusalem “Fow Ti” Chair AdAm Mayer, and many others on a live webcast.
Participants will enter the tisch through our website, www.shma.com, which will provide easy instructions on how to send in questions and comments.
“For the last year, Sh’ma has been running an ethics column examining the uses and implications of technology through a Jewish lens,” said Online Director Robert J. Saferstein. “This tisch is a culmination of those explorations and will broaden the conversation begun in our most recent print journal.”
Don’t worry, you can check it out for an hour or so and then hop over to Mad Men.
