Let's Go Shteeble-Hopping!

Introducing jewishLIVE: As Abq Jew sits here at home, in front of his omnipresent, omniscient, and ominous computer screen, he is quietly reminiscing about The Old Country. And The Old Times.

Do you remember when ... you could step outside your door on a Shabbos morning, turn left or turn right, and go daven at any of the many shtieblach in the neighborhood? Or go to one shtiebel for Shacharis, another shtiebel for Musaf, then head over to The Big Shul for Kiddush?

Do you remember when ...
you could step outside your door?

These days, virtually everything that's happening in the New Mexico Jewish community - if it's happening at all - is happening online. And that's true of Jewish communities all over the world.

As Country Yossi and the Shteeble Hoppers would say - Nobody Comes to the Minyan No More. (Click here for the lyrics.)

So - can we all-powerful Jews make lemonade out of the big bunch of lemons that have been no-contact delivered to our door?

You bet we can!

A cousin of New Mexicast's Rosa Linda Roman, and Rosa Linda told Abq Jew. About Jewish Live, that is. An Enchanting Adventure, sorta. But it turns out (doesn't it always?) that JTA's Ben Sales found out first.

From prayers to puppets: A one-stop shop for Jewish livestreams aims to outlast the pandemic 

(JTA) — On Monday, there’s a Jewish space that hosts two Torah classes and the taping of a podcast. 

On Wednesday, the space offers a Jewish TV show for kids and a discussion of Jewish history. 

On Friday night and again on Saturday morning, it hosts several prayer services simultaneously — some experimental, some more musical, some more standard Conservative or Reform. 

Beyond hosting these events, the space also provides access to yoga, arts programs or classes like one titled “The Concubine in the Refrigerator: Objectifying Women in Comics and Scripture.” 

 It is, of course, not a physical space because no one is gathering in physical spaces now. It’s a website called jewishLIVE that has become a one-stop shop for Jewish livestreaming since its founding six weeks ago — right in time for the stay-at-home and social distancing orders that swept the country because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

JewishLive is not the only platform to be taking Jewish spiritual and entertainment experiences online for the moment. But its founders hope the site will not only fill a need for Jewish community and content now — but also help create a new paradigm for Jewish involvement if and when things return to a semblance of normal. 

 “If we have Jewish life right now,
it’s going to be digital,”

 co-founder Lex Rofeberg said. 

“This new moment unlocks or accelerates a lot of changes that were already underway and shines a light on a lot of things we need that are new.”

So let's get down to tachlis.
What does this mean?

On Shabbos, there is no need for any of us to get up,
get dressed, and go to shul; we can virtually
hop along to almost any NM shteeble online.
In our pajamas (not recommended).

In fact, on Shabbos we can virtually hop along
to almost any shtiebel in the whole entire world,
without worrying about airfare, staying with (Ken O'Hara!) quarantined mishpocha, or missing Kiddush (we will).

And - on any day at all, there is no need for any of us

to leave the comfort of our homes to virtually attend

almost any Jewish celebration, class, or concert

anyplace in the Wide World of Sports.

Vice versa.

We can (finally!) invite everyone in the world
to visit us here, in the Land of Enchantment!
Take a look!