The New Year, 5773, is upon us as we scurry to change the date when we write a check tomorrow or Wednesday. The New Year also is reflective of new hopes and ideas as we sit down to the dinner table or attend our local temple.
As many of you know Apple announced the iPhone 5 and there is the prospect of the i-Pad Mini, so I pondered, how would all this technology affect temple services? Our temple went to new prayer books this year after 30 years and I wondered if the book was available on Amazon, so I could bring my iPad to Temple. Just think, no rustling of pages and changing the weight of your legs during services with your i-Pad in lieu of the weighty prayer books.
Then I gave thought to those older members of the congregation who were given the task of holding the venerable Torah, which weighs several pounds. What if the tablets of Moses were transformed into an i-Pad as well or, perhaps, a holographic Torah projected on a person when he or she delivers the books of Moses to the congregation?
Another use of technology is to have flat screens around the temple with the scriptures scrolling as we go through the liturgy? Seems like a great way to follow what is going on, saving the Rabbi from announcing each page change with a yellow line helping congregants follow the paragraphs or perhaps a flash of a sign when it is time to leave your seats.
Yes, it is time to apply technology to our religious services as many temples have added guitars and pianos to the religious fare. Seems that the next change should be with technology and, perhaps, a virtual rabbi, cantor and choir, which would save congregations thousands of dollars.
A virtual and healthy New Year to all.
