“The avalanche of connectivity is constant in today’s world. Our eyes and ears are constantly stimulated with smartphones and computer notebooks that make it nearly impossible to feel unplugged from the outside world. This nonstop exchange of information creates the expectation that we are available 24/7 to reply to a text message, take a call or write an e-mail,” says the article in J Weekly.”
“One Jewish organization is seeking to change this behavior — at least for one day per week.”
“It was an odd feeling, like you’re missing a limb, to reach for the BlackBerry and not have it there,” said Josh Becker, a Rebooter and a first-time political candidate with his eye on the California State Assembly.
“The Menlo Park man unplugged even though it was the day Democratic Party delegates were deciding, among other things, whether to endorse Becker or another candidate for the 21st Assembly District Democratic primary on June 8. Becker owns a BlackBerry (his seventh) and an iPhone. He has 110,000 messages in his e-mail inbox, and while he does regularly check his Gmail on Shabbat, he also attends Congregation Beth Am’s weekly Shabbaton in Los Altos Hills. Still, he has often yearned to take his Sabbath observance to the next level.”
Read the entire article here.
Can you take your Sabbath to the next level? Go to our Unplug Challenge page and let us know. http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/unplug_challenge