Divergent Attitudes within Orthodox Jewry Toward Mass Communication

Abstract

This paper examines the divergent attitudes toward mass media among the streams of Orthodox Jewry. According to most Ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders, media spread blasphemy, provoke gossip and slander, and steal time from religious studies, but Rabbi M. Schneerson, late leader of the Chabad movement, believed that the media should be exploited to spread the tenets of Judaism. Modern Orthodox rabbis generally favor limited access to media—filtering out its negative aspects, embracing its positive features, and using it to impart religious knowledge. Understanding these various attitudes may help media professionals deal with religion-based criticism and encourage media-borne moderate religious dialogue.

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