Technology and Jewish Oral Tradition

(Cross-listed as MUS 32 and JS 55.) The concept of oral tradition and its traditional transmission in the Jewish community. We consider why certain men and women increasingly see the performance of text as a key to authentic religious expression. In many congregations, across denominational lines, busy lay congregants spend hours every week preparing to "read Torah" and lead services at Sabbath worship. Many understand this performance of sacred text as a way to position themselves at the core of authentic religious experience. Increasingly, these oral traditions of chant and prayer are not learned through face to face interaction with cantors, rabbis or other teachers but from websites and computer programs such as "Haftutor," "CyberTropes," or "Navigating the Bible." We examine how the application of these new technologies is changing the transmission, study, performance and cultural understanding of these sacred oral traditions. Formerly REL 55.