My Final Paper!

AGF Final Paper_Goldman

I'll take my ashes "to go"

Drive-through service to offer Ash Wednesday service | Maryland News - WBAL Home

It is hard to believe that winter term is almost over and that in just a few days I will be flying home for spring break before heading off to London. I have to admit though, I will be very happy when my final papers and exams are done, and I can spend some quality time with my family. I have really enjoyed this Apple, Google, Facebook class and I enjoy telling my parents what I learn in the class and hear their thoughts. My parents are technophobes and technologically impaired...to the point where they still do not know how to highlight, copy, or paste. Anyway, when I told my dad what I was writing on for my final paper, he told me he had heard that for Ash Wednesday, certain churches were offering a “to go” service, so that people did not have to take the time out of their busy schedule to go into the church and get their ashes. People will be able to stop by, say a quick prayer, and go on their merry way. The church is hoping it will give people a chance to participate in Ash Wednesday who might otherwise ignore the holiday. Robert Bellah would say that this is expected in a culture like America where everything including religion and religious holidays should be catered to the individual's needs. In my opinion, having this option, is almost hypocritical. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is a time for the individual to reflect on their transgressions and that one must repent for their sins. The Ashes are a physical reminder to repent. So if an individual decides they are too busy to go to the Ash Wednesday service, what are the odds that this individual is going to take the time to reflect on their sins? To me, having this service is just a way for the individual to feel less guilty about not going to church. It shows they can do only the bear minimum. Maybe the individual should add "not going to church on Ash Wednesday and getting drive-thru ashes" to their list of sins.

Final Paper Ideas

For my final paper for the class I am thinking of looking at a large synagogues’ use of technology and how it reaches out to its members through technology. I will talk about how both of these use social networks like Facebook and twitter to build a support network not only within the synagogue but while they are at home. I want to compare how a big synagogue like Temple Emanu-El in New York City uses technology, versus a smaller temple like the one that my family belongs to in New Jersey, and how they reach out to its congregants through technology, and which one is more successful.

Specifically how each of them reaches out to its younger members through technology in innovative, creative, and fun ways to get the youth interested in education and religion. This could be through technology within religious youth groups like using Facebook to harvest virtual friendships on Facebook.

Also live webcasts of services so that one never has to leave their home, but can still observe. These live webcasts, plus apps that make holy books and religious texts accessible, are proof for Bellah’s assertion of religious privatism. We want to be able to choose the way we observe our religion and we don’t feel that we necessarily have to attend services, when we can access services from the comforts of our couch at home.

I also found apps that are associated with this idea of connection- not only to a synagogue but to Jews around the world. One app called “Western Wall 3D Interactive Virtual Tour- Jerusalem in the Jewish Faith” allows the person to visit the holiest site in Jerusalem from home. Going to Jerusalem is an extremely spiritual experience, and for those that might not be able to make the long and expensive journey, it allows them to again experience the holiest site in Jerusalem from their home. It is not only a spiritual tool, but an educational tool. Thus apps are making spirituality accessible to everyone! It is a free app, whereas traveling to Israel from the USA costs thousands of dollars. This is only one app of many that makes religion accessible. More apps such as a Jewish calendar, Kosher cookbook, 250 Jewish recipes, allow for one to easily maintain a Jewish lifestyle.

I will connect these apps to Bellah’s idea of religious privatism, to Facebook friendship circles, to Apple’s customizing of religion, and to the anonymity of having private spiritual engines and how Lanier says this is destructive.

I will refer back to how a larger congregation does this versus a smaller congregation and if there is any difference at all.

If I am not a gadget, then who am I?

In our class, we have thought about the way Apple, Google, Facebook interact and influence the Self. Just like social media platforms and search engines have different manifestos on how it should interact with the users’ Self, Robert Bellah asserts that the “first language” all religions share is fulfillment of the Self.



Currently, we are reading You are not a Gadget by the computer scientist and virtual reality pioneer, Jaron Lanier. Lanier looks at how the internet as causing us to lose our sense of individuality and thus lose our entire Self in the process. This loss of Self will force the “first language” of religion to change completely. Lanier says on page 29 of You are Not a Gadget “But if you want to make the transition from old religion, where you hope God will give you an afterlife, to the new religion, where you hope to become immortal by getting uploaded into a computer”... “you demand that the rest of us lie in your new conception of a state religion”... “you need us to deify information to reinforce your faith.”



Lanier proposes that our entire idea of religion is changing. Humankind is shifting from a Self that shapes its beliefs, morals, and actions around what will lead them to a heavenly afterlife, but a humankind that relies on a belief of technology. We no longer need God or religion to guide us and help us shape our own values and Selves. All we need to do is “believe information is real and alive.” This focus on information being real and alive, leaves a void for the Self. The Self has no mission and no place because there is no goal to work towards or values to format around because we are now relying on the immanence of immortality through technology. The “first language” of religion is the singularity.


This means then that technology is becoming a new religion or even taking the place of religion because we deifying technology. Belief in God only promised an unverifiable afterlife, but belief in technology (and the singularity) can promise IMMORTALITY.  So you might be asking, what is the problem with a new religion based on technology? I agree with Lanier to say that the old religion was a religion founded on the principles of Self, and when we transition to the new religion, our individuality and identities will be lost, leading to a future with a collection of apathetic, confused, and unmotivated people.

Ilana Kate Goldman has a website!

This is the link to my new website. It is my first experience with html!

I am hoping that with my new knowledge of html, I can continue to develop this website, and use it to keep my family and friends updated with my adventures abroad. I have an about me section, a link to my blog for class (which I hope to continue with), and pictures that are a timeline of my journey to London!

Love at First Swipe

A few of my blog posts, and my social media project, have discussed how technology has changed the way we form and harvest relationships. It is a correlational relationship that several of the speakers we have listened to in class have analyzed, and even an Oscar winning film, “Her” is about a man that is in a relationship with Siri. Needless to say technology is changing the way we date whether that be through the way we communicate with our dates, through an online dating site like the JDate project, and now addictive apps. In this blog I am responding to an article in the most recent TIME magazine. The article talked about the new popular app, Tinder, and it immediately reminded me of Zuckerbergs Facemash-- highly addictive. These games give the users a kind of endorphin rush to make the user hooked.  Both Facemash and Tinder are based on a system of snap judgments--so really these dating apps are really just a game. In Tinder, you just swipe your finger whether you like or do not like, in Fashmash you click the hotter girl. This truly turns dating into an addictive game and while “dating has always been something of a game, it is now built into a device we carry and check some 150 times a day.” The author seems to take this as a negative thing, because these apps become addicting like Candy Crush, and the users are mistreating the app, using it instead for bets or the spurring of drinking games. In my opinion, this is not a negative thing, but it just means that the rules of the dating game are going to have to change. This addicting quality of Tinder that gives the users a sort of “high”-- the same high that one can feel when going on their first great date, or having their first kiss with someone! So whether this app is being used for meeting someone and falling in love with them, or if it simple is a fun game, it is producing the same “high” and bringing people together.

Mark Zuckerberg- MISS understood

Over 500 million people in the world are on Facebook. Half of those people log on to Facebook every single day. The movie “The Social Network” tells the story of the creation of Facebook and the twisted and callous creator Mark Zuckerberg whom detached himself from his friends only to create a social media site that aims to connect the world to one another. A Harvard classmate of Mark Zuckerberg, Zadie Smith gives her opinion of the movie in her article “Generation Why” and specifically both at the way Mark is portrayed in the movie, as opposed to his personality, in addition to what the movie says about “Generation Why.” While I it could be said that Smith is anti- Facebook because it traps the Self and is based only off of what Mark Zuckerberg thinks we should want to say about our SELVES, I instead want to develop her idea that the movie should not be seen as a critique of Mark Zuckerberg but instead an evaluation of why our generation uses the social network, Facebook.

I agree with Zadie’s point that Aaron Sorkin, manipulates the motivations for Mark Zuckerberg to create Facebook. I myself while watching the film sided with Mark Zuckerberg. From the beginning, while Mark is shown to not understand social relationships, but an amazing gift in programming and creating addicting websites. Sorkin instead of highlighting Zuckerberg’s strengths paints him to be a backstabbing, money-grabbing, womanizer. Zadie asserts that Zuckerberg, like everyone else in the world, just wants to be liked; because Sorkin is of a different generation he can not understand the motivations for creating or using such a site as Facebook. I will go as far as to say that Zuckerberg is almost a scapegoat for “generation 2.0.” Aaron Sorkin represents generation 1.0 that is grappling with new media and just “doesn’t get” Facebook or what it means to be an entrepreneur, and so completely misinterprets its founder.

The best thing to take away from the movie, is for generation 2.0 to reflect on what makes Facebook so addicting and how has it completely changed the way we see ourselves, our relationships, and the people around us. Zuckerberg is just one person that was affected by the Facebook. Facebook affects 500 million people as part of our everyday life; and yes hours and hours are passed looking at profiles and editing our own profiles instead of creating real friendships and instead of actually self-improving. In conclusion, I agree with Zadie in that Mark is a martyr for this generation, and is misconstrued by the old world media that “just doesn’t get it”. We can still be on Facebook and understand that it is not a true reflection of ourselves. But when we are putting things on the internet, no matter if it is through Facebook or not, we are creating an idealized version of ourselves. Facebook is not an expression of self awareness or self reflection, but the way we want to come off to others. This is not a problem inherent to Facebook, but an issue that has always existed, when we are trying so hard to show our best selves to others. 

"The Internship"

I’m feeling lucky is the story of an employee at Google who was there in the founding stages of the company. While Edward’s experience was a crazy roller coaster ride, now Google is the world’s most successful company, and the competition to work for the company is cutthroat. A recent movie, “The Internship” explores the effect technology has had on the older generation that did not grow up surrounded by smart technology.  Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are two “middle-aged” men that work selling watches to corporate companies. However, they lose their jobs, because now orders are placed through the internet. They realize that their degrees in business are futile without knowledge of technology. On a whim, they apply for a non-paid internship with Google. Even though they have zero experience with technology, Google takes a chance and hires the energetic, innovative, yet technologically challenged men. In the end, Google comes off to be a company where the honest, hardworking, and out-of-the box thinkers are rewarded, and that even if one is incredibly smart, if they are self-centered or backstabbing, they are not wanted by Google. This is similar to what Steve Jobs was looking for in his Apple employees (except Jobs was much more rude and crass in his approach). Not a stuffed-shirt, obsessive about technology, but someone that believes that Google can change the world. In my Apple, Google, Facebook class, the prediction of technology surpassing human intelligence has come up very often, and most of us struggle with this idea. However, the movie “The Internship” says Google products and company is a people-person company. They want the best for their customers and are creating programs that are making their lives easier. Google creates fun products for fun people and is continually making itself more user friendly and accessible.

The 10 Commandments of Google

Douglas Edwards gives his fly-on-the-wall perspective of Google as it was just rising as one of the biggest search engines and internet companies. It is a story of both the development of Google and an autobiographical account of Edwards insecurities in his role in the company. Google as a company thrived and survived because it constantly adapts to meet the needs of the consumer. In this way, religion is also an entity that has survived for thousands of years because of its ability to give people answers to life’s most difficult questions. Google and religion function in the same way. While there is nothing about Google that is driven by religion, it acts as a platform to access religion. One can look to Google to help one find the answer life’s most important questions like “is there a God” or “why do bad things happen to good people” the same way the one can find those answers in the Bible or religious texts. Each religion abides by certain principles and values that guide their believers own morals. Values such as “thou shalt not murder” or “thou shalt not steal” are principles guide the development of religion. Google has its own set of values like “quality over revenue” (Edwards, 67) and interface that is “supernaturally easy to use” (58).

Edward's biggest claim to fame within Google is the "Ten things we know to be true." It is a set of 10 principles that outlined the company and standards to always hold themselves up to. Their is the unmistakable parallel between the "Ten things we know to be true" and the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" similarly Google wants to be the primary search engine; there can be the existence of other search engines, but they will be below Google. "You can make money without doing evil"- Google takes this to mean that their ultimate objective is not to take advantage of the Google user, but to provide them with honest search results and an uninhibited experience. Similarly the Ten Commandments outlines several moral demands that otherwise if committed, would be evil.

Of course, there is one significant discrepancy in the 10 Commandments and the "ten things we know to be true." This being that the second commandment is commanding us to not worship idols. This begs the question, is our worship and dependency on Google breaking this commandment?

Regardless of this both the Ten Commandments and the "ten things we know to be true" have principles that guide religion and Google as a platform for the Self. Both allow us to gain knowledge and model our views, morals, and actions based on that information.

A moment of reflection on relationships and technology

Many of my closest relationships are relationships of long distance. I went to sleep away camp for many years meaning some of my dearest friends live far away, I went to arts boarding school my senior year of high school, I go to school over 1,000 miles away from home, and my boyfriend is from England. Needless to say, technology plays an integral role in my everyday routine as it allows me to stay connected to the most important people in my life. Just today for example, I FaceTimed my best friend Maddie who goes to University of Illinois, I called my mom, texted my brother, and Skyped my boyfriend (the fact that these applications have become verbs is amazing).  I am constantly looking for the newest app that will give me the illusion of closeness to these people.  I even have a special app that is meant for long distance relationships (Couple), showing that there are tons of other people like me that rely on innovative technology that appeal to a specific demographic. The apps like Couple or Viber or Whatsapp understand the role of technology in connecting people with one another and are thus able to thrive. Some people might believe that technology disconnects us from the people around us and causing us to ignore the in-personal relationships in front of us. However, I know that technology has allowed me to APPRECIATE my in-person relationships because I have realized with time how virtual relationships are not comparable to being with the people you love. 

Google Dependency

Marshall McLuhan coined the expression “the medium is the message” because he wanted to stress the idea that the medium is even more important than the message it is carrying. A medium can be defined as “an agency or means of doing something.”

According to the Wikipedia page on Google Search, Google is the most-used search engine on the World Wide Web, handling more than three billion searches each day. That would average to mean in the USA, each person searches on google 19 times per day.

Google should therefore be considered a medium as it is a platform to acquire knowledge from. McLuhan would say that the fact that Google is handling more than three billion searches each day is more important than the content is being googled. The fact that we are relying on Google as a search engine and its role as a medium is what needs to be observed. Google Search can also be seen as “the intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses” which is another definition of medium. Google acts as a relay between the questions we have, and the information on the internet. It does not matter what we are googling whether that is “what is a medium?” or “Britney Spears” or “what is the meaning of life?” The complexity of the question or search is of no importance. It is important instead to understand Google as a medium and its fundamental role in our lives to find the answers to these questions the moment they come to our mind. It is a medium because it allows us to continue on with our day by providing us with the information we need. It has even helped me write this blog post!

Things I googled throughout this blog post:

The Minyan of JDate

The Queen of the Night- Renée Fleming sings a touchdown at the Super Bowl

Everyone has their own reason for watching the Super Bowl—to eat Subway sandwiches and gorge oneself on chips and dip while spending time with friends and family, to watch the million dollar commercials, or probably to actually watch the football. However, I will be tuning in to hear Renée Fleming, arguably the most acclaimed and renowned opera singer currently sing the national anthem before kickoff. This is the first time an opera singer has ever performed at the Super Bowl, showing the true celebrity factor of Renée’s opera success. I am interested to see what national audiences think of hearing The Star-Spangled Banner performed in an opera style. Will having millions of viewers hear a beautiful voice encourage more Americans to listen to classical music? While classical music used to be the most popular genre, it is now the genre that is most at threat for extinction. Opera has already tried to use technology to get more viewers and become more accessible. The Metropolitan Opera House does live broadcasts of their operas that stream live to movie theaters in the country. However, I believe bringing Renée Fleming into the homes of millions of Americans in the most watched event on television is the key to revitalizing the classical music and opera genres.

The Jewish Community Center- JDate

Match.com, eHarmony and OKCupid are just a few dating sites that aim to help their online subscribes find their soul mates to live happily ever after. For the purpose of my blog and narrated slide project, I have chosen to look at the dating website JDate- it is the perfect combination of technology and religion. Plus, my mom would probably eventually make a profile for me in a few years anyway...so now I have saved her the trouble and nagging. JDate specifically says that it is “one of the world’s greatest online communities” and “ We're very proud of our members: smart, attractive, successful people from all walks of life, all professions and all ages, living life to its fullest. They’re all looking to connect, network and find romance” JDate also promises that their community will be way better than the bar dating scene and it is the “modern way for Jewish people to find love.”

JDate aims to “strengthen the Jewish community” while still finding their subscriber the love of their life. This connects to the ideas of community and lifestyle enclave found in Bellah’s Habits of the Heart. Bellah would define community to be a group of people that are interdependent and share certain practices. In the case of JDate, the community is then the shared practice of the religion of Judaism and the shared cultural values and traditions.  Everyone on JDate (for the most part)  is part of this community already. However, these people seek something beyond that community and thus find themselves on JDate. They are looking for their social enclave--what Bellah says is formed when people who share some feature of private life like shared leisure activities, or shared career goals. People on JDate might already have the Jewish community but are looking for someone on the dating site to delve further into that community by finding a social enclave and then finally-the ONE. I look forward to my narrated slide show project where I can explore the concept of community on JDate further. Have to admit, JDate is convincing me, at least, that by subscribing, I might find my social enclave--the lox to my bagel, the noodle to my kugel, and the honey to my apples.

The implications of religion in hit television series The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular current television shows, and is in its seventh season on CBS. The plot revolves around four male characters that become friends through their work in science-related occupations. While the plots of the show usually revolve around science, (and trying to get dates with women) the plots often include aspects of religion.

Lots of jokes on the show are making fun of the way each of the characters practice and view their religion as the characters tend to disobey their religious traditions.  Howard’s mother is portrayed as the stereotypical, absolutely crazy, and overbearing, Jewish mother. Howard does celebrate some of the Jewish holidays and it was very important to him to marry a nice Jewish girl. Raj, practices Hinduism like the rest of his family but will break dietary laws eating a whopper.

While all of the characters were raised with religion, due to their knowledge of science and understanding of evolution, the characters mock those that deny the presence of science by believing in stories of creationism. In this clip, Sheldon and his mother are disagreeing on the point of creationism versus evolution. It is interesting that viewers enjoy this light-hearted interpretation of religion and embrace that logic and reason should nullify traditional religious values. The Big Bang Theory is a witty and comical show that can engage all audiences—believers and agnostics alike.

Robert Bellah and Bel-Air's Fresh Prince have the same view of the meaning of success in America

Freedom, Justice, Success; these are three elements that we strive to achieve throughout our lifetime. Celebrities seem to encompass elements of success- they have fame, money, and are usually especially talented and good looking. Thus when a regular person wants to find the key to success, they aspire to be like a celebrity. In a popular YouTube Interview, Will Smith shares his idea of success with the rest of America by revealing the path to success. He says in his interview “We are who we choose to be” and that by making choices we decide who we are, what we are going to be, and that we are the controllers of our destiny.

This is connected to the ideas presented in the first two chapters of Habits of the Heart by Robert Bellah. Bellah agrees “Americans tend to think of the ultimate goals of a good life as matters of personal choice” (Bellah, 22). Bellah also differentiates between “utilitarian individualism” and “expressive individualism.” Utilitarian individualism is the idea that self- existence is based off economics and individuals only partake in society to advance their own self-interest. Expressive individualism defines success as a life rich with experience and has nothing to do with material gain or fitting into the context of society. So you might be wondering at this point, what does all of this have to do with Will Smith, the Fresh Prince?

Will Smith is an example of someone that is exhibiting both utilitarian individualism and expressive individualism. On one hand he is a celebrity that advances his own self-interest by participating in society by having fans that want to pay to see him in movies and television shows. On the other hand, he says that the way he achieved his idea of success was by paving his own way, having a clear idea of his character, and seems not to worry about his place in society. These two ideas are paradoxical yet they communicate the very meaning of success in America. Smith says he wants to represent an “idea” of that anyone can be “successful.” Celebrities seem to have achieved this ultimate success and according to Smith’s interview and lifestyle, success in America is about having the freedom to choose a path of self- discovery self-awareness, and self-fulfillment.  

Pope Francis Tweets

“Let us pray for peace, and let us bring it about, starting in our own homes!” The Pope’s official twitter, January 16, 2014

That is correct. The 77-year-old Pope Francis has an official twitter account and has over 3.5 million followers. Some might consider the prospect of the leader of the Catholic Church, having a twitter account to be sacrilegious. These people might say that the Pope’s followers on twitter are having artificial and superficial contact with the Pope, God, and Jesus. They say the Pope’s “followers” should be immersed in prayer, not preoccupied following the Pope on twitter. However, I would disagree with the people that make these claims. Twitter is a place where regular people can be constantly connected and updated to the thoughts and whereabouts of celebrities, and now, the Pope.  Because of twitter, any person, from any economic class, is able to send a question of faith to THE POPE, in which he will personally respond. The Pope is reaching out to those that might feel disconnected from the Catholic Church by tweeting inspiring and thought-provoking messages to the entire world. The Pope is not just a man that one can see on TV or hear about in the news, but now, because of social media, he can truly engage with people all over the world. 

The Bible is an "insanely great" product

The Whole Earth Catalog is a tool to educate the masses and it represents two almost contradictory ideas: technology and hippie ideals. The combination present in the Whole Earth Catalog mirrors Steve Jobs’ personality. Thus, for Jobs’, the catalogue acts almost as his Bible. The Whole Earth Catalog of March 1970 covers a wide range of topics from parenting tips, to how to make a birdhouse, to a guide for tools that can help you become a farmer. 

Each of the topics presented in the catalogue are aimed to help the reader have the tools to improve their life. The Whole Earth Catalogue makes the reader feel that they themselves have the ability to control of their future.  This is similar to the way religion functions. The Bible, for example, gives tools to help the believer function in everyday life. The Bible too covers a range of topics from minor details like, “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.” (Exodus 21. 33) all the way to answering questions like “why is childbirth so painful?” through Genesis in the Adam and Eve story. 

Steve Jobs is inspired by these guides’ ability to transform the consumers’/believers’ lives. This is what inspires him to make “insanely great” products that will transcend time and will create a legacy of himself. The perfect model for this goal is the Bible. It has been in existence for THOUSANDS of years and continues to be relevant and a source of stability. Thus, the Whole Earth Catalogue can be compared to a religious book in that its readers are looking for the tools to make their lives better. 

Implications of religion in 2005 Steve Jobs commencement speech- Life is for living, don't worry about Jobs

Death is the scariest part of living. There are so many unknowns- what happens to us after we die? Will we leave a legacy behind us? While no one knows for certain the answers to these questions, many people find comfort in organized religion and believing in a God. Religion offers a deity that is watching over us and protecting us. Religion promises us that if we follow the rules during our time on earth, we will be granted an afterlife.

Although Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, did not graduate college himself, he gave the commencement speech for Stanford in 2005. At the conclusion of his speech Jobs said, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the choices in life.” Now, this statement is pretty depressing and blunt for a college graduation, which is supposed to be a day filled with joy! I’m sure these college graduates were not expecting to hear about how they are going to die soon on one of the happiest days of their lives. Jobs knows that death is the one unavoidable and completely terrifying part of life and so he then continues to say, “you are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart.” Jobs is making a direct comparison to Adam and Eve in Genesis to a college graduation. After Adam and Eve eat from the tree of knowledge they realize that they are naked, vulnerable, and disconnected from God. Similarly, the college graduates are now forced to face the world alone. They have the freedom to choose any path. Jobs is saying that power relies solely within these individuals. Instead of using religion and belief in God as a coping mechanism for dealing with the unknowns of death, they need only to trust themselves and their hearts.

Like Jobs says multiple times in his address, “dropping out of school was one of the best decisions [he] made.” Thus in my opinion, I believe Jobs is insinuating that humanity does not need to rely on the institution of religion and God. Instead of living each day to avoid death, individuals can live every day as they choose.