Think of the children!

As Yom Kippur approaches, I was reading this news article and was sure my readers would be as bemused as I was. It’s amazing what things never occur to you and take you by surprise. In retrospect, it’s an idea that doesn’t seem that strange. When an Israeli father tried to register his child for his local ultra-Orthodox school this year, he was happy to sign a form saying his children did not watch television or use the internet at home, but he was taken aback when he was asked for a ‘kosher’ cell phone number. As with many groups of very religious people, the use of the internet and the viewing of TV are looked upon as very dubious things. Considering the filth and depravity shown on many western TV shows and the amount of porn that is viewable on the ‘net (voluntary or in-voluntary), it is no surprise that these groups are concerned for their children. So, the idea of a specialized telephone service makes sense. The kosher cell phone looks like an ordinary cell phone; it can make and receive calls, but it cannot send or receive text messages, browse the internet or take photos - all activities that could potentially involve behavior considered ‘immodest’ among Haredis or ultra-orthodox Jews. For example, SMS capability could lead to the unwitting receipt of mass text messages publicizing secular events. It could also be used as a method of illicit communication between male and female teenagers. And all photos of women are forbidden, as is accessing websites with content deemed inappropriate. There is also a rabbinical stamp of approval on the ‘phone, similar to those seen on kosher food items. Last year, an Orthodox rabbi and an Israeli technology executive established an ISP which claims to be the only filtering service provider in Israel that offers customized surfing packages. The company says it cuts out pornography, violence, and gambling, and then provides the user with five levels of further filtering. Maybe this is a trend that could be taken up by other groups that wish to ‘protect’ themselves and their children from the excesses of the modern age.