When Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt thousands of years ago, he could have never imagined the story being told 140 characters at a time. But when Jews around the world gather for the Passover seder Monday and Tuesday nights, some of those who find it hard to break their Twitter habit won’t have to choose between the two.
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subheadStrong Following/subhead
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Last year, more than 1,500 people followed a Twitter seder, or tweder, from around the world, with updates for each step of the family-oriented ritual, from dipping parsley in salt water to remember the bitter tears of bondage, through the four questions, finding the afikomen (hidden matzah), and the extra cup of wine dedicated to Elijah the prophet.
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It’s all the brainchild of Daniel Berkal, a 31-year-old marketing consultant who started tweeting at his family’s seder at a Chicago hotel last year and was surprised how many responses he got back from people doing the same, adding dimensions to his commentary. This year he expects a substantially larger number to follow him at twitter.com/tweder.
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Strictly observant Jews do not use any electrical devices or cars during Sabbath or holidays, so the tweder isn’t targeting traditionalists. But Berkal is hoping he’ll reach Jews in parts of the world where they can’t find others with whom to celebrate the festive meal. I think this serves a direct need for a community that seems marginalized, Berkal told The New York Jewish Week.
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That hasn’t stopped critics who feel he’s watering down the experience, taking a time-honored tradition into uncharted social-media territory where meaning can only be lost in truncation.
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subheadNot for Purists/subhead
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There has been some significant backlash from those more zealous who are concerned about the usage of technology during the holidays, Berkal told us. He said Passover purists are undoubtedly unimpressed with the tweder.
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Berkal isn’t…