Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” How can we relate to those historical figures who hold a place in our Jewish life, having been braver for five minutes longer? Are they a tool to be used by our teachers, or reminders of our own ability reach farther, do more, and make a real difference in the world? We turn to three young rabbis from different streams of Judaism for their thoughts. 

Imagine there's no computer screen to see. The reason you can't see the screen? You have no access to a computer – not in your house, not in your school, not in the local library.

Podcasts, and the Internet in general, provide people with the ability to learn without going to a physical space or meeting people, to pick and choose amongst different movements and modes of thought, and to remain anonymous. In order to learn, in other words, a Jew doesn’t need to belong to a community. This mode of thinking, which one could argue has arisen as a result of our living in a post-industrialist, on-the-go, individualistic society, stands in marked contrast to traditional Jewish learning, which emphasizes human interaction and community.