70 | DECEMBER 12 • 2024 J
N

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at thejewishnews.com

Life in Cyberspace
N

ow we know the holiday season has really begun! A week ago,
Monday, Dec. 2, was “Cyber Monday,” a day of (allegedly) good
deals. This was on the eve of another marketing holiday: “Giving
Tuesday.”
On Cyber Monday, one could get deals ranging from Delta Airlines
vacations (except for flights to Israel) to tickets for Detroit
Red Wings games. All the savings were great … I think.
My inbox that day was not only full of offers for great
spending opportunities, it was also loaded with teasers for
“Giving Tuesday.” Since 2012, with the rise of social media
and the internet, this day has been devoted to encouraging
donations to charitable causes and communal organizations,
from the Jewish Federation of Detroit to JARC to the Detroit
Rescue Mission. All of one’s donations or purchases can be
made online, within the cyber world.
I began to wonder about “cyber” in the JN. Using the search term “cyber”
raised 664 pages in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit
History and some very interesting articles.
Initially, one use of “Cyber” in the JN stood out. From 1999-2003, we
published a column called “Cyber Spot.” Each week, this column discussed
online resources. In the July 7, 2000, issue, for example, the topic was
“Hebrew Books” that could be found on the internet. On Oct. 3, 2003, Cyber
Spot was about sukkah building plans online.
Although “Cyber Spot” faded away in 2003, cyber articles did not. For
example, see “Cyber War” (April 16, 2004, JN), which is about Israel’s use of
the cyber world as a tool to fight crime.
“Cyber Superpower” in the June 27, 2013, JN spoke to Israel’s prowess with
the digital skills necessary to develop equipment and conduct intelligence
operations vital to its defense in wars of the future. Think of the Iron Dome
missile defense system or Unit 8200 of the IDF’s Intelligence Corps. When
considering Israel’s current wars with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, this article is
indeed prescient.
Long before COVID and the proliferation of Zoom meetings and other programs for holding remote synagogue
services, there were cyber services. The JN published an editorial, “Prayer, Cyber Style,” on Sept. 16, 2010.
Unfortunately, there is also a huge downside to the cyber world. The headline for JN’s editorial on Nov. 10, 2016, says it all: “Beware of Cyber
Thieves.” To say nothing of the hate and antisemitism spewed online.
Perhaps the most interesting article was published 30 years ago. “Lost & Found in Cyberspace” was a feature piece in the August 5, 1994, JN. It
presented two sides of the cyber world that are still hotly discussed today: the Pro — “Computer Networks Enhance Community,” and the Con —
“Computer Networks Empower Hate.”
One can easily substitute “social media” or the “internet” for “computer networks” and the article still makes sense in 2024. It declares
“Welcome to cyber space, the global web of computer networks that is providing a mixed blessing for the Jewish community.” Moreover, while
cyber space serves an “astonishing range of community needs,” it also gives a “new outlet to every variety of antisemitism known to man.” After
30 years, this assessment is still valid.
Whether buying goods on Cyber Monday, donating on “Giving Tuesday” or posting photos online or fighting hate, we are deeply enmeshed in
the cyberworld.

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Long before COVID and the proliferation of Zoom meetings and other programs for holding remote synagogue

Using the search term “cyber”

Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair

considering Israel’s current wars with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, this article is