%0 Book Section %B Digital Judaism: Jewish Negotiations with Digital Media and Technology %D 2015 %T Sanctifying the Internet: Aish’s Use of the Internet for Digital Outreach %A Campbell, H %A Bellar, W %K digital outreach %K internet %X The internet is increasingly used by different Jewish groups as a tool of outreach, especially for religious organizations committed to calling secular Jews back into a religious lifestyle. One example of using the internet to connect, educate and encourage Jews is the work of Aish.com, the digital presence of Aish HaTorah. Due to its Orthodox outlook, it functions under a set of self-imposed rules in its web work to monitor and make sure the content and images that appear on the site support its conservative values and beliefs. While it seeks to be innovative in the types of information and forums it provides (from video podcasts and blogs to online seminars and courses), it insists its work is not a whole-scale endorsement of the internet for all religious Jews. Rather, the internet is presented as a necessary tool to be used in outreach to secular Jews. Aish.com allows Aish HaTorah the means to meet and influence secular Jews wherever they are. By using the internet within a bounded approach and by carefully monitoring web content, those working for the site avoid problematic images and topics as it seeks to sanctify the internet through bringing Torah and a Torah-based lifestyle into the digital realm %B Digital Judaism: Jewish Negotiations with Digital Media and Technology %I Routledge %C New York %P 74-90 %G eng %U https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781317817345/chapters/10.4324%2F9781315818597-9 %1 H. Campbell