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A Day Without TV

Yesterday was Shabbat.  I did something so wonderfully radical.  No TV.  Well it is not radical for those who keep Shabbat. But for most liberal Jews watching television isn’t seen as a Shabbat violation.  Watching TV is considered entertainment, relaxation.  But I will say I didn’t miss commercials, or the ticker-tape running under the CNN and MSNBC news programs either.

Instead I listened to the flow of water from a fountain. A the quiet of the neighborhood.  I took a walk with my son.

Yes, there is something to this notion of quiet and respite from the noise of television.  And let’s face it, they don’t really have much to say.  Even though it was the 9/11 commemorations-the constant harping and frenzy of Pastor Jones and his threats of Quran burning and holding America hostage with his bigotry is a frenzy none of us needs.

So I chose to turn it all off.  And instead I said a prayer of memorial for the victims of 9/11 and a prayer of thanks for family and friends.  And I relished the quiet of Shabbat.   Now that’s the way to begin the New Year!