Welcome to the era of technology, where the world has shrunk to the size of our phones and everyone is always ‘connected’.
con ∙ nect – verb
form a relationship or feel an affinity
With the advent of new technology our lives should have become progressively simpler, happier and more connected. But is that what is really happening? Seems that with the myriad gadgets we invent to enable us to stay connected, the more disconnected we become.
We might be attending a stimulating lecture, enjoying a night out with friends, yet our hands are tapping in text.
We might be spending time at the park, watching our toddlers in the playground, but our fingers and our mind are distracted with ‘important’ matters.
We could be sitting in a restaurant, soft music in the background, enjoying dinner with our spouse, yet each of us is glued to our respective phones.
Connected or Disconnected?
Friends have forgotten how to communicate, to share a laugh or a muse. Couples connect through texts and not conversations. Parents spend more quality time with their phones than with their kids. In this technology-immersed and busy zeitgeist what does this mean we need to pause and recalculate. For what was supposed to enhance the quality of our lives has diminished it.
It is time to take a stand. Time to disconnect even if only for one hour.
One hour to disconnect…and reconnect. To focus on those most precious to us, Our Families. Parents. Spouse. Children. Ourselves. And of course, our Creator.
How will spend your “disconnect”? With whom will you choose to reconnect?
Ohr Naava presents a Day to Disconnect. October 2, 2011
A Day to Disconnect is a worldwide movement, spearheaded by Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein of Ohr Naava, which will take place on October 2, 2011. On that day thousands of people will voluntarily unplug their gadgets for some time – an hour, two or even all day. During this time, those who chose to disconnect will take pleasure in cherished relationships be it spouses, children, family, self or Gd.
Our goal is accumulate a total of one million hours. Can you imagine the impact of thousands of people choosing to disconnect their phones for an hour?
Can you visualize the amount of good accomplished during this time? Can you feel the impact of couples taking a walk together basking in nature and fully focused on one another? Can you see the glee in the hearts of the children who share their dreams, hopes and fears with honestly attentive parents? Can you see the intensity of the laugh lines on grandparents’ faces as they passionately share stories of yesteryear uninterrupted by texting? Can you imagine an hour without obsessively checking your cell for messages?
An hour where you feel present in the moment, an hour to close your eyes and be transported by the intricacies in a piece of music, an hour to communicate with our hearts, an hour of peace? Can you visualize the creativity and power that will be unleashed?
The possibilities are truly awesome.
Life is Great. Disconnect and Enjoy.
VIDEO:
How it Works
By signing up you are choosing to make a commitment to disconnect from all technology in an effort to synchronize a meaningful hour or hours with yourself, your friends, your family and/or with G-d.
Simply complete the registration form on the website and you have now joined the revolution. To be an active participant and create an impact on the world, recommend this website to friends and family.
The more hours you commit and get others to commit the greater your ultimate reward. You are restoring relationships, fostering inner peace, closing chasms and offering nature its due.
Upon registering you will receive a follow-up email confirming your inclusion in Day to Disconnect. Keep checking your personal page to see how many of your family and friends signed up as a result of your suggestion. Keep checking in with us to see the tally of hours we accumulated.
Visit DayToDisconnect.com
we need ahavas yisroel so badly – even if they’re {gasp!) litvish, we need to respect them, their values, their ideas. Ashreinu that we’re chasidim – does that mean to knock others? The Rebbe emphasized so many times the faults of Rabbi Akiva’s talmidim, the need for achdus and loving and respecting ALL our fellow Jews. The video started with a positive: how to connect?” Why are some so upset that they suggested adding another 1 measly hour to our “disconnection” form technology. To me that simply hows how addicted we all have become. What do you really feel the… Read more »
As stated in the video, in our society we truly have become ‘slaves’ to technology. I have trouble understanding all the bitter resentment against such a honest, pure idea such as this. The fact that we have shabbos every week is insignificant–we celebrate shabbos because we are told to (by a higher being). This is a chance for us, as individuals, to willingly and freely let go–free ourselves from these modern gadgets that undoubtedly ‘disconnect’ us from what truly matters (family, friends, etc…). We are constantly bombarded by societies modern inventions that we forget to listen to the sound of… Read more »
Let’s connect! Connect to Hashem, our families, klal yisroeland their good ideas.
We can use help in this area. 1 hour for me
if you dont agree i think that u are one of the many ppl who cant stop with technology!! something rlly sad! i would be happy to do it for a week!!
We do it once a week!
Thank G-D for Shaoobs!!!
last year a friend told me i must listen to rabbi wallerstein’s shiurim on torahanytime. i was quickly hooked. those who listen to his shiurim know hardly a week goes by where he doesn’t rail against facebook. finally the message entered my heart that a lubavitch bochur like myself has no business being on facebook. getting off was one of the best things i could do. it’s not the place for a yirei shamayim, let alone a chassid!!! the mingling, pritzus, bittul torah, addictive nature. THANK YOU RABBI WALLERSTEIN!
like #39
It teaches we can spend time with family and talk about plans for the week and things that you can NOT talk about on Shabbas.
We already will have our electronics off for 2 days…isnt that enough? Besides, every shabbos we experience that break…
don’t call me from 7-8pm. just signed up. I love this idea. Please people, watch the video or read the info – it’s not for ever or even a whole day. Just for 1 hour. 1 hour to reflrct on the meaning of tzom gedalia – and to restore the ahavas Yosroel we so desperately need. I hope to spen the hour after the tanis really communicating with my children. #30, I’m sure that for 1 hour your son will be ok with not texting you! Pick an hour whn he’s asleep if you have to. Spend the time writing… Read more »
As i understand, the whole point is that the minute we are “allowed” to use our tech we lose sight of why we weren’t supposed to use it for 25 hours. It isnt about “i did the family thing completely on shabbos but now when and how i can.” Create awareness w one hour and truly resist temptation. Yes, a chassid goes lifnim meshuras hadin!
I agree and deeply upset about the title. Why did it have to be worded like?
shabbos is a day to disconnect. no need for another day
What would poses you to start the article ” a litvish led…”. What good did you think would come of it. Did any of my fellow posters bother to look into what Ohr Naava and Rabbi Wallerstein are about. Well I did. No one ever gets labeled at Ohr Naava. All are welcome regardless of where they live or what their affiliation is. Did anybody bother to find out that Rabbi Wallerstein has a high school where many of our own crown heights girls have gone and continue to go. Did the parents of these girls also start their conversation… Read more »
They say: Disconnect (from technology) = Sur Mera.
We say: Connect (To Hashem) = Aseh Tov.
that this applies to the majority of us. yes many connect with the children by phone bec. they are all out of town yet we don’t give enuf attention to the children around us etc
great great idea!
Nu…did it work? Was the couple blessed with a child???
technology is important but this is a great awareness initiative- so often we dont need to be connected to our technology- but we are addicted- be aware and make our spouse and children the priority- lets really be there- 100%
i really do
I was walking on Kingston today, and see a 3yo child sitting on a ride outside of a pizza store. The child is crying saying “mommy take me off of this ride!” The mother doesn’t hear the child in distress, she’s on her cell phone. We need an intervention. Thank you for the insight of this program.
I will discon for 3 hours and use that time to go out with my wife.
I cant seem to comprehend why anyone looks at this negatively. Firstly, the comment “isn’t this shabbos?” is completely inappropriate. The idea is not to turn your phone off because it entails Torah and Rabbinic issurim. The idea is to turn off your phone on a day when it’s NOT required and to spend valuable time connecting with others and your self on a deeper and less superficial way. Second, the idea that this is an un-chassidish approach is totally wrong. The chassidish mentality of going beyond the letter of the law, also known as lifnim mishuras hadin, that defines… Read more »
i do it very week
on shabbos
need more?
Sorry Shabbos is NOT ENOUGH! Its time we look at the pple we r talking to instead of down at our phones. Pay FULL attention to our children, spouses or friends! LOVE THIS IDEA! we should do it MORE often!!!! Thanx to whoever decided to do it!!!!
i hope collive is not disconnecting then ild really feel disconnected!!!
I agree that the word Litvish made some people automatically look unfavorably to the campaign. Watch the video, prominently featuring a chassidishe Yid, Mordechai ben David. Yes, it also features a litvishe rosh yeshiva. So what? As chassidim, it’s really ok for us to appreciate litvishe roshei yeshiva. The Rebbe showed respect to all, especially manihigim and talmidei chachamim from other circles. We can learn from everyone. Speaking personally, I check my phone and email way too often and think this is a much needed campaign. I don’t think I’m the only one. As much as we are to elevate… Read more »
This is a woderful idea. The Rashab explains the root of knocking on a good idea. Read Haichaltzu
the point is to disconect to conect but if your conected then the technolgy is not a disconection so instead of saying disconect just stay connected or conecet
No COL for a day!!
isn’t that part of what Shabbos is for? To disconnect from your computers and phones and spend time with family
i think because someone said a campaign led by litvish some readers automatically disagree
i dont riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggggggg one second back to what i was saying i am not adictid one second i got a text shloimy get of the wii you see i am not adictid
The Rebbe said that we should pick at least one hour where’Toraso Umninoso. NO PHONE CALLS NO INTEREPUTIONS etc. So is this idea oisgehalten?
To our Rebbe: Absoloutley!!
I can pull up a Torah shuir on my phone or computer, which I do. I have Shabbos and Yom Tov to completely disconnect. Same thing when I go to minyan, unless I’m using my phone as a siddur.
Everything they say is true.
Please don’t convince yourselves that because we’re Chabad we always need our technology to uplift the world.
I’m pretty sure that part of being a good Lubavitcher is about spending time with family, and showing the people you love that you appreciate them e.t.c.
Just because it’s someone else’s idea doesn’t mean it’s not a good one…
c’mon…there are so many more important issues the frum community needs to deal with before we tackle something as relatively unimportant as this.
It is not grammatically correct to write: “who will you spend it with”, it’s WHOM!!!
🙂 ah had to do that
Not a bad idea at all, however #30 has some valid points. As usual there needs to be balance and respect for what others are going through. I do take exception to the sub-headline. How about this? “Lubavitchers organize an hour of prayer and reflection to bring Moshiach? Will Litvaks Join?” What nonsense. We are all a family, true, but not a family of lemmings. We are all INDIVIDUALS and BAALEI BECHIRAH. Really, we would promote more achdus if we stopped pigeon-holing people into “convenient” categories and recognized every Jew for what he/she is – an OLOM MOLEI. As far… Read more »
Why dont they promote disconection together with chabads one shabbos campaign.
Enough said.
wao! after reading how everybody is so busy wuth ther phones and texting im starting to feel that people dont like me, why is it that you get so many buzzs
We do this every shabbos? I hope the litvash do as well, Rest from ….. and spend time with family and torah?
It may be a good idea but with all due respect, first of all, we have Shabbos and Yom Tov to disconnect and spend all the day (and sometimes more when a Yom Tov begin on thursday night, for instance) with our family. Second, G-d told us to work and be involved in the world for six days. It’s a Mitzvah, not an option! Third, there is a HUGE difference of lifestyle between a Litvak and a Lubavitcher. Lubavitchers tend to live far from each other. Many go in shlichus and many of our children are in yeshivos abroad. The… Read more »
…but couldn’t they find a better day than a fast day? Have you ever tried having meaningful things done on a day like that? Bad timing.
pretty confident the rebbe would’ve appreciated this movement and also pretty confident he be very bothered by the lack of ahavas yisrael and mentchlichkeit
And what Shabbos and Yom Tov? Is it not enough?
I am appalled at the lack of respect for Yidden of a hashkofa that differs from Chabad.It’s not THEM and US. It’s WE ARE A FAMILY…
unfortunately many families have meals that are over in no time on shabbos. Abi yotzeh and then evby is busy with their own. hallevai we shld have a campaign like that. For now, i will take an hour and try to use it to enjoy myself. no family, no kids nothing. Gonna spend time with myself . a treat
Ahavas yisroel and respecting other people’s opinions.
Great concepts. Yet one can still disagree, even vehemently, though respectfully.
I, too, think this is a terrible waste of energy. Every Shabbos we ALL disconnect our electronics. Rabbi Wallerstein could make a compaign to designate one Shabbos: ‘connect with your family day’. That would give people a taste of a REAL Shabbos of holiness and serenity.
@20 haven’t you seen couples out and both on the phone? how about when doing hmwk with your son and you’re only half there bec your texting? Guilty. Giving us awareness is smtg to be thankful for not to mock.
@22. Baruch Hashem for comments like yours
i think its a great idea and if you dont think its a good idea then at least some ahavas yisroel and respect other peoples opinions
#19 Yup MBD in there
Why only one day, we do this at least once a week!
Is that MBD inthe video???
what if your only way to reach your family is via phone or internet???
Don’t we have day every week where we disconnect? Oh wait don’t tell me, I think its called Shabbos! How original? But, will people connect (to their love ones) during the week, even if it isn’t shabbos? That’s a harder thing to deal with, and is something every family needs to work on! So do I agree with this? 50%… the message could have been alot better… but I give them a pat on the back for trying!
the other day i left to work (an hour drive) and 5 minutes in realized that i left my cell at home. 30 minutes into the ride i felt such a strong absence of my phone – no buzzing at all. it froced me to spend time with just me, myself and i… just saw thsi link to video and keep thinking that taking an hour off might not be such a bad idea.
i think we should join in and look for bugs in our water while eating carvel ice cream
first the have mivtza bugs whats their next mivtza
as a shliach having connections with yidden from all backgrounds, I once got a call from someone in the community affiliated with the litvish community and was trying to get ppl to commit to a daily 2hr block of time not to speak lashon hara for an entire week and in this merit a particular couple should be blessed with a child. So i asked what block is still available? And he answers….6-8pm…dinnertime…all the other blocks were taken…go figure….(oh, and i gladly commited!)
shabbos is almost a given (unfortunately, not to everyone)… but still.. then we HAVE to… but it’s so true – u cant walk downt he street anymore and not see people BUMPING into walls, waiting at green lights, have the cashier WAIT for them, we’re all just SO busy. shabbos is shabbos —- why does that mean that the REST of the week pple are breaking their FINGERS talking to eachother. its crazy
The Litvaks did NOT say get to disconnect all day. They said choose an hour to do something meaningful and they want to do it all on one day. They never said don’t use technology. Would be ironic since they are using technology to make their point.
Shabbos is a given but that’s not the point either. This is taking an hour from when we are SUPER BUSY and making a point that we know quality even when we are busy. My husband and I signed up already. Kids are thrilled. Yechi
Jews shouldn’t just come together for tragedies we should also join for good things and wether people agree with it or not there is a positive outcome..
The idea itself is not a bad one. Certainly many of us could benefit by being a bit less absorbed in our gadgets. But our hashkafa has always been to deal with this by making a good cheshbon and finding a better balance in our lives, not by symbolically “throwing it away” for an hour, a day or a week. Our job is to elevate klipas nogah, not to view it as evil incarnate and run from it. Nevertheless, people could be spending their time with worse things, and there are probably many (perhaps myself included) who could use some… Read more »
Come on! As if y’all don’t know it is needed. If they’d say to get rid of the bb, iphones bb etc then i’d say go get a life but this is just to get us to clue in a bit. Am guilty. Made me think about sitting at my kids play and texting nonstop. An hour. I am in.
I think what they are doing is a very nice thing and just b/c people feel it doesn’t apply to them doesn’t mean this is something that deserves to be put down.
However, most of us do this already on a weekly basis, that why “the whole world waiting, to sing this song on shabbos”.
Nevertheless, there ate people who are addicted to social media etc, to those people I would say go for therapy, there are many programs out there, I encourage you go, now leave us out of it!
This is not BANNING technology.
This is about taking at least one hour of your time to connect to your families, g-d or yourself.
Shabbas is a given that you have time to do that,
But if you honestly think that during the week we are not addicted to our phones and that we spend enough time with the kids etc…. your living a dream.
Again… this is not ANTI TECHNOLOGY
JUST LIVE LIFE
I agree. Don’t we do that every Shabbos and yom tov? Seriously, most of us need this for our livelihood and some to connect to friends and family they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
I totally disagree. This may be true for some or even many people,but just because those who spend more time on their gadgets then with their wife and kids are feeling this way doesn’t make it everyone else’s problem.
I disconnect every Shabbos and spend time with family. I think these people have too much time on their hands. When I am busy with work or home life I don’t have time for this stuff. Do I enjoy social media, you bet. It’s a side activity, not my life. I suggest they get lives as well.
Depends what you use it for.
Furthermore, we have a day to disconnect every week. Its called Shabbos.