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Reference : Feature Article

BEAM ME UP! September-26-2001

URSULA WAYNE For thousands of years, the question, "Do you accept the Torah?" has meant just that - do you believe in the Torah? Now, thanks to high tech advances, this same question has taken on an another meaning - one that is far more practical than religious/ philosophical. Utilizing free software from Pilotyid.com, a site aimed toward "the Jewish Piloteer," Palm OS users can now literally send each other the Torah. Rabbi Elliot Baskin of Congregation Beth Evergreen explained, "The beaming function of the Palm Pilot is really amazing. You can send the whole Torah. After you beam it to them, it asks, "Do you accept the Torah?" To get it, they have to say, "Yes." I love that!" Baskin, a Palm enthusiast for years, has found that the programs in the Pilotyid "Tzedakahware" program (where users are encouraged to download for free and then give tzedakah) have transformed his life. "Yesterday, I even did the Viddui on my Palm," he said. The site, started by Ari Engel when he was a Computer Science student at Yeshiva University in 1998, also includes kosher restaurant listings, the Hebrew calendar, local synagogue lists, holidays, virtual dredle and an Omer program. The site’s "Avant Go" feature allows users to download copies of international newspapers. "It lets you read everything from Ha’Aretz to the New York Times," Baskin stated. "All of my Rabbi friends use it," Baskin enthused, "We were just at the CAJE conference and we were all beaming each other different programs. It was great!" With all of his Palm programs backed up on his PC and laptop, Baskin never worries about accessing important information. "It makes you so much more efficient. It’s transformed my life as a rabbi, enabling me to be a cyberrebbe," he said. These days, even Baskin’s kids are getting into the act. With Jewish games and programs for kids, Baskin’s six and a half year old son Jonah loves playing with his dad’s "toy" as much as he does. "It’s fun!" he said, proving that you don’t have to be a Rabbi - or even an adult - to enjoy being a Jewish Piloteer. **Anyone can download the Jewish calendar, Psalms, Jewish games and more... GO CHECK IT OUT! ** For Palm and Visor users:

For Pocket PC users:

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