Rabbi Avinoam Horowitz, principal of the Kiryat Arba Zionist Orthodox public high school, said that the objective of Telephonetto is to create unanimous opposition by Zionist Orthodox teachers to unfiltered smart phones, which cause the "mutilating the students' souls,” referring to the impact uncensored science, history and news he believes can have on teens.
Zionist Orthodox Rabbis Launch Their Own Version Of A “Kosher” Smart Phone
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Israel’s Zionist Orthodox community now has its own version of a “kosher” smart phone, Ynet reports.
Telephonetto was designed by Europhone in conjunction with the rabbis specifically for the use of the community’s teens.
The community has its own Internet filtering service, but unfiltered smart phones allow teens to bypass that service.
Telephonetto reportedly differs from the haredi “kosher” phones in several ways.
Haredi “kosher” phones have no IM capability and lack audio and video capability.
Telephonetto only blocks Internet access and video display, but it has a working audio player, a camera and a memory expansion card.
Rabbi Avinoam Horowitz, principal of the Kiryat Arba Zionist Orthodox public high school, told Ynet that the objective of Telephonetto is to create unanimous opposition by Zionist Orthodox teachers to unfiltered smart phones, which cause the "mutilating the students' souls,” referring to the impact uncensored science, history and news he believes can have on teens.
But the rabbis’ concerns are broader than potential heresy.
"Mobile phones enslave teens and lead to destructive social detachment. They stop playing with their friends; everyone dives into his or her phone,” Horowitz said.
Telephonetto’s creators enlisted the support of rabbis and Zionist Orthodox school principals who have agreed that only Telephonetto mobile phones will be allowed to be used in Zionist Orthodox schools.
But Ynet notes that many Zionist Orthodox teachers and principals are doubtful the Telephonetto will make any real difference. They think that the Telephonetto will only have real impact on school grounds, but will have little impact off those grounds after and before school when teens will have easy access to unfiltered devices, including smart phones.