Pardes News
Newly Launched 3-D World "Second Life" Virtual Israel Created by Pardes Institute Student Chaim Landau
Jerusalem, Israel – February 4, 2008 – Chaim Landau, creator of SLIsrael in Second Life, an Internet-based 3-D virtual world with over 12 million members, grew up in an observant family in Elizabeth, NJ and attended the local yeshiva day school there. He grew up using sign language in addition to speaking, because both his parents are deaf. "I learned the importance of patience when communicating, especially from observing those hearing people who would make an effort to converse with my parents even though it took more time and concentration as opposed to those who couldn't be bothered." His parents imbued Chaim with a love for Israel and caring for every Jew.
Following high school, Chaim spent a year in Israel studying at Yeshivat Sha'alvim, and then enrolled at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, where he majored in Political Science and Media studies. He took a break from his studies for a year to enlist and serve in the army as a tank driver. "My fellow soldiers invariably asked me why in the world I came to Israel and enlisted in the army (this being asked in the tone of ‘are you crazy!'). After fumbling around for a quick answer oftentimes the next question I would be asked is why all American Jews don't make Aliyah to Israel. I always found the questions very ironic – they're totally contradictory and speak of the Israeli confusion over Diaspora Jewry and its relationship with Israel."
"The computer is critical to me for communicating with my parents, because we can't speak by phone. When I was serving in Gaza during the height of the intifada in 2002, I would walk to the nearby Jewish community and knock on doors until I found someone with Internet access so that I could send my parents an email and let them know that I was OK. I told them that at least I'm not in the West Bank, where the fighting was much worse."
After earning his BA at Bar Ilan, Chaim spent a year at the London School of Economics earning a Masters Degree in International Relations. "I got to meet a very international crowd and see how they viewed the situation in the Middle East from many different angles, some of which were quite troubling. Overall, it was a very engaging and opening experience." Chaim was then selected for a Legacy Heritage Fellowship, a fellowship which cultivates young people committed to serving as leaders and articulate proponents of Middle East peace. He was sent to Brussels to work with the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) which operates on a pan-European basis to serve the needs of, and represent, young Jews from across the continent.
"Working in Europe, I learned that if you want young Jews to be engaged and come back to your events, and remain connected to the Jewish community, then first and foremost you have to make sure that they have a positive, fun experience. That's really an absolute necessity. During my time in London and Brussels, when I met young Jews from all different backgrounds, many of whom never had the opportunity to study Judaism in depth, I really came to appreciate the Jewish educational background that I was given, which I previously took for granted."
During his time at EUJS Chaim came to see what a pluralist and open Jewish organization could accomplish and he began to wish for an institute where he would be able to study Judaism in a similar environment.
While planning to return to Israel, Chaim first heard about Pardes from another Legacy Heritage Fellow, Anna Melman (Pardes Year Program 04-05, Fellow 05-06).
"I felt that this may be my last opportunity to study Torah full time until I retire – it was basically a now or never moment. I wanted a place that was intensive and serious, where I would be able to study in a post-college environment that would reflect the values that I had come to cherish in terms of having an open approach that welcomed critical thinking; an institution that didn't just have a pluralistic student body, but one that embodied pluralist values as well. A place where people were not told what to think or how to behave, but were given the knowledge to make informed choices regarding their Judaism."
"At first, studying Talmud full-time was scary, since I was a bit rusty, but I'm amazed at how much I have retained, and I'm very excited about how much I've been able to develop my skills. Talmud study has traditionally been at the heart of the yeshiva experience. I try to diversify a bit, I study Tanach (Bible) on my own time, I take courses in Halakha (Jewish Law), Talmudic Personalities and Jewish Philosophy. I found the multiple Minyan arrangement at Pardes very interesting – at Pardes people can choose from an egalitarian or a Mechitza Minyan, thereby letting people choose the type of Minyan they believe in, all under one roof."
The Second Life Israel that Chaim developed was launched on January 13, 2008. "I was looking for places to promote Israel that were outside the box and didn't center on the Arab-Israeli conflict. When I first read about Second Life, it quickly dawned on me that this had the potential to reach a worldwide audience. After signing up, I met (‘virtually' only) Beth Brown of Texas, who established the Jewish community – she's been called the matriarch of the Second Life Jewish community, and she did the graphics and building for SL Israel. I wanted to reach out to a global audience, so we built an Israel that's a fun and entertaining place to visit. Aside from the holy sites of the three major religions, there's also the Bahai Gardens, Eilat underwater observatory, the Dead Sea, Machane Yehuda open air market, and the Tel Aviv promenade. So far the traffic on SL Israel has been quite high, and the feedback very positive.
Chaim is looking forward to his own career development in the field of Jewish leadership along with further developments and progress in Second Life Israel.
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Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies The independent Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies immerses its students in the study of classic Jewish texts. Men and women of diverse backgrounds learn together in a rigorous, challenging, and open-minded environment. This learning experience nurtures a deep and personal connection to Jewish heritage, a love for the Jewish people and Israel, and a commitment to becoming leaders in the Jewish community. Founded in 1972, Pardes offers Year, Summer, Executive, Advanced and Educator learning programs for university students and graduates.