Automation and Orthodox Jews
Allison Woodruff from Intel Research Berkeley came to ITP this past friday to give a fascinating talk on observant Jews and home automation. Intel ran a small study with home visits and interviews to see how automation technology helps Jewish people recede from the overwhelming everyday on the Sabbath. I’ve never been a fan of using technology to get away from technology but her case studies were very convincing. Turns out Jewish people, out of necessity, are at the forefront of smart home technology. You hear about Bill Gate’s microwave knowing your preferences but you rarely see those kinds of mechanisms outside of the lab. Allison interview one woman who had been using X10 technology since 1985!
Her subjects had no problem using technology to get away from the distraction of technology. Motion detectors aren’t allowed, that’s work, but setting up automation before the sabbath is allowed. In the same way the sun rose on the sabbath though g-d wasn’t doing any work, so the X10 system turns on the oven.
Before coming into the talk I aligned myself with the knee jerk reaction, that using automation is a way to get around prescribed rituals, but I came away with a new respect for why home automation has a place within religion. It’s not that it’s necessary for these people, the sabbath is what’s necessary. It’s just a nice to have. But what’s more, the lights turning on/off automatically is a reminder of what the sabbath is about. The subjects consistently anthropomorphize the automation systems calling them caretaker, mother, g-d, Mr. Hershel (the guy who installed the system), but it was always an other, a presence to remind them of the holiness of the day.
A whole culture has sprung up around the automation system. When the lights in the dining room would dim, one subject would tell her guests to stay around for five minutes and they would turn back on. She just set it up that way in case she wanted her guests to leave.
