Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas Features Daf Yomi, Minyanim and More

13
>>Follow Matzav On Whatsapp!<<

las-vegasBen Mewluke of The Five Towns Jewish Times reports: It is known as the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show or CES and it is being held in Las Vegas from January 7th to January 10th. And Orthodox Jewish people have been attending it for as long as Jews have been in the field of electronics.

Years ago, they relied upon the indigenous Orthodox Jewish community to provide the basic essentials of Judaism – kosher food, minyanim, the Daf Yomi shiurim. Now, however, things are a bit different. Nowadays a Glatt kosher caterer accompanies them and sets up meals in one of the hotel conference rooms. There is a Daf Yomi Talmud shiur in the hotel as well, and minyanim too.

CES has certainly grown in both numbers and stature following the demise of Comdex years ago and as the importance of Cebit has waned in recent years. This year, retailers can expect to find many things at the show, from greener more consumer friendly items, the Google phone, to cheaper cut rate prices on numerous new electronic items.

What will outshine the other – web-capable mobile smartphones, or those small Acer sub-notebooks which can be picked up at the local Costco for $299? Experts have been predicting the demise of the netbook, but a Chasidic friend of mine from Israel has said that they are woefully mistaken.

What is funny is that he is probably right. It is interesting how a Yiddish speaking, Chasidic Jew originally from Meah Shearim or Bnei Brak (I forget his exact origin) can master electronic trends far quicker than expert pundits with their college degrees here in the United States.

It is also fascinating to hear an expert that looks like he is from B&H photo in Manhattan talk about Chipzilla and its new lower cost and power processors the Atom and its Core i3 and i5. Then we hear him ask, “So vat do you think AMD is gonna do, nu? Ve‘ll see at the show, maybe?”

Recently, I was just in B&H, and I met a white anglo-saxon salesman there. I couldn’t resist, and asked him if he felt intimidated by not speaking Yiddish or by the fact that his name was just plain “Ralph” and not Shloimi, Yossi, Chaim, or Duvid? He laughed and agreed.

At B&H one of the security people was a Chasidic woman from Williamsburg, not one with the Boro Park look, but the real deal, a real Williamsburg look with the Williamsburg Shaitel – not the stuff the religious Litvak women wear.

Hopefully, the religious Jews attending CES will stay away from the gambling tables – we don’t want them to experience Vegas’s other name – Lost Vages, Nevada – even though it peculiarly sounds Yiddish as well.

{The Five Towns Jewish Times}

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


13 COMMENTS

  1. As per Rav Chaim Epstein Shlita as well as many other Gedolim, there is no Heter for a Frum Jew to go to Las Vegas for these “shows”, and the Ribono Shel Olam who gives each Yid Parnassah, does not expect this “Hishtadlus” which is againstthe Torah.

    Having minyanim and shiurim there just makes it a bigger Chilul Hashem.

  2. Oy Vey — I believe R’ Chaim Epstein also assur’d going on the internet and specificly all the “chareidi” websites..

    So…..

  3. This 5TJT article is fully loaded with inaccuracies.

    “At B&H one of the security people was a Chasidic woman from Williamsburg, not one with the Boro Park look, but the real deal, a real Williamsburg look with the Williamsburg Shaitel – not the stuff the religious Litvak women wear.”

    INCORRECT. I work there, and B&H does NOT have any “Chasidic woman from Williamsburg” as “one of the security people.”

  4. At B&H one of the security people was a Chasidic woman from Williamsburg, not one with the Boro Park look, but the real deal, a real Williamsburg look with the Williamsburg Shaitel – not the stuff the religious Litvak women wear.

    HOW CAN THEY WRITE SO LOW N’ UGLY?

  5. Teimini – No, but you best not give mussar to others, especially if your failings are open for the world to see – it kinda rings hollow.

    “People in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones (or bathe in the daytime!)”

  6. Let them not Kasher Vegas. You should be embarassed. A plumber should not bring his Daf Yomi shiur into a cesspool this is a spiritual cesspool or worse.

  7. “Recently, I was just in B&H, and I met a white anglo-saxon salesman there. I couldn’t resist, and asked him if he felt intimidated by not speaking Yiddish or by the fact that his name was just plain “Ralph” and not Shloimi, Yossi, Chaim, or Duvid? He laughed and agreed.”

    Funny how experiences and perspectives vary. I’ve been at B&H for 15 years. I spoke about 6 words of Yiddish when I joined and speak about twice that now. It’s a collegial atmosphere and as long as a non-Yiddish speaker is willing to bring a group discussion back to English if someone gets excited, it’s a great place to work.

    Henry Posner
    B&H Photo-Video

Leave a Reply to Normal Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here