Monday, August 03, 2020
Bagels.tv offers Jewish family-friendly alternative to YouTube
Move over YouTube, the Jewish world now has its own treasure-trove of kosher video content - and it has a suitably Jewish name: Bagels.tv.
From in-depth conversations on philosophy and theology with leading Rabbis, to documentaries, music videos, and nostalgia, the site features thousands of hours worth of Jewish video content, and all of it is family friendly. There's even a 'Frum' section for the more religiously-minded.
The site is the brain-child of founder Zev Stub, a veteran of the Jewish online world, who had the idea for the site while searching for something for his children to watch online.
"I didn't create Bagels because of idealism, but because of a practical need," he said. "I looked around everywhere, but I couldn't find the kind of environment where I want my kids watching videos. Like many parents, I have accepted that my kids' favorite thing in the world is vegging out with YouTube, but I don't like the yucky stuff they keep finding there."
Because the site is carefully curated to only offer videos suitable for families, parents can leave their children to watch it unsupervised without worrying what content their children might find on the site.
And it's not just parents who can benefit. With the world seemingly becoming increasingly polarized and problematic, more people are choosing to turn off traditional news and social media sites in favor of more uplifting content. Again, this is where Bagels.tv comes in: the site aims to provide positive, inspirational and fun content to while away down-time, helping people to stay grounded and share videos with their friends that will allow them to connect.
The site is consequently politics-free, focusing instead on offering a place where all Jews, from the Ultra-Orthodox to the secular and everything in between, can find great Jewish material to keep up to date with the latest Jewish videos to enjoy with friends and family, and to reconnect with their heritage.
Why the name Bagels? "I was about to go for Cholent.tv, but that name felt too hot and heavy," Stub says with a smile. "I wanted to make sure the site remains clearly Jewish, but without forcing any elements of religion. Bagels are light, fun treats that you eat at a simcha, like a Brit Mila or a Bar Mitzva - Jew-ish but without any expectations."
That being said, Stub, who lives in Jerusalem and considers himself Modern-Orthodox, wanted to make sure that the site would offer plenty of religious and Haredi-friendly content. "There is plenty about Jewish history, traditions, bible, and religious topics," Stub said. "It was important to me that the videos on this site are all "Kosher-Style." To me, that means it is clean and family-friendly, and that Haredim should feel comfortable using this site."
Stub has worked hard to ensure that all Jews feel they can use the site without fear of stumbling across inappropriate content, including the very religious.
"Modesty is a very important Jewish trait, and one of our guiding values on this site" he said. "It is true that my standards of what is or isn't appropriate is less strict than what is expected in some ultra-Orthodox circles, but I hope that I'll be able to earn your trust to allow your family to watch Bagels videos. In any case, one of our menu options, Frum, includes only videos that I think are completely appropriate for the Haredi community."
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