The Jewish Ethics of Google Reviews

A generation ago, if you experienced bad service in a restaurant or a dirty hotel room, you told a few friends about your unfortunate experience. It might have influenced their decision about future dining choices or where to stay on vacation, but the impact on those businesses was insignificant. In today’s digital age, the power of the internet allows users to broadcast their displeasure to thousands of people around the world within minutes.

The effects of an online review cannot be underestimated. Whether you’re choosing a venue for your daughter’s wedding, a tour guide for your family vacation or a new orthodontist to put braces on your kids, chances are you’ve consulted online reviews to help guide your decision. These reviews have become an integral part of how we interact with businesses, yet the ethical considerations of leaving a review are often overlooked. As both a rabbi and the owner of a technology company that manages Google reviews, I’ve given much thought to the Jewish ethical perspective on this modern phenomenon.

Donald Sterling Banned for Life from NBA by Commissioner Adam Silver

Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers has been banned for life by new NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The severe punishment was in response to the racist comments Sterling made to his mistress in a recorded conversation obtained by TMZ.com. Of course Commissioner Silver will do whatever he needs to in order to get Sterling to sell the Clippers franchise. In addition to the lifetime ban, Sterling was also fined $2.5 million by the league. (The fine will be donated to organizations dedicated to anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts that will be jointly selected by the NBA and the Players Association.) Sterling was born with the last name Tokowitz, which he changed in the early 1960s. His parents were Jewish immigrants in Chicago who had fled Eastern Europe.

I've been following this story since the release of the audiotape -- both as a fan of NBA basketball and as a Jewish leader. What I've been hearing from Jewish people are two different reactions. One is that we shouldn't focus on the fact that Donald Sterling is Jewish. The second reaction is that the Jewish community should issue a statement against racism of any kind and denouncing Sterling's comments.

I happen to disagree with the first reaction. It most certainly does matter that Sterling is Jewish. You see, we Jewish people believe that we are commanded to be a "Light unto the nations." And just this past Shabbat we read in the Torah portion called Kedoshim that we are a holy nation. That doesn't mean we see ourselves as somehow superior that other people, but rather that we have a responsibility to always strive to be ethical and set a good example. Sterling clearly failed in that regard. To make matters even worse, news came out yesterday that Sterling used Israel as justification for his racist comments. He told his mistress that in Israel "the blacks are just treated like dogs." So, Sterling isn't just giving American Jews a bad name, but also unfairly tarnishing Israel's reputation on race relations.

Jewish Camp for Teen Entrepreneurs Launches in Boulder

You know it's a good idea when parents lament that they wish there was something like this when they were teens. That seems to be the general consensus among adults when they hear about Camp Inc., the new Jewish summer camp in Colorado with a focus on grooming the next successful business entrepreneurs.

Many of today's startup founders grew up attending camp, but they didn't have an opportunity to hone their entrepreneurial skills or learn how to pitch a new business idea to venture capitalists at those overnight summer camps. All that will change this summer as the first cohort of young campers descend on a beautiful camp in Boulder, Colo., prepared to start their journey as entrepreneurs. At the recent Leaders Assembly, the Foundation for Jewish Camp's biennial conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey, three of the leaders of this new venture seemed excited about the promise of such an endeavor.

Camp Inc. seeks to provide 7th through 12th graders with a unique Jewish summer camp experience that will spur creativity and invention through entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal of this camp for budding business leaders is to promote confidence, independence, leadership and philanthropy, all the while encouraging Jewish values in a dynamic Jewish summer camp community.

Camp Inc. gears up for its first summer in search of the next Mark Zuckerberg