Shamash: The Jewish Internet Consortium

Shamash (Hebrew for "servant") was "the" Jewish site from 1992-1998 and home to many email lists. Web hosting wasn't easily found then, so Shamash, itself hosted on a New York State research consortium's computer, made space available on a cost-sharing basis to many Jewish organizations. Example, it was host to the site of the Union for Reform Judaism, which, in turn, hosted its own affiliates. Ten years ago a congregation that today is www.myshul.org might have been www.shamash.org/rj/ny12

Judaism and Jewish Resources

Started in 1993 and still being maintained, Andrew Tannenbaum's list is perhaps the internet's oldest Jewish link list. The original 1993 page is still online. The page was designed in a time when connections were dial-up and modems only 2400 bits/second, so images were rarely used. In the days before search engines, such link lists were important ways to find websites. This list is still on Shamash (see above).
 

COJS aims to make accessible the riches of the Jewish past through the utilization of the internet. It is a leader in the digitization of Jewish history. Their website is dazzling. Worth a visit to see websites on the Jewish past, each one created with good graphics and solid scholarship. You may ask (as we do) why text is often in text-only pages,  separate from images and separate from videos.

Like their magnificent structure on Fifth Avenue and East 65th Street in New York, their website is deep and beautiful throughout. The virtual tour of the building is impressive. But to us the most remarkable aspect of the site is its attention to history, with a well illustrated timeline. While only highlights of their Museum of Judaica are shown, each image has an extensive explanation. Last, while most websites are created by many professionals, staff and volunteers, too often the only credit shown is the web developer. This site's Acknowledgements page does it right.