Tech Watch | InfoWorld Staff » Days of Awe 2.0

September 29, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Days of Awe 2.0

TAGS: Web 2.0

These are weighty days for those of us who are Jews. In fact, the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are Yamim Noraim -- the Days of Awe, a time when Jews the world over reflect on their lives and their actions, fast, ask forgiveness of those we've sinned against and pray like crazy that G-d inscribes our names in the book of life.

But, let's face it, all that fasting and reflecting can be pretty isolating, so what better time to launch a social networking site just for Jews? That's the idea behind Koolanoo.com

Basically, this is another take on sites like Myspace, LinkedIn or Facebook. You can set up a profile with pictures, likes, dislikes, link to friends, etc. - but all with a distinctly jewish flair. The discussion groups sport thread like: "Skype in Hebrew," "The Top 10 Most Influential Jews are," "Would you marry for money?" and how to become a "Koolanoo Celebrity."

But, as this viral video ad for the new service suggests, the main draw for Koolanoo may be a bit more *ahem* earthly in nature, and lurk somewhere behind the "dating" and "hookups" tabs.

Still, dates and hookups are easier said than done. This is a pretty international crowd. With members scattered across from the globe from Israel, the U.S., and Hong Kong to the EU, "hooking up" Koolanoo style may involve a 6 to 15 hour flight. But, heck, with around 160 nobel prize winners and actors including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alicia Silverstone, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson, Zac Efron, Evan Rachel Wood and Sara Paxton in "the tribe," it's probably worth it! ;-)

Posted by Paul Roberts on September 29, 2006 01:22 PM

RATE THIS ARTICLE: