Thursday, September 29, 2011
Last updated: Thursday September 29, 2011, 8:21 AM
BY TANYA DROBNESS
OF THE MONTCLAIR TIMES
The Montclair Times
NorthJersey.com
It’s not just for people who are deaf or have some type of hearing loss. Open captioning is for everyone.
For the fourth year, Bnai Keshet Reconstructionist Synagogue is offering open captioning, or Communication Access Realtime Translation [CART], during High Holy Day services, which began last night.
Prayers and readings from the service are typed as they are spoken and appear on a large screen visible from practically any spot in the sanctuary.
Associate Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh, one of a small number of deaf men and women ordained as rabbis, said many people, not just those with hearing problems, can benefit from it.
“People who can hear just fine, but might process information better visually, might be reading along when they’re listening, but they’re not deaf or hearing impaired,” Leigh said. “When there is CART, everybody in the room uses it, for one reason or another.”
While it may be a distraction for some, it could be considered a tool for better focusing on prayer, meditation, and reflection, said the synagogue’s rabbi, Elliott Tepperman. “This is an opportunity to rededicate yourself to what you’re most concerned with focusing on,” Tepperman said.
Leigh noted, “Even the people who say it’s a distraction
