30 May PLATFORMING, ECHO CHAMBERS AND SILOS: THE DEBATE OVER CNN’S TOWN HALL

A couple of weeks ago

CNN hoste a prime-
time town hall featuring

former President
Donald Trump. The
conversation lasted
seventy minutes and
garnered very strong reactions from both
supporters and critics alike.
One critic of CNN wrote, “Platforming
Trump was irresponsible given the lies he
was always likely to spew at the town hall.”
A supporter shared, “CNN performed a
valuable journalistic service this week by
hosting a spirited town hall with Donald
Trump. Like it or not, Mr. Trump is one of
the two people who are most likely to win
the presidency next year.”
Anderson Cooper defended his network,
saying, “The man you were so disturbed to
see last night, that man is the front-runner
for the Republican nomination for president.
You have every right to be outraged today,
angry and never watch this network again,
but do you think staying in your silo and
only listening to people you agree with is
going to make that person go away?”
Whatever you think of Trump and the

moderator, this debate about the town hall
raises an important question, not only about
CNN, but about each one of us. Are we
stuck in our silos and echo chambers, only
exposing ourselves to those we agree with
and only platforming people who match our
mentality and perspective? If, on the other
hand, we do allow ourselves to listen and
learn from diverse sources, where do we
draw the line? What behaviors and beliefs
are so out of bounds that we must not
provide a platform or pay attention?
New research from UC Berkeley shows a
startling number of Americans exist in
“partisan echo chambers,” where they only
consume news that reinforces their existing
political and social biases. David E.
Broockman, one of the study’s authors,
describes the concept of selective exposure
and suggests that many people choose to
isolate themselves in a bubble because that
constantly reinforces their views, in effect
providing a defense against a complex,
unstable world.
Clearly there are people and ideas that are
out of bounds, beyond the line. While we
may disagree on where to draw that line and
whom to exclude, we can likely agree that

there is a large, beautiful, Jewish and Torah
world made up of people and perspectives
that differ from our own but are certainly
legitimate. The question is, how often do
we read, listen to, or engage those with
whom we may not agree or agree entirely?
Do we listen to opinions or conclusions we
don’t fully identify with but that can help
broaden our thinking and ultimately solidify
our own?
This week, I spoke to seniors at a local
high school about Jewish communal life
and leadership and finding your mission in
this world. Almost all of them are going to
seminary next year in Israel and I challenged
them: Each of you will likely have
somewhere comfortable and convenient to
go for Shabbos: maybe a sibling, or aunt or
uncle or grandparents or close family
friend. They will have American-style beds
and a shower, delicious and plentiful food,
and a Shabbos table that feels familiar. Go
to them, enjoy, spend time with family. But
don’t go there exclusively and don’t even
go there mostly. Use your year or years in
Israel to explore the beautiful tapestry of
Klal Yisroel. Spend Shabbos in Geulah and
the Gush, in Ramat Eshkol and Ranana, in
Bnei Brak and the Carlebach Moshav.
Meet Jews who dress differently, think
differently, and serve Hashem
differently. See the splendor and
richness of Hashem’s children, decide
what you will embrace and incorporate
from each and identify what doesn’t
speak to you and why.
I told them that no matter what
seminary you attend, you will have
rebbeim and teachers who will speak
right to your neshama, who will inspire
you, and what they say and how they
live will resonate deeply. But you will
inevitably also be exposed to someone
who will say something that rubs you
the wrong way, that upsets you or turns
you off, that doesn’t sit well with you,
or won’t be consistent with how you
were raised or how you want to raise
your family. Don’t be upset, don’t
conclude you are in the wrong seminary
or you are in the wrong class. Ask
yourself, why are you upset, what is the
core of your frustration? How can
understanding what you disagree with
help you understand more about you
and what you believe in?
The truth is, the message I shared with
these young students is relevant to all of
us. Not only can we travel to different
communities and expose ourselves to
different experiences and ideas, but
thanks to technology we can journey

without going anywhere at all. Whether in
Hashkafa or l’havdil politics, don’t only
listen and read people you agree with and
who feel safe and secure. Challenge
yourself to expand your mind, your thinking
and your perspective.
Someone I admire greatly, a big Talmid
Chacham who is a broad thinker, once put it
to me this way. We each have a home
address and place we live most comfortably.
But isn’t our life enhanced if we have a
passport and travel, if we explore and see
the bigger world. We likely want to go
back home, but perhaps we bring a souvenir
or a tradition back with us. We need
spiritual passports. While we should have a
spiritual home address that anchors us, we
should want to get our spiritual passport
stamped by visiting other destinations.
Of course, we need more intense “selective
exposure” when it comes to ideas, images
and ideals that are foreign or hostile to our
timeless Torah but perhaps we could all
benefit from more exposure to the range of
beauty in the Torah world.
Our practice of taking three steps
backward at the conclusion of the Amidah
comes from a Gemara in Yoma (53) which
states, “Hamispaleil tzarich she’yafsiah
shelosha pesios l’achorav v’achar kach
yitein shalom. The one who prays must take
three steps back and only then pray for
peace.” R’ Menachem BenZion Zaks (in his
commentary on Pirkei Avos) explains that
we cannot pray for, nor achieve, peace if we
are not willing to step back a little and make
room for others and their opinions, their
tastes and personalities. After stepping
back, we ask “Oseh shalom bimromav,
God, who creates peace, please bring
peace,” and we then turn to the right and to
the left. Explains R’ Zaks, achieving peace
and harmony means bowing towards those
on the right of us and those on the left of us,
not just straight ahead on our path.
Maintaining the capacity and the will to
bow, recognize, listen to and learn from
those on the right and left of us religiously
and politically is the key to the greater
peace with others that we desperately yearn
for. But it may also be the key for peace of
mind and peace within ourselves as well.