Others are more concerned about technology than theology. They say that a failure of computer systems worldwide to recognize the change of the millennium could have disastrous consequences for individuals, communities and the environment. They are keeping lots of books, especially a Bible, close by. Waskow, who has been expressing his concerns at the Jewish Renewal retreat center Elat Chayyim in New York, may be one of a small number of Jewish voices calling for other Jews to take such precautionary measures, but he's not alone. Conn. Glickman, too, is preparing for Y2K by stocking up on nonperishable food and filling a lined trash can with fresh water for each member of his six-person family.
Banks interact with thousands of other institutions every day.
If any garbage comes in from any of them, they may have to stop and verify every transaction. Waskow and Glickman have both tried to convince Jews that the real solution to millennial concerns is to work toward a greater sense of community by increasing personal contact between people rather than continuing to rely so heavily on technology. Both the rabbis, however, have gotten a weaker response than they had hoped. Still, the two rabbis aren't the only ones hedging their millennial bets. For his part, Landes of Boston University said that even if the calendar changes over from 1999 to 2000 without incident, debate and fear will not end.