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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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15

Jews Eat Up Kosher 'Koogle' Search Engine

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(Newser) – Orthodox Jews have long been discouraged from searching the Internet due to rabbinical restrictions on viewing immodest content. No longer, Reuters reports. Enter Koogle—the name is a mashup of Google and a traditional Jewish noodle dish—a Hebrew-language search engine that filters out non-kosher content and appears to meet Orthodox standards.

Koogle also prevents un-kosher shopping activity. “If you try to buy something on the Sabbath,” the site’s manager said, “it gets stuck and won’t let you.” It also keeps users from purchasing forbidden items, like TVs. The manager said the site was developed at the behest of rabbis who wanted Orthodox Jews to be able to search the Internet for basic news and needs.

A screenshot from Koogle, at http://www.koogle.co.il/.
A screenshot from Koogle, at http://www.koogle.co.il/.   (Koogle)
Ultra-orthodox Jewish men walk to morning prayers during the Jewish holiday of Passover near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.
Ultra-orthodox Jewish men walk to morning prayers during the Jewish holiday of Passover near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.   (AP Photo)
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gather at a yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gather at a yeshiva in Jerusalem.   (AP Photo)
An ultra-Orthodox man walks past a sign calling on women to dress modestly in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem.
An ultra-Orthodox man walks past a sign calling on women to dress modestly in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem.   (AP Photo)
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15 comments
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hamsammichs
Jun 15, 09 1:54 PM CDT
Thank God, now we can finally go about our lives. Reply
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+4
psycada
Jun 15, 09 2:29 PM CDT
Good, censor yourselves and leave us alone. Reply
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+3
Newser001
Jun 15, 09 2:32 PM CDT
Unless this company is owned by Google, they're unquestionably open to litigation over the name usage and association (although it can be argued, there was a peanut butter named ' Koogle ' by Kraft in a failed market attempt 1971 that contained artificially flavored peanut butter in several flavors; chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and banana). And that ' Kugel ' (Yiddish ' kugl ', pronounced either koogel with the "oo" like the "oo" in "book or "look", or kigel, as was pronounced in Galicia) is any one of a wide variety of traditional baked Jewish side dishes or desserts consisting of ground or processed vegetables, fruit, or other starches combined with a thickening agent (such as oil, egg, or flour). It is sometimes translated as "pudding" or "casserole". The argument, ' Kugl ' or ' Kugel ' isn't spelled the same as ' Koogle '. Reply
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0
IN RESPONSE:
anchower
Jun 15, 09 9:11 PM CDT
You know nothing about IP law.
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-2
IN RESPONSE:
Newser001
Jun 16, 09 1:02 AM CDT
Thanks for clueing us in, asschowder.
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+1
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