Bintel Vox is a prototype for an interactive application for Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. Bintel Vox, \”bundle of voices\”, is a fantasy word based on Yiddish and Latin.

Listen to voices of the past asking you for directions. The real life owners of these voices are at a crossroad of their lives in early 20th century New York, often in emotional distress. Listen to them and get immersed in their stories. Follow the prompts on your cell phone to leave a message with your advice. Voicemails are collected on the bintelvox.com website.

We invite people to use our application for bluetooth enabled cell phones at historically charged locations on the Lower East Side. Our goal is to provide a mobile educational tool and prompt playful empathy with voices of the past.

The original \”Bintel Brief\” letters, sent to the editor of the Jewish Daily Forward from 1906, are dated documents. The texts reflect personal and social problems, religious, political and cultural difficulties of new immigrants in the early 20th century. While the content of these letters may seem strange for today\’s listeners, with their tone of intimacy they can still reach out and connect with listeners of our time.