Eli Samuel sits down with Jose Briones on the Moving Offline podcast to trace his unconventional path — from years studying for the rabbinate to founding SafeTelecom and Rebel Telecom, and what intentional, distraction-free technology can look like for the next generation.
Eli's journey into technology began in an unlikely place: rabbinical school. As smartphones became increasingly common, his school wanted to embrace new technology while protecting students from inappropriate content and distractions. The initial solution was to use the iPhone's parental controls. Eli was part of the team responsible for setting them up, but they soon discovered the controls weren't providing the protection they expected. That experience convinced him there had to be a better way.
His answer was KosherOS: a custom operating system designed to make protection part of the phone itself, rather than relying on external filters. What began within one school community gradually spread across a network of schools, then into Jewish communities in several countries and eventually to a broader audience looking for a healthier relationship with technology.
The same thinking would also help inspire Rebel Telecom, which Eli went on the create alongside Munur Shah. Through the Rebel Phone and the Rebel SIM, the aim is to bring that philosophy to more families, giving children the benefits of modern technology while putting healthier boundaries around how they use it.
Central to Eli's thinking is the idea of intentional technology. Kosher in this context is about considering what we allow into our lives, rather than rejecting modern technology altogether. KosherOS still offers modern devices, useful apps and everyday services, but with clearer boundaries around how that technology is used.
The philosophy is clearest in the platform's approach to the internet and apps. KosherOS phones do not include open web browsing. Instead of unrestricted access to the Google Play Store, users have a curated selection of hundreds of apps, from maps and calculators to productivity tools. Apps that provide routes into unrestricted browsing are either restricted or excluded.
The conversation also tackles a bigger question: why is so much modern technology designed to capture our attention in the first place? Eli points to the financial incentives pushing major technology companies towards greater engagement, and questions whether existing controls always give people the boundaries they actually want.
Ultimately, his argument isn't that technology is bad or that we should abandon smartphones. It's that we should be more deliberate about the role they play in our lives.
Technology can still help us connect, create and explore. It just doesn't have to consume us.
You can catch the full interview below.