Synagogue team members consult at Social Media Boot Camp in Long Island.
Photo courtesy of Darim Online
It didn’t take long for a group of rabbis on Long Island to realize that social media could transform the way they reached their members and the wider Jewish community. So this fall, the rabbis, together with congregational lay leaders, set about bringing social media tools and projects into their synagogues.
The Social Media Boot Camp, a project of SYNERGY: UJA-Federation of New York and Synagogues Together, was designed to help congregations take the pioneering steps necessary to bring about new forms of connection and support to their communities.
Nineteen synagogues on Long Island formed teams of three to five lay leaders and clergy to learn about social media theory, the tools that exist, and how to use both to design and implement projects to benefit their congregations.
“In working to strengthen synagogues, we listened to the needs of our communities,” says Stephanie Ginsberg, SYNERGY program executive in Long Island. “They took the initiative in challenging themselves to reach for the best in emerging ways to grow their congregations. They are the true innovators.”
Darim Online, a nonprofit committed to helping synagogues and other Jewish organizations develop their communities through effective Internet and communications strategies, is a UJA-Federation grantee that provides training to the teams.
A three-hour introductory session focused on Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Throughout the year, 10 one-hour webinars are offering in-depth sessions on social media for synagogues, including fundraising efforts, online video, and Google tools.
Now synagogue teams are in the process of developing innovative strategies and receiving mentoring to develop social media projects.
“Too Important to Ignore”
“Social media is too big, too powerful, and too important to ignore at this time,” says Rabbi Charles Klein of Merrick Jewish Center, a participant in the boot camp.
Some synagogues have already seen positive results from their first forays into social media. Early actions include using Facebook to help clergy stay informed about member needs and producing videos for a religious school that will be posted online with password-protected access for parents to view. ♦
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