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Using Social Media for Torah Study, Jewish Learning and Community Building

Lisa Colton, Darim OnlineRabbi David Levy, Temple Shalom, NJ

What is SOCIAL?

#1 THIS IS AN ATTENTION ECONOMY

ACCESSIBILITY:

Convenience of today’s online social

communication toolsLEARNING:

Text study, learning and reflection

SOCIAL:Relationships, dialogue,

community

What is a “Social Sermon”?

1.Opportunities to engage in LEARNING and COMMUNITY BUILDING using online tools

2.Weaving this content and these relationships back into the FACE TO FACE community in our local communities

3.Inviting ACTIVE participation, rather than passive attendance

Starting Assumptions

People: There are audiences who are interested in Jewish learning, but unable or unwilling to come to regular adult education classes.

Questioning AssumptionsObjectives: Torah study and community building don’t have to happen in the building, at a set time, face to face.

Rethinking the Approach

Strategy: Getting more people to participate in education and community more often doesn’t mean “market it more”. Time to rethink our design.

Choose the Right Tools

Technology: Choose a platform where your target audiences already are, that will enable you to have the conversations you want, and where Rabbis & educators can be comfortable.

Facebook

As a question, invite sharing, link to longer format if/where appropriate.

Blog: Rabbi Lisa Levenberghttp://shir-imagination.blogspot.com

Twitter &Multi-Channel

Social Sermonsin Action

Rabbi David C. Levy

Know Your Community

– Digital Citizens vs. Digital Immigrants

• Be ready to do tech support

• Watch for increase in followers and FB likes

• Don’t discount the lurkers

A special treat,not a regular entrée

– People enjoy the engagement, but still want

to hear from the Rabbi

– Makes the service into an event.

Creating a Text StudySocial Sermon

– Determine the Social Media Vehicles that work

best for your congregation.

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Blogs

• Don’t forget Email!

Creating a Text StudySocial Sermon

• Publicize!

From: rabbilevy@tshalom.org

Take Part in The Sermon That You Help Write!

…Imagine a Friday evening sermon that’s the work of not only myself

as Rabbi, but you as well…. By the time I deliver my Shabbat remarks, I

hope to be drawing inspiration from, or even representing the

discussion of, many of our congregants and even friends of Temple

Shalom who are connected to us through Facebook!...

Publicize!

Creating a Social Sermon

• Carry on The Dialogue

– “The Earth is the Eternal’s and all that it holds, the world and its

inhabitants.” from Psalm 24:1

• RL responds: “In Psalm 24:1 the concept that

man does not “own the earth”…

• JW responds: “…“(I like) Rob’s idea that man

does not own the earth…

Creating a Social Sermon

– Produce and Publish

• Use input as your text/commentaries,

• Add your own insights and name names!

• Publish after Shabbat and publicize

“….Perhaps, our job is to listen, deeply for answers that will nurture us and return

balance to Earth.” Here, Adam offered us the understanding that perhaps in order

to truly fulfill the command “to till and to tend”, we must begin in quiet, truly listening

to God’s creation and attuning ourselves to God’s earth.

Someone May Be WatchingA newspaper article resulted from a reporter seeing

the Social Sermon on our Website & Facebook page.

“He dreamed a ladder was set on the ground, with it’s top reaching to heaven, and angels of G-d were going up and down. And the Eternal stood above it and said, “… And here I am, with you.”(Gensis 28:12-15)

The ladder is a bridge between heaven and earth, on the surface for the angels, but perhaps for G-d and Jacob too. How is social media like Jacob’s Ladder?

Tweet using #socialsermon

John Fitch’s Steam Engine

John Fitch’s Steam Engine

IT’S NOT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY

Next and Final Webinar in our Series

May 17, 2012 1-2pm  Return on Engagement:How to Measure the Impact of Your Socializing