Post on 31-May-2015
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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.
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
A Case Study from
Rabbi David C. Levy
Temple Shalom, Succasauna, NJ
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.
• 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
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