This document discusses how social media is being used to build stronger Jewish communities. It provides examples of virtual conferences held online that bring Jewish organizations and communities together. The document outlines some of the benefits of social media for Jewish connections, including maintaining ties to family and allowing more people to participate in Jewish discussions and leadership. It also gives some tips for organizations to develop an effective social media strategy and engagement.

1. Jews and Social Media:
How Sharing, Liking
and Tweeting Build
Stronger Jewish
Communities
Esther D. Kustanowitz
WCJCS Quadrennial
Conference
Jerusalem, June 26, 2012
Img: Thesituationist.wordpress.com

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10. Virtual Conferences
•GA, Jewish Federations of North
America (#jfnaga, #nolaga)
•ROI Community Summit
(#roicom)
•Jewish Futures Conference
(#jewishfutures)
•WCJCS Quadrennial (#wcjcs12)

11. Lovefest

14. Why Social Media is Jewish
•Jewish geography
•See what your children are doing
when they don’t call
•TMI/ no boundaries, but it’s all in
our own best interests
•Finally, everyone can be a rabbi or
writer or activist – nation of priests
•na’aseh v’nishma

15. Social Media Strategy Tips
•Be present
•Treat it like any other training
•Commit to listening
•Commit to engaging with and responding to
audience
•Commit to deepening relationships
•Commit time, money or personnel to
developing and maintaining social media profile
•Accept loss of control
•Trust the transparency

16. Tools & Resources
• Free webinars from DarimOnline.org and Wild Apricot
• Inside Facebook and Mashable newsletters (for social
trends/literacy in social media tools and shifts)
• eJewishPhilanthropy, especially: Using Technology Wisely
• Google Alerts - articles of interest (~ Burrelle’s)
• “In Plain English” series
• Manifesto: Social Media for Jewish Organizations:
http://estherkustanowitz.typepad.com/myurbankvetch2005/2009/
11/manifesto.html
• Here Comes Everybody – Clay Shirky
• Empowered Judaism – Elie Kaunfer
• Aseh lekha rav – it’s not who you know, it’s who and what they
know
• Al tifrosh min hatzibbur

17. How to Find Me
• NextGen Engagement Initiative at Jewish
Federation of Greater Los Angeles:
ekustanowitz@jewishla.org - @nei_jfedla
• Not exactly everything else:
– esther.kustanowitz@gmail.com - @EstherK
– esther@roicommunity.org - @roicommunity
– http://facebook.com/estherkustanowitz
– http://youtube.com/EstherK
– http://myurbankvetch.com
– http://estherk.com

18. Thesituationist.wordpress.com