Houses of worship embrace technology to stay in touch with members
LEISAH WOLDOFF
Managing Editor
It wasn't that long ago that not all synagogues had Web sites and the Web sites that did exist were stagnant. The home page listed the location and contact information, and perhaps there were links to other pages that contained clergy bios and a mission statement, but the site was not regularly updated.
Today, however, synagogues have become much more technology-savvy, trying to keep up with the lifestyles of their members. Nearly all Valley synagogues have their own Web sites, and some have even stepped into the social media world by using Facebook and Twitter.
For instance, for this year's High Holidays, Rabbi Yosef Garcia of Avdey Torah Hayah, a Hispanic Sephardic congregation in Chandler, plans to stream live services on the Internet to members of its Association of Crypto Jews throughout the world. These include groups in California, Texas, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru.
Members of Chabad of the East Valley can receive text messages on their cell phone, notifying them of upcoming minyan times or classes.
Kehillah of Arizona has started posting podcasts, audio or video files that can be downloaded, on its Web site.
Congregation Eitz Chaim in Ahwatukee is launching a fundraiser this month, using a coordinated Facebook, Twitter and Web site campaign.
Several Valley synagogues send weekly e-newsletters, regularly update their Web sites, offer online forms and send e-mails with breaking information such as funeral notices or special meetings.
Har Zion Congregation in Scottsdale uses its Web site as a news site, regularly updating information about programming and posting articles that members submit, says Brandi Devlin, Har Zion communications specialist. "We use it to communicate with the congregation."
Moving communication online has helped push synagogues toward going paperless, or at least helped them move in that direction.
The New Shul in Scottsdale runs its office on an almost paperless basis, according to Rabbi Michael Wasserman, relying on e-mail, the Web site and a listserv to keep everyone connected. "This enables us to keep our costs way down since we do not need an office staff," he says.
Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale sends a hard copy of its monthly bulletin by request only, says Karen Polen, CBI Webmaster. Otherwise, it's sent electronically. The congregation also uses Constant Contact, an e-mail marketing service provider, to e-mail information about events to targeted groups.
Although the majority of Har Zion members receive the monthly newsletter electronically, about 100 members still get hard copies through the mail, Devlin says. "As we get more people comfortable using the Internet, we hope to expand the number of people who get (the newsletter) digitally."
In addition to communicating with members, the Internet also allows prospective members a way to learn about the congregation.
Dennie Lieber, the administrator at Congregation Or Chadash of the Northeast Valley, says that in addition to information about services and special events, a copy of the newsletter, sermons and forms, the site also includes a link to a video of its cantor, Ruth Berman Harris, singing special prayers. The synagogue also sends a weekly e-bulletin, uses Evites for special events and holiday programs and has a fan page on Facebook. "It's a great way for our members to get to know one another and for prospective members to see the type of people who are involved at Or Chadash," Lieber writes in an e-mail.
In June, Har Zion created a Facebook page that it hopes to use as a tool to recruit new members, according to Devlin, and as a way to share photos, post events and hold discussions. "We're hoping in the fall, as people become more involved with religious school and preschool, more people will come to the Facebook page."
In the Summer 2009 issue of Reform Judaism magazine, two articles, "Action: Cyber innovations" and "Cyber Judaism," describe other ways synagogues are using technology to build community.
Temple Beth El in Charlotte, N.C., offers Internet streaming of evening High Holiday services for those who are ill, out of town or without transportation to the service. Temple B'nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Va., podcasts all of its services, which are used by the elderly, individuals with chronic illness, soldiers on assignment and people on vacation or business trips.
Some rabbis blog and some Web sites, like chabad.org, the main site of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, offer an online "Ask the Rabbi" forum.
But community communication isn't all online yet.
Temple Chai in Phoenix is currently sticking with its traditional monthly hard-copy newsletter "as it is quite popular and is inexpensive to produce because it's mostly supported by advertising," according to Executive Director Joe Miller.
However, the congregation's weekly "E-Chai" electronic newsletter is the best way to communicate current happenings with congregants, he writes in an e-mail, and Temple Chai sends a limited number of "Special E-Chais" that announce certain temple events.
In addition, the temple's young adult group, The Merge, communicates with its membership exclusively through a Facebook account, and the temple recently set up a Twitter account.
Although it is not up and running yet, "very soon we will determine how and what we will communicate," Miller writes. "Once we do that, we will be tweeting away."
