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	<title>jewpoint0.org &#187; Community</title>
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		<title>Torah to Twitter and Back at #CCAR12</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/03/torah-to-twitter-and-back-at-ccar12/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/03/torah-to-twitter-and-back-at-ccar12/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:24:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DannyBurkeman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conferences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[#ccar12]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=2104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I&#8217;ve recently found that Twitter has been enhancing my experiences at conferences and conventions. I joined the social networking site when I was at the URJ Biennial in 2009, as so many people seemed to be tweeting there. As I got ready for the CCAR Convention it wasn&#8217;t just about finalizing travel arrangements and packing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2105" title="david tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/david-tweet-ccar-300x274.jpg" alt="david tweet ccar" width="192" height="181" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve recently found that Twitter has been enhancing my experiences at conferences and conventions. I joined the social networking site when I was at the URJ Biennial in 2009, as so many people seemed to be tweeting there. As I got ready for the CCAR Convention it wasn&#8217;t just about finalizing travel arrangements and packing clothes, it was also about identifying the hashtag (<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/search/ccar12">#CCAR12</a>) and downloading the convention app. And in the weeks preceding the convention Rabbis started tweeting about what they were looking forward to, they asked questions about what to bring and they shared travel arrangements.</p>
<p>It is therefore hardly surprising that from the very beginning of the convention technology and social media have been playing a central part.<img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2106" title="paul tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/paul-tweet-ccar-300x250.jpg" alt="paul tweet ccar" width="195" height="163" /></p>
<p>A number of people were walking around the convention halls with QR codes stuck to their lapels (this was going to be one of the innovations being pushed at the CCAR). When scanned, these QR codes provided links to webpages, videos and information about the convention. And of course, from the very first session, Rabbis were tweeting about the convention.<br />
Services also took full advantage of technology as people were encouraged to lay down the siddur and pick up the iPad. With the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itfilah-the-mishkan-tfilah/id484098531?mt=8" target="_blank">CCAR&#8217;s iT&#8217;filah app</a>, the congregation was divided with people following the prayers on the screen and on the page. <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2107" title="Sari tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Sari-tweet-ccar-300x250.jpg" alt="Sari tweet ccar" width="197" height="164" />And in some services you didn&#8217;t need an iPad, you didn&#8217;t even need a book, as the prayers were broadcast onto screens at the front of the room for everyone to follow. Visual t&#8217;filah meant that hands were free, heads were looking up, and our bodies were opened up to join together in prayer. And again Rabbis were tweeting.</p>
<p>And in sessions, they demonstrated good practice; a few copies of Rabbi Arthur Green&#8217;s handout were distributed, but on the screens a link was given for people to download the handout, along with a QR code for the handout, and during the session, all Jewish texts were displayed on the two large screens on either side of the podium. And of course, Rabbis were tweeting.</p>
<p align="center"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2108" title="Eric tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Eric-tweet-ccar-267x300.jpg" alt="Eric tweet ccar" width="189" height="211" /></p>
<p>For me it was great to simply meet the people I know from Twitter, live and in person (I just had to learn names in place of handles).</p>
<p>Many of these social media Rabbis were also a part of The Tech Bar, where colleagues could come for advice and conversations about how to use the technology.</p>
<p>When reflecting on the technology used at the CCAR convention, I am convinced that thousands of trees were saved as a result of this focus. I have several ideas I&#8217;ve seen here which I will be taking back with me; for one I&#8217;ll be adding QR codes to my business cards (thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/rabbiadam">@rabbiadam</a>). And the tweeting added so much to my convention experience. In sessions a conversation could take place in the background, with key quotes <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2110" title="phyllis tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/phyllis-tweet-ccar-300x225.jpg" alt="phyllis tweet ccar" width="194" height="146" />shared with colleagues on Twitter. And during the breakout sessions, I followed the session I was in, but I could also get a taste and flavor of the sessions I could not attend.<br />
I would love to hear what other people took away from the CCAR convention (whether they were there or following on twitter).  But I am left with one final question: what happens to a hashtag (<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/search/ccar12">#CCAR12</a>) when the convention is over?</p>
<p><em>Danny Burkeman is a Rabbi at The Community Synagogue (<a href="http://www.commsyn.org/">www.commsyn.org</a>) in Port Washington. </em></p>
<p align="center"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2109" title="geoffrey tweet ccar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/geoffrey-tweet-ccar-300x250.jpg" alt="geoffrey tweet ccar" width="220" height="183" /></p>
<p><em>He has been playing with computers since he first got an Amstrad 128K (an old English computer). Technology has been an important part of his rabbinate, and today he blogs (<a href="http://www.rabbidanny.com/">www.rabbidanny.com</a>), tweets (<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/rabbi_danny">@rabbi_danny</a>), is on Facebook (<a href="http://facebook.com/rabbidanny">R Danny Burkeman</a>) and is now podcasting on iTunes (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rabbidanny/id503735820">Two Minutes of Torah</a>).</em></p>
<p><em>To learn more about QR codes, you&#8217;re welcome to replay Darim&#8217;s webinar with guest QR expert, founder of <a href="http://qrproject.org" target="_blank">The QR Project</a>, and HUC Rabbinical student David Gerber. <a href="	https://darim.webex.com/darim/lsr.php?AT=pb&amp;SP=EC&amp;rID=4534107&amp;rKey=97f7bdf33b10b58d " target="_blank"> Click here to play the webinar.</a></em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em></p>
<div id="attachment_2139" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 235px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2139" title="CCAR - Praying" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CCAR-Praying-225x300.jpg" alt="Rabbis use the new i'Tefilah iPad app" width="225" height="300" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Rabbis use the new i&#39;Tefilah iPad app</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2140" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2140" title="CCAR - Tech Bar" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CCAR-Tech-Bar-300x234.jpg" alt="CCAR used QR codes to help provide additional information." width="300" height="234" /><p class="wp-caption-text">CCAR used QR codes to help provide additional information.</p></div>
<p></em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
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		<title>The Emerging Field of Network Weavers</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/02/the-emerging-field-of-network-weavers/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/02/the-emerging-field-of-network-weavers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:38:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deborah Fishman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog Links]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jewish Community Trends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=2000</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After in-depth conversations with around 30 network-weavers in the Jewish world as part of my Network-Weaver Series, I have seen that there are a lot of really passionate people building networks that are quite impressive – and the term “network-weaving” resonates with many of them quite deeply. It puts a descriptive word to what they [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After in-depth conversations with around 30 network-weavers in the Jewish world as part of my <a href="http://hachavaya.blogspot.com/2011/12/wanted-network-weaver-wisdom.html" target="_blank">Network-Weaver Series,</a> I have seen that there are a lot of really passionate people building networks that are quite impressive – and the term “network-weaving” resonates with many of them quite deeply. It puts a descriptive word to what they do in connecting others toward a greater cause; and more importantly, it acknowledges that they are not alone in doing it.</p>
<p>On a parallel level, more and more organizations are becoming aware of the possibilities of working with networks that can drive forward causes and campaign, build and unite communities, and provide support and resources that bolster Jewish identity. Yet there is confusion and imprecision in terminology – most notably, the term “network” itself. Once a network is properly understood to be a system of interconnected individuals or groups who share some factor(s) in common, it is not always clear how to integrate work with networks into one’s day-to-day activities.</p>
<p>How do we support and strengthen the execution of this role in our organizations, and in the community as a whole? Based on my conversations, I believe three parallel tracks are necessary to make the Jewish world’s already invaluable efforts – in education, social services, community-building, social justice, and on – more effective and connected:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Training:</strong> Organizations, their leadership, and their professionals well-positioned to build and sustain networks should gain a greater understanding of how networks operate and how to work in a networked way. This training will be most effective if it includes a continuum of learning the theory and practicing it in action.</li>
<li><strong>Connecting:</strong> Network-weavers across organizations need to be connected to support one another, share frustrations and best practices, find resources (including people, information, and funds), and collaborate;</li>
<li><strong>Professionalizing:</strong> These steps and others will build toward the professionalization of the field of Jewish network-weaving – which will create a commonly accepted terminology of network-weaving, its challenges and benefits. With this understanding, it will become more standard for organizations to incorporate network-weaving into their job descriptions and their strategy.</li>
</ol>
<p>The fact is that professionals across the spectrum of Jewish nonprofits are already weaving networks – that is, connecting people with resources and each other for greater goals. Communications and alumni relations professionals and those in outreach, education, and young adult engagement are just some examples.</p>
<p>In my interviews, I have observed many common themes amongst those who excel at network-weaving positions. These include a desire to get to know others due to an insatiable curiosity for and fundamental love of people; a knack for retaining knowledge about others so as to formulate helpful connections between disparate parties on the spot; and an ability to employ these talents and others for the sake of driving forward projects, and ultimately missions.</p>
<p>Yet while many of the network-weavers I interviewed spoke of the innate and intuitive “people skills” their work entails, there are tools, technologies, as well as theory and strategy behind building networks, which have a firm academic foundation that can be learned and applied. Furthermore, I believe that network-weaving throughout the Jewish world will become increasingly effective as network-weavers learn to practice a greater degree of intentionality – a consciousness first and foremost of the larger vision they are seeking to achieve, and then an understanding of how networks operate and how they can be strategically leveraged toward those goals.</p>
<p>The process of training, connecting, and professionalizing that I have laid out will help those who are currently in network-weaving roles to become more effective – as well as those who are naturally adept at network-weaving characteristics (such as relationship-building) and would like to fill professional network-weaving roles to grow into them. This, therefore, would also tremendously benefit the organizations network-weaving positions are housed in, and the Jewish world as a whole.</p>
<p>Considering that so many organizations and individuals are currently exploring the path of building networks, I believe it only makes sense to find ways to weave our efforts together. Network-weaving sounds highly theoretical until you try to put it into practice. At the point when talk begins to translate into action, everyone will need to support one another through the challenges and combine our energies and resources toward the solutions.</p>
<p>What do you think needs to happen in order for this field to be professionalized? What do you need in your organization and/or as a network-weaver? How have you created organizational change, and what do you dream of for the future?</p>
<p>If you would like to be a part of these efforts, please contact me!</p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em>Deborah Fishman is a network weaver interested in new opportunities  to create change in the Jewish world. She was most recently Editor and  Publisher of PresenTense Magazine. </em><em><em></em>This post is cross-posted <em>on Deborah’s blog, <a href="http://hachavaya.blogspot.com/">hachavaya.blogspot.com</a></em>, as a part of her ongoing conversation series with network-weavers about their best practices. Deborah has published many of these interviews and other network weaving thoughts on <a href="http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/index.php?s=fishman" target="_blank">eJewishPhilanthropy.com</a> too.<br />
</em></p>
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		<title>Networking: An Ancient Jewish Practice</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/01/networking-an-ancient-jewish-practice/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2012/01/networking-an-ancient-jewish-practice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1936</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Guest post by Rabbi Arnie Samlan
There is a great deal of buzz about the use of networks in moving the Jewish community forward. It tends to rely a great deal of some of the big name thinkers from the general world in areas such as networks, and some &#8220;first cousin&#8221; concepts and practices, such as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Guest post by Rabbi Arnie Samlan</strong></p>
<p>There is a great deal of buzz about the use of networks in moving the Jewish community forward. It tends to rely a great deal of some of the big name thinkers from the general world in areas such as networks, and some &#8220;first cousin&#8221; concepts and practices, such as Communities of Practice, Professional Learning Communities and the like.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s something incredibly cool: the networking that took place historically, and continues to take place around Jewish wisdom has unique characteristics:</p>
<ul>
<li> The Sages of ancient (and modern) times communicated and innovated using many of the practices that are at the core of networks today.</li>
<li>Unlike today&#8217;s networks, the Jewish networks that built a new Jewish life in the Talmudic Era and beyond, included communication between people who literally could never have spoken to one another: the network extended beyond distance and, incredibly, beyond time restrictions. Rabbis were &#8220;talking to&#8221; rabbis who were long deceased.</li>
</ul>
<p>My teacher, the late Rabbi Selig Starr, of blessed memory, of the yeshiva in Skokie, IL, once took me aside. He said to me, &#8220;Samlan, you are a social being. The people will love you. But you need to socialize with Rabbi Akiva, Hillel, Shammai. When I go home and study, I have conversations with them.&#8221;</p>
<p>It took me over 30 years to understand that what he was telling me was: The rabbis and scholars who came before us are very much a part of our network, in every sense of the word.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s an example of how it works, a social network representation of a page from the Babylonian Talmud. The text of Talmud Shabbat 21 a-b takes a conversation about the wicks and fuels that can be used for Shabbat lights and moves from there to a conversation about the lights used for Chanukah.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1943" title="Talmud Shabbat Network" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Talmud-Shabbat-Network2-1024x724.jpg" alt="Talmud Shabbat Network" width="614" height="434" /></p>
<p>The Talmudic text begins with Rav Huna, who is right in the middle of the graphic above. He is in the middle of the Talmudic period, and lived in Sura, Babylonia. In the text, Rav Huna, the Chachamim (rabbis who lived long before his time), Rava, Rav Hisda, Rav Zeira, Rav Matna, Rav, Rav Yirmiah, &#8220;The Rabbis&#8221;, Abaye, Rabin, Rav Yochanan, Rabbah bar bar Hama all enter the conversation.</p>
<p>What then follows is the famous disagreement between the followers of Hillel and the followers of Shammai as to whether a pious person begins the holiday of Chanukah lighting one light and increasing to eight, or beginning with eight and decreasing to one. This leads to interaction with two later sages, Rav Yosi bar Avin and Rav Yosi ben Zevida. and to Rabbah bar bar Hama mentioning two unnamed characters, each of who backs either Hillel or Shammai. This &#8220;discussion&#8221; takes place (without benefit of phone or Internet) across great geographic distances, in Babylonia and in the land of Israel. It also occurs across several centuries.</p>
<p>One interesting caveat: The rationale attributed to Shammai&#8217;s opinion about the Chanukah lights brings a relationship between the holidays of Sukkot and Chanukah into play. The origins of Chanukah in the holiday of Sukkot dates back to the apocryphal books of the Maccabees. While these books are not directly quoted, Shammai (and those who explain his views) clearly have an intellectual connection to those books, which I show in the graphic.</p>
<p>In the diagram above, the conversation continues (and it mentioned on the Talmudic page in the margins) with later codifiers of Jewish practice &#8211; Maimonides, Rabbi Jacob and the two authors of the Shulchan Aruch code of law &#8211; entering the conversation by codifying the current practice (putting them in &#8220;direct&#8221; conversation with Hillel, who lived over a millennium before).</p>
<p>As Jews, we are networked. It is part of our heritage. In bringing the use of networks to build and spread ideas, what we need to do is to re-educate the Jews of today to join the networked Jewish conversation that has existed since the dawn of the Jewish people. This isn&#8217;t about taking a new idea and translating it to the Jewish world. It is about taking an ancient habit of mind, teaching it to this generation of Jews, and giving it new life.</p>
<p><em>Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan is Founder and President of Jewish Connectivity, a Jewish Life Coaching and Consulting practice. He is also a staff member of the New Center for Collaborative Leadership at The Jewish Education Project. Arnie is on Twitter <a title="@jewishconnectiv" href="https://twitter.com/#!/jewishconnectiv" target="_blank">@JewishConnectiv</a>, and his blog is at <a title="the notorious r.a.v." href="http://thenotoriousrav.blogspot.com" target="_blank">the notorious r.a.v. </a></em></p>
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		<item>
		<title>An Old-Fashioned Writer, Writing in the New Digital World</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/11/an-old-fashioned-writer-writing-in-the-new-digital-world/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/11/an-old-fashioned-writer-writing-in-the-new-digital-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:09:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Behrman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[write]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1892</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A relative, 10 years after beginning his Ph.D. thesis, still hadn’t finished.  Couldn’t get it just right.  Knew it would be scrutinized.  Wanted to make it right; didn’t want to be caught in imprecision, or worse yet, error.  10 years. Not finished.
Two years ago I had a similar problem.  Trained as a lawyer, being a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A relative, 10 years after beginning his Ph.D. thesis, still hadn’t finished.  Couldn’t get it just right.  Knew it would be scrutinized.  Wanted to make it right; didn’t want to be caught in imprecision, or worse yet, error.  10 years. Not finished.</p>
<p>Two years ago I had a similar problem.  Trained as a lawyer, being a publisher and editor, I live in a world of words.  They’re important; they’re permanent.  I am accountable for what I write, and for what my company publishes.  Words will endure.  They need to stand on their own, be thorough, be accurate, be complete.</p>
<p>But <a href="http://www.behrmanhouse.com/blog" target="_blank">Behrman House needed a blog</a>, and as the leader of our firm I needed to contribute.  To share my views in that informal setting.  So write I did, but I did it in my old way: I wrote, edited got it vetted by colleagues, checked, rechecked, sometimes rewritten.  A short piece, with a quick thought, could take hours.  It just wasn’t worth it.</p>
<p>I thought back to my college days, where I wrote a weekly column for the paper. I just banged it out.  Every week, one evening.  Went the whole campus. It was pretty good.  And I had no fear.</p>
<p>So I made a decision: I’ll trust myself: write the damn thing, read it once, fix obvious errors, and post it. Simple as that.</p>
<p>So I tried it.  Truth be told, the first time I chickened out. Sent it to Dena Neusner, our Senior Editor, who can tear apart and rebuild my writing like no one else, and makes it 30% shorter on a regular basis.  She did her magic, and I decided I was done.  Posted it.  And, next time I didn’t even send it to Dena.</p>
<p>I’m writing this to all of you who grew up in my world, the world of permanent words, the world where every one of those words is equally important, and permanent.  And to all of us I say:  Just write the damn thing, and post it.  It will be liberating.  Think of it as conversation, not a permanent position. (Lisa Colton <a href="http://jewpoint0.org/2011/11/pro-sumers-new-rules-for-the-jewish-future/" target="_blank">spoke at the GA of the “permanent beta,”</a> and she’s right.)  It will never be worth it to spend a half-day on a blog post, so if that’s your standard, you’re censoring yourself—it will almost never be worth it to spend the time, and so you’ll never be able to share your views.</p>
<p>Just write the thing.</p>
<p>PS: I wrote this one on the airplane coming home from the GA.  Once, straight through—a half-hour.  Put it aside for a day, then spent another 10 minutes cleaning it up.  I’m done. I hope it’s good, and I hope you find it useful. If not, maybe I’ll be more successful with the next one.</p>
<p align="center">- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; -</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/DavidBehrman" target="_blank"><em></em></a><em><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/DavidBehrman" target="_blank"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1894 alignleft" title="Screen Shot 2011-11-10 at 10.06.10 AM" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Screen-Shot-2011-11-10-at-10.06.10-AM-150x150.png" alt="Screen Shot 2011-11-10 at 10.06.10 AM" width="150" height="150" /></a></em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/DavidBehrman" target="_blank">David Behrman</a> is CEO of <a href="http://www.behrmanhouse.com" target="_blank">Behrman House Publishers</a>, the leading publisher of textbooks, software, and other educational materials for Jewish religious schools throughout North America.  Before joining Behrman House, he was a consultant with McKinsey &amp; Co, in New York, where he served clients in the service, transportation, and not-for-profit sectors, and he also practiced corporate and securities law with Davis Polk &amp; Wardwell in New York. He is a graduate of Haverford College and Stanford Law School, where he served on the Law Review. </em></p>
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		<title>What Have We Learned This Week? This Year?</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/09/what-have-we-learned-this-week-this-year/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/09/what-have-we-learned-this-week-this-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:25:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Arnold Samlan</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When  I joined Facebook, the first updates I began to post daily balanced my  work and my play. They bounced between humorous (most often) and  serious. Some reflected my rabbinic side; some addressed my musical (and  scratch DJ) side; many dealt with pop music or pop culture.  After a  few [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When  I joined Facebook, the first updates I began to post daily balanced my  work and my play. They bounced between humorous (most often) and  serious. Some reflected my rabbinic side; some addressed my musical (and  scratch DJ) side; many dealt with pop music or pop culture.  After a  few months, I figured out that social media is not about listening to  myself, it’s about bringing people together to share. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As  I began to wind down my work week in preparation for Shabbat,  my  social media Friday began, a few months back, to take on a different  form. I needed a wrap up of the social media week, just as Shabbat is  the wrap up of my work week. Inspired by a radio “shock jock” who used  to end each morning with a call-in segment called “What have we learned  today?”, I decided to try asking this question on my Friday Facebook  status. And so, every Friday morning, my status reads “It’s Friday! What  have we learned this week?” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Several months in, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">our</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (no longer </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">my</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What Have We Learned This Week?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> community is thriving. Each week literally dozens of friends from  around the world share their reflections.  The recognition of learning  that has taken place ranges from the odd (“I learned about the  reproductive system of a hen”) to the seriously reflective (“we can  spend time weighing our day, debating its worth, or we can recognize all  of the good in our day and count it as worthy!”), to the personal  (“To  have a little more faith in myself than I might otherwise deem I  deserve.”) to the proudly parental (“That my son is receiving a  wonderful public school education from wonderfully committed teachers.”)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond  their individual reflections, the participants in this weekly ritual  have begun to talk to each other, supporting (or challenging, such as  the discussion on the difference between “fact” and “truth”) friends and  sometimes strangers as we close our week together.  My Friday Facebook  wall has become a safe place for introspection, joking, kvetching, and  praying. We judge our own learnings from social media and from the rest  of our life and, without judging one another we get the opportunity to  learn from each other’s weekly journeys. And in the end, it’s the  sharing of one another’s journeys that is what life, as well as social  media, is about. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p>
<p>Judaism has a practice in which a person conducts a <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cheshbon ha-nefesh</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,  a self-audit of one’s soul. Some people engage in this practice daily,  others less often. During the Rosh Hashana season, it’s particularly  apropos, as we look back on the year past and at the year ahead. We  assess ourselves honestly, and we set our course for the future. Why not  invite my Facebook friends to share their own </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cheshbon hanefesh</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> on my Facebook wall? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">May we all continue to learn and share, and may be all be blessed wish a shana tova u’metukah, a happy and sweet New Year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So&#8230; What you have you learned this year?  Share your thoughts in the comments.</span></p>
<p><em>Arnie  Samlan is a rabbi, Jewish educator, consultant, Jewish life coach, and  aspiring DJ. Follow him on Twitter (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/JewishConnectiv" target="_blank">@JewishConnectiv</a>) and his blog (<a href="http://thenotoriousrav.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://thenotoriousrav.blogspot.com</a> Arnie is part of the professional team of the New Center for Collaboration and Leadership of <a href="http://thejewisheducationproject.org" target="_blank">The Jewish Education Project.</a></em></p>
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		<title>#11NTCJEWS &#8211; The Jewish Community at the Nonprofit Technology Network Conference</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/03/11ntcjews-the-jewish-community-at-the-nonprofit-technology-network-conference/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/03/11ntcjews-the-jewish-community-at-the-nonprofit-technology-network-conference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1564</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanks to the 70+ people who came out this morning to learn, share, problem solve and mature the Jewish community&#8217;s use of technology, new models of leadership and creative thinking.   Due to the overloaded wifi network (a problem when you bring 2000 techo-philes into one hotel network), the live evaluation and feedbacks were slow to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks to the 70+ people who came out this morning to learn, share, problem solve and mature the Jewish community&#8217;s use of technology, new models of leadership and creative thinking.   Due to the overloaded wifi network (a problem when you bring 2000 techo-philes into one hotel network), the live evaluation and feedbacks were slow to post today.  Thus, I&#8217;ve embedded them here, both for the participants and others who may be interested.  We used <a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com" target="_blank">Poll Everywhere</a> to enable everyone to text in their questions and see what others were thinking.  You can also find the slides and other related links below.</p>
<p><script src="http://www.polleverywhere.com/polls/LTg3ODgyMzEyMg/chart_widget.js?height=300&amp;results_count_format=percent&amp;width=400" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://www.polleverywhere.com/polls/MTMzMTYyNDQ2Nw/chart_widget.js?height=300&amp;results_count_format=percent&amp;width=400" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p><script src="http://www.polleverywhere.com/polls/LTg1MTQ5ODAxMA/chart_widget.js?height=300&amp;results_count_format=percent&amp;width=400" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://www.polleverywhere.com/polls/LTE5ODEzMTA4NDA/chart_widget.js?height=300&amp;results_count_format=percent&amp;width=400" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p><script src="http://www.polleverywhere.com/polls/NjM0MDI1NDYx/chart_widget.js?height=300&amp;results_count_format=percent&amp;width=400" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p>And slides from today:</p>
<div id="__ss_7298358" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a title="#11NTCJews - JNMIF &amp; 10 New Rules of the Game" href="http://www.slideshare.net/darimonline/11ntcjews-jnmif-10-new-rules-of-the-game">#11NTCJews &#8211; JNMIF &amp; 10 New Rules of the Game</a></strong> <object id="__sse7298358" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="355" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=11ntcjews-110317140559-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=11ntcjews-jnmif-10-new-rules-of-the-game&amp;userName=darimonline" /><param name="name" value="__sse7298358" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed id="__sse7298358" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="355" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=11ntcjews-110317140559-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=11ntcjews-jnmif-10-new-rules-of-the-game&amp;userName=darimonline" name="__sse7298358" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/darimonline">Darim Online</a></div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px">Darim&#8217;s Networked Nonprofit Book Club on Facebook:  <a href="http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub" target="_blank">http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub</a></div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px">Recommended book:</div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/darimonline-20/detail/0470547979" target="_blank"><em>The Networked Nonprofit </em></a>by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine</div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px"><em><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/darimonline-20/detail/1422155633" target="_blank">Empowered</a> </em>by Josh Bernoff</div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/darimonline-20/detail/0470597267" target="_blank"><em>Open Leadership</em></a> by Charlene Li</div>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px">Thanks to everyone for coming, sharing and leading.  We invite additional comments, reflections, ideas and requests in the comments here.  We&#8217;ll also be following up with the resources discussed in Rachel&#8217;s problem solving session, and emailing updated info, links, roster, etc. to all.</div>
</div>
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		<title>Jewish New Media Innovation Fund Winners Go Beyond Those Awarded Funds</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/03/jewish-new-media-innovation-fund-winners-go-beyond-those-awarded-funds/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/03/jewish-new-media-innovation-fund-winners-go-beyond-those-awarded-funds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:08:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1550</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund announced the winners of the exciting process that help catalyze our community to focus on new media, our missions, and our strategy for the digital age.   It was a fascinating experience to read the applications of the final 30, think deeply about the criteria of the fund, collaborate [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund announced the winners of the exciting process that help catalyze our community to focus on new media, our missions, and our strategy for the digital age.   It was a fascinating experience to read the applications of the final 30, think deeply about the criteria of the fund, collaborate with an extraordinary team of advisors, and work with three visionary foundations.  I am honored to have been part of this pilot year, and I hope that this initiative, and others like it, will continue.</p>
<p>While I&#8217;m quite excited about the projects that have been awarded funding, I&#8217;m even more excited about the broader impact that this fund has had on established organizations, entrepreneurs, and funders alike.  Having worked to advance the Jewish community&#8217;s use of digital media for over 10 years now (wow, that went fast), I can see that even the announcement of the Fund changed the conversations among staff and lay leaders throughout the Jewish community.  While a social media and mobile strategy might have been pushed to the bottom of the agenda over and over again, the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund forced them to put it at the top of the agenda, and to think about it strategically, not just tactically.  Regardless of whether or not these ideas were funded today, providing an incentive, structure and time line I&#8217;m sure has deepened and advanced the work of many applicants.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s also important to note that the criteria used to evaluate the proposals has an impact beyond the short term decision making about fund allocation.  For example, one requirement was that the projects would be able to launch or achieve results within 12 months.  While in some cases this felt like a really compressed time line, the reality is that we are all in a permanent beta mode &#8212; we have to throw ideas against the wall, assess their effectiveness, and continue to refine over time.  If you&#8217;re spending more than a year putting it together, either the idea wasn&#8217;t sufficiently thought out to begin with, or you&#8217;re not prepared to develop in an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development" target="_blank">agile and iterative process.</a></p>
<p>The fund also set a priority on innovation &#8211; though the term was fairly broadly defined. In many cases, I think the made applicants really think beyond the obvious.  I was impressed by how many applications viewed their mission through a new lens as they developed their applications.  While the technology employed may not have been so &#8220;innovative&#8221; and new, the ways that they were thinking about their work clearly were.  Kol hakavod to those that busted through the walls of their buildings, put the freedom of exploration in the hands of their users, and researched technologies, platforms and models outside of their immediate sphere of influence, or even their comfort zones.</p>
<p>There are many more lessons to be learned from the applicant pool, process, and over time, the outcomes of the projects funded.  Regardless of who receives a check, this Fund was a tremendous gift to our community.  I hope that those who used the opportunity to think in new and deeper and riskier ways will still find inspiration and value from the process, and will resolve to continue to take action on these ideas by incorporating these costs into their operating budget where appropriate, writing other grants, and seeking the support of other funders &#8211; foundations and individuals &#8211; who also recognize that these tools, ideas and approaches are critical to our communal future.</p>
<p>Are you an applicant to the #JNMIF who didn&#8217;t get your project funded this round?  How are you going to proceed with this work?  What non-financial assistance do you need?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.</p>
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		<title>LAST CALL: Join the Schusterman Foundation and Darim Online at the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference!</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/02/last-call-join-the-schusterman-foundation-and-darim-online-at-the-2011-nonprofit-technology-conference/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/02/last-call-join-the-schusterman-foundation-and-darim-online-at-the-2011-nonprofit-technology-conference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:44:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online will be at NTEN’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington, D.C., March 17-19, and we think you should us join there.
While we won’t repeat all of our Top 10 Reasons to Go to the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference, we [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the <a href="http://www.schusterman.org/">Schusterman Family Foundation</a> and <a href="http://darimonline.org/">Darim Online</a> will be at NTEN’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington, D.C., March 17-19, and we think you should us join there.<br />
While we won’t repeat all of our <a href="http://www.schusterman.org/blog/clsff/top-10-reasons-to-go-to-the-2011-nonprofit-technology-conference">Top 10 Reasons to Go to the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference</a>, we do want to highlight the three exciting Jewish-themed gatherings we’ve got planned just for you.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>1) The State of the Jewish Digital Nation</strong>.<strong><em> Thursday, March 17 • 8-11 am • Washington Hilton</em></strong></p>
<p>The Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online are hosting an affinity group meeting that will inspire, educate and assist you in your work. The agenda offers both an expansive and detailed update on the field, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>A debrief of the <a href="http://www.jewishnewmedia.org/">Jewish New Media Innovation Fund</a> from Adam Simon of the Schusterman Family Foundation;</li>
<li>“New Rules of the New Media Game” from Lisa Colton of Darim Online;</li>
<li>Case studies from accomplished organizations inside and outside of the Jewish community; and</li>
<li>A fantastic problem-solving adventure led by NTEN rockstar and Senior Manager of Marketing &amp; Communications at <em><a href="http://www.techsoup.org/">TechSoup</a></em> Global, Rachel Weidinger.</li>
</ul>
<p>We know it’s early in the morning, but we’ll make you a deal: you can come in your pajamas and we’ll provide breakfast.</p>
<p>2<strong>) Field trip to the Sixth and I Synagogue </strong><br />
<strong><em>Thursday, March 17 • Early evening • 600 I Street Northwest</em></strong></p>
<p>In anticipation of Purim—a holiday on which we are actually commanded to be joyful and engage in revelry—we will take a field trip to the historic <a href="http://www.sixthandi.org/">Sixth and I synagogue</a> for a private viewing of JT Waldman&#8217;s illustrated Megillat Esther. Wine, beer and noshes will be provided.<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.sixthandi.org/TweeterEvent.aspx?evntID=537&amp;oft=tweet"><strong>Learn more about Waldman’s work and </strong><strong>Sixth and I</strong></a><strong></strong></p>
<p>Thanks to the <a href="http://www.jcsana.org/">Jewish Communal Service Association</a> for hosting this event!</p>
<p><strong>3) Shabbat Dinner</strong> <strong></strong><br />
<strong><em>Friday, March 18 • ~6:00-8:00 pm • Location TBD</em></strong></p>
<p>Join your friends and colleagues for Shabbat dinner to share, schmooze, reflect and relax. Dinner location is being finalized, but it will be within walking distance from the hotel and kosher-style options will be available.  This will be the perfect preamble to the many NTC after parties that will kickoff in the hotel around 8:00 pm.</p>
<p>So there you have it—three awesome events designed with you in mind. <strong>There is no cost to attend any of them (except perhaps a cab or metro ride to Sixth and I), and they are open to Jewish professionals and lay leaders whether or not they are registered to attend the full NTC conference. </strong>We do, however, need you to let us know if and when you will be joining us so we can plan for space and food, and forward details to you. Please complete this quick form to let us know where we can expect you:  <a href="http://bit.ly/Jewish11ntc">http://bit.ly/Jewish11ntc</a><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Feel free to forward this information to those who you know are coming to NTC, or who are in the D.C. area and may be interested in participating.<strong> </strong>If you do plan to attend the entire conference, you can also still take advantage of our discounted rate by following these steps:<strong></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>If you’re new to NTEN, you’ll have to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">set up a free and easy account</span>. (Or <span style="text-decoration: underline;">login to your NTEN account</span>.)</li>
<li>Go to 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference</li>
<li>Select “Darim Online” in the “How did you hear?” field      when registering to receive the NTEN member rate.</li>
</ul>
<p>Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C., on March 17!</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your friends at the Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online</p>
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		<title>Playing Like Lion Cubs</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/02/playing-like-lion-cubs/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/02/playing-like-lion-cubs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:39:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m recently back from 2 Jewish education conferences &#8212; #JEA59 (Conservative Jewish educators) and #NATEseattle (Reform Jewish educators).  Both conferences shared a theme about technology, and I fully enjoyed the opportunity to both teach and learn.  In Seattle, Charlie Schwartz and Russel Neiss of Media Midrash did a session on mobile technologies, which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m recently back from 2 Jewish education conferences &#8212; #JEA59 (Conservative Jewish educators) and <a href="http://nate.behrmanhouse.com" target="_blank">#NATEseattle</a> (Reform Jewish educators).  Both conferences shared a theme about technology, and I fully enjoyed the opportunity to both teach and learn.  In Seattle, Charlie Schwartz and Russel Neiss of <a href="http://www.mediamidrash.org/" target="_blank">Media Midrash</a> did a session on mobile technologies, which I loved.  They demanded that we all bring our phones and ipads fully charged and ready to go.  They reminded us of the educational power of the tools students bring with them into the classroom, and guided us to the productive and creative ways to use them.  But it wasn&#8217;t <a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com" target="_blank">PollEverywhere</a> or <a href="http://scvngr.com/" target="_blank">SCVNGR </a>that really got me excited.  It was that we were all playing.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s right.  PLAYING.<img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1521" title="Lion Cubs at Play" src="http://jewpoint0.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Screen-shot-2011-02-11-at-5.29.39-PM-300x200.png" alt="Lion Cubs at Play" width="300" height="200" /></p>
<p>Mid-text message, while the educator&#8217;s snarky responses to Charlie and Russel&#8217;s questions were popping up on the gigantic screens, and giggles were erupting throughout the ballroom, I had this vision in my mind: <strong>We&#8217;re all lion cubs.</strong> Children, of all species, play.  They play not just because they&#8217;ve got nothing else better to do, but because they need to play to learn and practice the skills they will need to employ as adults.  We play to learn balance, boundaries, social skills.</p>
<p>As adults, we often forget how to play in this way.  We&#8217;ve grown out of it.  It&#8217;s natural.  But in an environment where we continually need to be learning new boundaries, new skills, new tools, this kind of play is actually really important.  While we often focus on &#8220;professional development&#8221; and &#8220;training&#8221; (both of which are important and have their place), I was struck by these conferences&#8217; ability to help us <em>play</em>.  In my pre-conference Boot Camp at NATE, participants launched Twitter accounts, and tried their hand at blogging for the first time.  Low risk, just play.   At JEA, a &#8220;technology theater&#8221; gave participants permission to sample tools and dabble in a simple, exploratory way.</p>
<p>In our work at Darim, we often observe that the &#8220;accidental techies&#8221; are educators.  &#8220;Accidental techies&#8221; are the people who are intrigued with a tool, play around, and start to accept responsibility for the organization&#8217;s social media activities.  I don&#8217;t think this is a coincidence.  Perhaps educators feel more permission to play.  Perhaps people who like to play as adults become educators.</p>
<p>Regardless, I encourage you to embrace your furry playful lion-cub self.   Go ahead, play a little!</p>
<p>And thanks to Russel and Charlie for presenting your rich and educational session is such a fun and playful way.  Kol HaKavod.  You taught us more than perhaps you had planned to.</p>
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		<title>Networked Nonprofit Book Club</title>
		<link>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/01/networked-nonprofit-book-club/</link>
		<comments>http://jewpoint0.org/2011/01/networked-nonprofit-book-club/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:55:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[#netnon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allison fine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beth Kanter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bookclub]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[groups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[networked nonprofit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewpoint0.org/?p=1482</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I pre-ordered The Networked Nonprofit and cracked it open the day I received it last summer.  Authors Beth Kanter and Allison Fine are gurus of nonprofit social media and the implications for organizations, and I was eager to continue to learn from them.  What I didn&#8217;t realize is that the book would provide both conceptual [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I pre-ordered <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/darimonline-20/detail/0470547979" target="_blank">The Networked Nonprofit </a>and cracked it open the day I received it last summer.  Authors <a href="http://www.bethkanter.org" target="_blank">Beth Kanter </a>and <a href="http://afine2.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Allison Fine </a>are gurus of nonprofit social media and the implications for organizations, and I was eager to continue to learn from them.  What I didn&#8217;t realize is that the book would provide both conceptual and tactical frameworks for advancing any organization&#8217;s work, regardless of where you are starting from. While I&#8217;ve recommended the book to many, here at Darim we were eager to really engage with others about what this means for Jewish organizations, their leaders, and the community as a whole.</p>
<p>On Monday, we&#8217;re launching<a href="http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub" target="_blank"> Darim&#8217;s Networked Nonprofit Book Club</a>.  Based in the new Facebook Groups, we&#8217;ll be posing discussion questions from one or two chapters each week.  We hope to learn what you&#8217;re thinking, doing, learning, and struggling with.  And we hope to learn from each other, help each other solve problems, and also get a sense of where Darim&#8217;s efforts could make an important difference for you and others.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re also learning, as this is our first book club adventure and our first large scale experiment with the updated version of Facebook  Groups.   So far, 137 people have joined &#8212; which has far exceeded our  expectations!   Even authors Beth Kanter and Allison Fine are on board. We hope the opportunity will help participants learn the “ins and outs” of this new tool along  with  us, and consider how it can be useful in their communities too.  We welcome your input, suggestions and reflections on it &#8212; leave a comment here, in the group, or email us at learningnetwork@darimonline.org to share your thoughts.  Want to join us?  No cost &#8211; just swing on by: <a title="http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub" href="http://" target="_blank">http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub</a></p>
<p>We have posted some initial info and guidelines for the Book Club.  In the interest of sharing and encouraging others to experiment with Groups, book clubs, and online community facilitation, we&#8217;re posting the information here (see below) and will be sharing updates in future blog posts.  Everything on this blog will be tagged &#8220;bookclub&#8221; and &#8220;#netnon&#8221;.   Tweeting? Use <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23darim" target="_blank">#darim</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23netnon" target="_blank">#netnon</a> (which is the hashtag for the book in general).</p>
<p>Hope to see you there!  It kicks off Monday, though you&#8217;re welcome to swing by and join the conversation anytime.</p>
<p><strong>How We’ll Work Together</strong></p>
<p>We will  focus on one or two chapters each week beginning January 10.  Each week,  Darim staff will kick off the conversation with one or two  questions per  week that relates to themes in that chapter and  implications for Jewish  organizations.  Together, we will reflect on   what that means for our  work as Jewish professionals and lay leaders.</p>
<p>Respond to our  discussion questions by commenting on that post.  You  can also pose  questions to the group, or share links or other  information by posting  your own status updates to the group.</p>
<p>We encourage you to  participate in ways that are most meaningful to  you.  Feel free to jump  into – and even initiate – conversations, and  to post relevant links and  resources to share with the group.  If you  prefer to dip in and out of  the discussions, that’s cool too!  There  are no preconceived  expectations &#8212; we want you to learn, experiment,  share and connect with  others.</p>
<p><strong> Tips for Using Facebook Groups </strong></p>
<p><em>Notification  settings: </em>BY DEFAULT, You will receive any status that  is posted to the  group.  If you comment on it, you will also receive  notifications of any  additional comments on that posting.  If you’d  prefer NOT to receive  these notifications, you can click “unsubscribe”  next to that specific  posting.  If you’d like to receive notification  about a posting that you  haven’t commented on, you can click  “subscribe” next to it.  To change  your default settings, please visit  “edit settings” in the top right  corner of the group.</p>
<p><em>Adding members:</em> You probably noticed that  you can add your Facebook  friends to the group if they are on Facebook.   Please feel free to add  anyone who would like to join – we only ask  that you check with them  first to see if they are interested.  You will  find the “Add Friends to  Group” link under the Members photos on the  right hand column.  You  can also email them the link to our Group so  they can opt in if they’d  like.  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub" target="_blank">http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub</a></p>
<p><em>Group  Chat: </em>You can chat with group members who are online in real  time by  clicking on the “Chat with Group” link under the Members photos  on the  right hand column or by clicking the tab at bottom of the page.  This is a  fun way to make a personal connection with others in the  group. When  the chat box opens, you’ll see photos of group members &#8212;  those with a  green box are currently online.  You can elect to have  group chat  messages sent to you going to “edit settings” and selecting  that option.</p>
<p><em>Living  Room Policy:</em> While we have very few rules, we do want to make  the Book  Club experience as fun, useful and efficient as possible for  everyone.  Thus, we ask you to abide by the Living Room Policy, which is  basically  this: If I were to invite you into my living room, I would  expect you to  be courteous and sociable.  You are welcome to disagree  or challenge me  or anyone else, but you must do so respectfully.  Also,  vibrant  discussions require good listening and asking questions or  others, not  only talking about yourself. Finally, please refrain from  using this as a  platform for marketing unrelated products or programs.   And if you have  any questions, please feel free to ask us at   learningnetwork@darimonline.org.</p>
<p>It may take a little time for  you to determine your personal  preferences and customize them to fit  your needs.  Don’t be afraid to  take them out for a test ride, tweak as  needed, and/or ask us if you  need help.</p>
<p>Interested in more technical details?  You can learn more about Facebook Groups here: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/fvSAor" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/fvSAor</a></p>
<p><strong> Resources for the Book Club </strong></p>
<p>If  you have not already done so, please be sure to order your copy  of The  Networked NonProfit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine.  Here is a  link to  Amazon: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/aOa6nX" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/aOa6nX</a></p>
<p>And  please feel free to view the recording of the recent Darim  webinar with  Allison Fine and Lisa Colton in which they discussed  networked  nonprofits and Jewish organizations: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/c8Iudm" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/c8Iudm</a></p>
<p>Are you tweeting?  #netnon is the hashtag for the book, and #darim is for our community.</p>
<p><strong> Want to learn even more?! Join us at NTC in DC! </strong></p>
<p>Join  us at NTEN’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC).  And  by “us”  we mean a whole bunch of Jewish leaders like you – in addition  to the  fabulous NTC program (where top notch thinkers like authors  Beth Kanter  and Allison Fine regularly speak), the Schusterman Family  Foundation and  Darim Online are hosting a series of events for our  members. Click here  to learn more about it: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/igDAzB" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/igDAzB</a> &#8211; we hope to see you there!</p>
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