A Message from Rabbi Rubinstein

Connecting in the Technology Age

Dear Congregants,

Like many of us of a certain age, I keep pace with technology just enough to negotiate e-mail, find what I need on the Internet, and use processing tools for finances and Word documents. But it was recently brought to my attention that while I have thousands of contacts in my electronic Rolodex, I don’t have a single “friend.”

I’m not on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn - all of which have redefined what it means to be a friend, a follower, a fan, and even a colleague. My decision not to connect to “social networks” is an expedient choice because after responding to the many e-mails directed to me on a daily basis (all of which I try to answer personally), I simply can’t imagine spending more time “connecting” in front of a computer screen.

Even so, I’ve realized that continuing evolution in The Technology Age, often fascinating and “cool,” is posing deep questions and challenging our longstanding concepts about “community” as it pertains to our personal, professional and synagogue lives.

The question for each of us personally and for our congregation as an institution is: how do we keep up?

In what ways can technology serve us rather than become our master? In what ways can we expedite communication for the purpose of engendering community without burdening each other and our members with nagging constant missives? How do we stay relevant and timeless when change continues at an exponential pace?

Though I will not profess to be an expert or have the answers I have already experienced the power of “virtual connectedness” in most unexpected ways. Here’s one example.

Just before Yom Kippur, my wife Kerry (who loves technology and every new gadget) brought to my attention a mention of Central Synagogue in the form of a Google Alert. This tool constantly scans the internet for every mention of our congregation and my name and then e-mails an alert when these “keywords” appear.

One such alert pointed us to a blog by a young single woman living in the city who had recently attended a Chabad service and been upset by it. She detailed her dissatisfaction with High Holy Days options available to non-Orthodox Jews in New York and explained that while bemoaning her predicament on the phone to her long distance parents, she learned that they were very much enjoying being part of our congregation from afar via our live streaming services.

I decided to respond personally to this young woman’s blog and invited her to Shabbat services. She sat with Kerry when we presented the Shofar Award to Tony Kushner in October.  She loved the service, made professional connections and has stayed in touch all because of a comment she typed up in cyberspace. This is how community emerges nowadays.

Each of us probably has opinions as to whether technology is beneficial to society or not but that debate is ultimately irrelevant. We all know we are not going to stop technological advance.

And I do know for certain that technology has provided tremendous benefits to Central Synagogue.  Attendance in our CiTY program for teens has increased due, in part, to text messaging; our newly launched Facebook page has more than 160 fans; and our ability to live stream from the Main Sanctuary has enhanced “virtual” attendance at Shabbat and High Holy Day services with more than 2,500 visitors in just the last six months.

We have also recently been able to share audio and video clips of events like Debbie Friedman’s memorial service and Dr. Hussein Rashid’s lectures on Modern Islam with congregants who were otherwise unable to attend. Technology has empowered us to move beyond our walls and increase opportunities for engagement.

Technology is not going away so it behooves us to imagine new ways in which we can use it to expand our spiritual experience and strengthen our Jewish identity. I welcome your thoughts on this matter and promise I will not hit “Reply to All” if you e-mail.

Warmly,

Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein