MY URBAN KVETCH

Steinhardt Urges Jewish Orgs to Do Better, But How?

This week, philanthropist Michael Steinhardt took the microphone for a speech to a group of philanthropists and Jewish professionals that seemed to condemn Jewish organizations for focusing on discussion and conversation over action. According to TJCTV, the speech "came at an event touting a study claiming Birthright Israel, which was founded in part by Steinhardt, has done quite [...] a lot to combat intermarriage." (You can view the study here, and you may also wish to read "The Birthright Israel Program: Present and Potential Future Impacts.")

In the speech (which you can view in its entirety below), Steinhardt noted the "difference between having dialogue and being right." "In the Jewish world there’s a great deal of focus on dialogue," he said. "A lot of people are “doing their best” and it’s just not so good. It’s accepted, and there’s very little internal dissension." 

He also points out that the subject of their gathering, Birthright Israel, was "overwhelmingly disliked by the midstream, institutional Jewish world. Most things that are going to change the world are at their inset disliked," he noted, saying that "conversations [...] don’t change the Jewish world. They don’t change the appalling level of education in the non-Orthodox Jewish world." To change that required "something very, very different," he said. 

He addressed the "oodles of PhDs" in the Jewish world and called the impact of their work "gornisht" (nothing). "This is an important study that says some significant things. But do you remember any Jewish study meaningfully changing the Jewish world? I don’t. This might. [...] Is the world interested? It takes something very special to create change. Birthright and how we did it created change. Change requires pain, difference, dispute, argument, and unless we’re going to do that, we’re going to be nice and polite and get nowhere."

I don't wholly disagree with Steinhardt - education outside the Orthodox world is definitely lacking, dayschool educations are increasingly prohibitively expensive, and if we only spend our time sitting around talking, nothing gets done. But while Steinhardt points out these issues, I'm not sure what the takeaway is. So, Jewish orgs shouldn't just sit around talking. They should do. But do what? This is a nonspecific call to action. What I would have liked to have heard was a battle cry: "Let's make Jewish education the right of every child, no matter what their financial situation." "Let's collaborate on projects between young Jewish innovators and struggling Jewish institutions." But as it stands, as shocking as it may be to be reprimanded by Michael Steinhardt, the question is still "now what?"

10 Twitter Lists I Don't Want to Be On

It was supposed to be a secret, but it's the kind of secret that no one is keeping. As some of us logged into our Twitter accounts, we were blessed with the appearance of "Tweetie" (that's the Twitter bird) who bore the following message:

New! Lists. A great way to organize the people you follow and discover new and interesting accounts. (BETA) Lists are timelines you build yourself, consisting of friends, family, co-workers, you name it.

Not everyone has Twitter Lists right now, but the plan is to roll them out soon. Since Twitter Lists launched (a week ago or so), I've been named to 13 lists, among them titles like "cooljews," "ROICom," and "chicksthatlead." It's an honor, really, to be considered so essential that other people want to organize your content among the liketweeted. And in case you wondered what your Twitter friends think of you, this is a good way - as they tag your life by listing you, you get a picture of which words are associated with you (or the Twitter representation of you) most. Also, people don't seem to care how long their list names are, which may yet change.

But someday soon, I'm going to land on a list with a name that's a little less than complimentary. In anticipation of that day, I present...

10 Twitter Lists I Don't Want to Be On

10. "funnyoddnotfunnyhaha"
9.  "cheesychicklit"
8. "burninhelljew"
7. "earthgirlsareeasy"
6. "fashionemergency"
5. "jdateforeva"
4. "girlswhowearglasses"
3. "justgiveup"
2. "ohcrapnother"

And it goes without saying that the number one Twitter List I don't want to be on is:

1. "schindlerslist"

Which of course lands me on the list called "makesjokesabouttheholocaust." Great.

Digital Hollywood Content Summit: Initial Observations

So, in case I haven't mentioned it, I'm at Digital Hollywood's Content Summit this week in Santa Monica. This is exciting a) because I love learning about how technology has impacted the entertainment sphere and b) because this is the first conference in a while that doesn't feature the term "good for the Jews" anywhere in the program.

Here are some initial "shorts," just perfect for you short-attention-spanners for whom a 5-minute YouTube video seems too long:

• Jewish conference: "What? Food again?" / Hollywood conference: "Where's the bar?" (There was no food anywhere that I saw during this conference. Tomorrow, I bring sandwiches. And sell them.)
• One thing that Jewish conferences and Hollywood conferences seem to agree on? Sarah Lefton and G-dcast are awesome. Sarah pitched G-dcast to a panel of Hollywood tastemakers and content producers...and they liked it.
• There was some debate over whether, when it comes to viral video, it's better to be first than be best. Thoughts?
• Saw Justine Bateman within ten minutes of my arrival. She was already surrounded, so I chickened out of talking to her. 
• Several people predicted that online space would totally take over the entertainment world in the next five years. Others thought it already was taking over the entertainment industry, but that the money models aren't really set yet - we have to figure out when doing our projects what people are willing to pay for in order to monetize the product. I know my money models aren't set yet. :)
• In "We Live in Public," the film's subject - Josh Harris - made a ton of money in the dot com boom, and engaged in experiments regarding living in public, having every moment of their lives taped. He's alternately hailed as a visionary, an artist, and a genius (often all by himself), but the truth is that he's accurately foreseen the trends that today's internet users embrace: self-exposure, the need for community approval, connection to people without really connecting to them.
• Harris admitted after the screening that he had never experienced real "intimate love," despite the fact that one of his experiments was him and his girlfriend - or as he referred to her, his "fake girlfriend" - living together and being taped in every moment. And the moment when it all clicked that intimate love had evaded him? When he watched "The Truman Show," and saw Truman's wife in their wedding picture, with her fingers crossed behind her back. 

There's much more to say on this film and the issues it brought up, but that'll have to be tomorrow. Writer's Boot Camp starts early in the am...

Good night, Hollywood. 

Our Lady of the Lost Abbreviation, or UJC Renamed

After four months of waiting, the moment you've been eagerly anticipating has finally arrived: the launch of United Jewish Communities' (UJC's) new name, The Jewish Federations of North America.

Try it on; see how it fits. Say it loud, and there's music playing. Say it soft...and it's almost like praying. Let the many, many syllables roll around in your mouth like smooth marbles, and try not to choke on them.

All kidding aside (well, most kidding aside), this marks a return to the word Federation in the umbrella organization's name, which is more consistent with its daily work and mission in supporting local Federation branches. Also - although unclear that this was a motivation - it strikes the "United" from the aspirational life of the organization...all those local "communities" were seldom united, and perhaps this was too lofty an aspiration to be featured so prominently in the organization's name.

Fearful of change? Don't worry - UJC The Jewish Federations of North America has you covered: the branding on the website (as of press time) is almost identical to the interface and graphics you're used to, except that now, UJC is referred to as UJC / The Jewish Federations of North America. Email addresses for your contacts at UJC still cling to the "ujc.org" suffix. The logo also embraces the dual transitional identity, with "United Jewish Communities" above and "The Jewish Federations of North America." (The Facebook fan page identity has already been changed, and now features a link to a second fan page "I'm going to the DC GA and I'm under 45.")

Well, with such a long name, surely we can abbreviate it UJC/TJFNA, especially in this transitional moment? And sound out the abbreviation so it's pronounced "OooJickTifna" (the second J is silent)? Well, forget about it. I received a copy of an internal email from one of UJC's The Jewish Federations of North America's partner agencies which informed employees of the name shift:

Effective today -- the United Jewish Communities (UJC) has changed its official name to The Jewish Federations of North America. There are no initials to be used. Please be sure to always use this new name in all correspondence and on all documents.

In a related story, all partner agencies' correspondence and documents will now be twice as long. But UJC, or The Jewish Federations of North America, or whoever you become in the future...you'll always be OooJickTifna to me.

Are you going to the GA in DC (sorry, the General Assembly in Washington, District of Columbia)? What's your function there? Feel free to share...

Economy Claims Another Jewish Organization: Professional Leaders Project (PLP)

Today, members of PLP's Talent Network received a letter from founding executive director Rhoda Weisman, noting that PLP would be phasing out "formal operations" at the end of this month. 

This undoubtedly came as a great surprise to many in PLP's nationwide network of young Jewish leaders, who had participated in many networking and professional development programs ranging from SkillsSummits to Torah study to the flagship programs, LiveNetworks and ThinkTank, which were supposed to launch a new cohort at the ThinkTank4 in October:

Unfortunately, due to the economic climate, PLP will phase out its formal operations effective August 31, 2009. While we hope to resume it in the future with the support of the community and our active group of philanthropists, PLP will continue to live on through its professional and volunteer Talent in new and established organizations.

The letter closed with a promise that Rhoda would continue to be available to PLP Talent network members, who were urged to "watch for a continued presence on PLP's website, Facebook and Twitter."

There's still a lot that can be done via social media, but the in-person events were also really helpful toward cementing friendships and professional relationships. I attended the 2007 ThinkTank and made many valuable contacts; most of them have played pivotal roles in my acclimation to Los Angeles after I moved here last October. Not only did Rhoda connect me with people for networking, but she has also encouraged me personally and generously - offering me at various points her car, a spare bike, and the opportunity to do some social media consulting.

I hope that this will be an opportunity to take a fresh look at this talent network and figure out how to best serve Talent - and the larger Jewish community - in these indisputably challenging times.

PLP was funded by co-founders William M. Davidson (z"l), Michael Steinhardt/The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, Eugene & Marcia Applebaum, Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Robert P. Aronson.

ROI Summit: About Those Tracks

What's the deal with the "tracks" at the ROI Summit? Bridge-Building? Jewish Education? New Media? And what about the other 5? 

For an inside look, check out this video, with Los Angeles-based enviro-planner and active IKAR-LA community member Anthony Rogers-Wright. Plus, for more about this year's ROI Summit, check out ROI Summit Central .

 

Michelle Citrin at Birthright Mega-Event (short clips)

My friend Michelle Citrin performed at Birthright Israel's Mega-Event on Hof Tzuk in Tel Aviv last week, and I was honored to be there. Since I don't have a video camera, here are some 30-second clips that give you a taste of the excitement. First two clips are of Michelle's original song, "Someday" (off her upcoming album, stay tuned), and the third - after the jump - is of Michelle singing "Lu Yehi/Let It Be" with Israeli pop star and Mega-Event host Michael Harpaz.

No April Fool's Post, But Double the Traffic on April 1

Today is April 1, which means you're probably expecting riotous spoofery and parodization. But Purim was last month, and my article was cut, so I'm still wounded (and might post it here later today). And I've been busy with ROI applications promotions (as my Tweeps know). But despite my lack of postage here yesterday and today, my traffic has more than doubled for both of those days.

People always ask, "how do you do it, Esther?" How is it that you can predict both social and internet trends with the (even more imminent) accuracy of Nostradamus, and translate said trends into pageviews?" Well, now I'm sharing my secret with you: I'm a frickin' oracle. Of sorts. With manifestation of predictions, sometimes misdirected from the original position of focus.

Last year, I changed my Facebook status from "single" to "engaged." That's it. And this happened. A brief recap:

Facebook Fools' Day Experiment: Change "Relationship Status" from "Single" to "Engaged"

Duration: 18 hours: 12:30am-6:30pm April 1

Findings: 35 respondents=15 email messages, 20 wall posts in a 18-hour period. About 70% of responses understood that the status change was a joke. About 25% of responses wished me mazal tov and wanted to know who the lucky guy was or why they were first hearing about this now. And 5% were threatened marriage proposals. From guys who are already in relationships. (Just to give you an idea of what's out there.) Most of my regular posse of New Yorkers knew better than to even respond. Or maybe they're too busy.

So that explains the upward blip in traffic. As for the social trend I was unknowingly predicting? Through my Facebook Fool's prank, I predicted April Fool's engagement that was then manifested in the relationships of others: by the time I woke up in Los Angeles, three friends of mine got engaged to their long-time significant others (all of them had to begin their emails with "this is NOT an April Fool's joke!"). So, who's up for passing that karma on?

And by the way, mazal tovs to Jacob and Nicole, Alon and Rachel, and Becca and Adam (endearingly hamming it up in the photo above). Celebrating with you from afar and, with one of you, from not-so-afar. :) And a happy April Fool's Day to you all.

25 Things: The Facebook Meme Goes Blog

Oy. Another meme. This one found me on Facebook, and could have emerged as just another annoying game of internet "tag" among friends who would rather post a moment of introspection and navel-gazing than ask their friends real questions, face-to-face or at least person-to-person. If I hadn't found everyone else's responses to this one so interesting, I wouldn't have even considered it. Back in 2005, I rejected the invitation to do a "100 things about me" post on my blog (read all the "whys" here). But 25 is doable. I'll reveal what I want, and know it's not the totality of me, but things that I find relevant (or utterly irrelevant!) to the person I've become. It might even serve as an outline for that book I keep threatening to finish. Here are the official directions...

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. [Or because I thought you'd enjoy this piece...but if I didn't tag you, feel free to do it anyway.]

1. I had (and ok, maybe still have) a possibly unhealthy relationship with John Hughes movies.
2. Our high school had a secret, underground, yeshiva prom.
3. I fell for a boy in sixth grade and liked him through high school - during that time, he talked to me a total of three times, but I was still convinced he'd ask me to our secret, underground, yeshiva prom. (For which I blame #1. And, a little bit, #2)
4. Watching "the Breakfast Club" in high school, I was convinced that the characters were getting high off of regular nicotine cigarettes.
5. I never wanted to live outside of New Jersey. New York? That was dangerous!
6. My first NY apartment was on the corner of 84th and Amsterdam. I only lived there until 1998, but my name is still on the buzzer (or was at the end of September 2008).
7. I know lyrics to the never-produced Christmas version of the "ToysRUs kid" song because I sang them on a demo, and also sang on the demo that sold the song and made the composer a lot of money. I made $18.
8. In an echo of #1, I think "When Harry Met Sally" was responsible for at least six years of warped relationship expectations.
9. I've been to Israel 14 times and haven't paid for a single trip.
10. I've pretty much never been anywhere else with the only exceptions being one trip to Club Med (Turks), another to San Juan, Puerto Rico and a family trip to Mexico when I was in fifth grade. I also "came out of Egypt" in time for Passover during the semester I spent in Israel, which thrilled my parents.
11. We have a family newsletter. Some of you may be familiar with it. And the rest of you will not be surprised by this. I fully expect my nephews and niece will assume editorial positions before they realize that not all families do this.
12. At current count, I have 3285 unread Gmail messages. Good thing I get unlimited space in my inbox, if not unlimited time in my life.
13. This blog, my first blog, http://myurbankvetch.com celebrates its 5th anniversary on Monday, February 2. JDatersAnonymous turns 5 on April 28. Blogging has transformed my life, enabling me to visit other cities in the US, meet great people, and set the stage for my recent relocation.
14. I have worked at two Jewish organizations that were severely affected by the Madoff situation. No, I am not the link.
15. I once worked at Yeshiva University and MTV in the same week.
16. I really do love working with the ROI Community, because I meet amazing people from many countries, and get a real introduction to Jewish innovation worldwide. For more, see http://roi120.com or come to my Jewish innovation session at LimmudLA (register: http://LimmudLA.org)
17. The ocean sometimes makes me cry.
18. In another life, I was definitely a comedy writer. And perhaps, also, in this one. And Entertainment Weekly missed the boat on me in terms of my devotion to pop culture (their loss: Beliefnet's Idol Chatter's gain). EW editors looking to make amends/reach out should skip directly to #25.
19. My great-great-grandfather, Yehoshua Stampfer was a founder of the Israeli city Petach Tikva.
20. I put a lot of my life online, but nowhere near all of it. That should give you an idea what goes on in my brain every day. It's like the audio equivalent of those "Magic Eye" pictures: you know there's an image in there, but you just have to filter out the other colors competing for your attention.
21. In the 1975 film, the part of drunk, pot-smoking night aide Turkle was played by Scatman Crothers. In [year deleted], the role was played by never-been-drunk, thinking-cigarettes-and-marijuana-are-the-same-thing Esther Kustanowitz (swilling flat cream soda out of a whiskey flask).
22. I have never tried cocaine or Ecstasy. Coffee? That's another story.
23. I moved to Los Angeles in October with two suitcases of my stuff. The rest is either at my parents' house in NJ (sorry about that, guys), or has been donated back to the universe.
24. I go through moments of extreme faith and conviction that there's a larger purpose, and others believing that life is random, fleeting, and only about personal meaning.
25. I am available for writing, editing, blogging about bizarre celebrity behavior, obsessing over popular culture, creative and elementary technology consulting, speaking engagements, blog and social media tutoring, hosting karaoke events, leading improv clinics, joining writing groups, and of course, weddings and bar mitzvahs.

As usual, 25 things seems like too short a list, and I've spent way more time on this than I should have today. If you want more, there's lots online every day at various websites. So check them out, people. Those blogs aren't going to read themselves. Thanks for your support.
Http://myurbankvetch.com
http://jdatersanonymous.com
http://estherk.com
http://blog.beliefnet.com
http://roi120.com
http://jewlicious.com

Yelpin' at the French Bakery Down the Block

As you may recall, I recently declared myself a Yelper. It taps into my propensity toward kvetching as well as my desire to explore and comment on the places in my newly chosen neighborhood.

I've reviewed a few places now (also Toppings and Sushiko), the most recent of which is Delice Bakery on Pico, a French bakery with what are apparently great pastries which I didn't try because I'm trying to be good. So here's what happened...

I've never been to France. So I don't know that the pervasive and I'm sure demeaning stereotype of rudeness is accurate. But Delice definitely makes me think that this is another stereotype that has a kernel of truth to it.

I recently met a friend there for breakfast and realized that the eggs were mostly in the shape of pre-made sandwiches on baguettes, and everything was a bit more expensive than I had seen in the online menu (a pet peeve of mine - how hard is it to upload a new PDF, when you've already printed the new menu?).

Read more here.