Schmoozing on Punimbook

Oy, we are killing Facebook.

Our Temple, like many congregations of all religions in the country, is finding it hard to attract new young members. 40% of our members are over 75 years old. We have to have one full time funeral rabbi to keep up with the work load.

Young people are more attracted to places like the mega-churches that have sanctuaries to hold thousands, and where there is a snack bar, a coffee house and a shopping mall attached. These places are like casinos, except that you go in to double down on your soul and maybe catch a show where a magician makes your sins disappear and levitates the dead.

So anyway, to appeal you a youthful crowd our Temple planners have some very good plans to provide social events and community action. In addition, we now have a Facebook group for Temple members, and the older ones are embracing it, looking forward to friending the younger members.

If Facebook is not already passe, it's dead now. Young Jews in Cincinnati are saying things like, "Listen, Sarah, I'm not using Facebook anymore. Every time I am online, my mother writes on my wall, 'Rachel, sweetie, what did you eat today? I see your pictures; like a stick you look.' And my grandma is on there now asking, 'Rachel, I see your relationship status is still 'single.' What's up with that?' So follow me on twitter - or maybe I'll just use the phone from now on."

I joined the Temple Facebook group and I now have lots of friends whose important events I can follow: "Sylvia is going to the doctor. Doctor Glickstein. Such a nice boy. My son should be so smart." "Rose is wondering what Carol did to her hair. It's orange and like hay, it's so stiff. Don't tell her I said anything." "Morty is hoping to have a good bowel movement today."

John is hoping that Facebook or not, we get some new members - and at a faster rate than we're losing the old ones.