Tips for Effective Rabbi Blogs (Hint: There’s No Secret)

To say that there are five secrets to effective blogging for rabbis would be no more accurate than to claim that there are five secrets to effectively understanding the Torah. In order to blog effectively, rabbis simply need to move past any lingering techno-phobia or preconceptions about blogging. In other words, there is no secret.

There are, however, so tips and reminders that may be helpful as you begin to blog: 

• A rabbi’s blog is today’s way of beginning a conversation and creating more member engagement.  
  
  
• A rabbi’s blog could be a weekly sharing of the weekly Torah portion and the rabbi’s reflection on its meaning to us today.
  
  
• A rabbi’s blog could be used to link up congregants with other Jewish communities online.
  
  
• A rabbi’s blog could convey a spiritual message, a community message, a leadership message, and/or an educational message.
  
  
• A rabbi’s blog needs to be regularly updated and consistently written.
  
  
• A rabbi’s blog needs to be featured in the e-newsletter, the website, and in all the written materials from the synagogue.
  
  

When it comes to rabbis blogging, let’s no longer refer to “secrets,” as if there is a special formula for success. Let’s just ask ourselves: How can a blog serve as a vehicle for the messages and meaning your community needs and wants to hear from the rabbi?