65 More Things I Love About Israel

It’s that time of year again, when comedian Benji Lovitt lists things he loves about Israel, and this year’s list (all new, every year) is 65 things long in honor of Israel’s 65^th birthday. Enjoy, share the love, and Happy Independence Day from The Times of Israel!

1. I love that 45 minutes is considered a long drive in this tiny country but that people will drive three hours to Acco to eat at Chumus Said.

2. I love Tel Aviv babes riding scooters. Chicks-on-bikes: like disk-on-key but with skirts.

3. I love that the Neot Kdumim Biblical Reserve teaches team-building and leadership via shepherding goats and sheep.

4. I love Cups-Unlimited Coffee, the app which allows me to drink as much Tel Aviv coffee as I want for just 169 shekels a month. However much money the government is taxing me, I’m getting it back tenfold in café hafuch.

5. I love the genuine interest in your well-being expressed upon meeting a friend.

Ma nishma?!?!? = Hey, what’s up?!

(30 seconds into conversation)

Az ma nishma?!?!?! = No, seriously-I actually want to know what’s up with you.

6. I love that even the urinals are religious.

7. I love how it’s totally acceptable to wear your 1995 Camp Young Judaea staff sweatshirt in public and nobody thinks you look like a total dork.

8. I love that after a stand-up comedy show, an audience member told me “yashar koach”. If only every dvar Torah had a two-drink minimum.

9. I love that you can conduct a multi-million dollar business deal at Café Aroma wearing Crocs.

10. I love the interjection “psssshhh!!!!” It’s “daaaaamn, boy!” combined with beat-boxing.

11. I love that I can choose to adopt the Sephardic customs on Pesach and not feel the least bit guilty. Olim mentality: “We moved halfway across the world and give our tax dollars go to the Jewish people. WE’LL EAT RICE AND WE’LL LIKE IT, DAMMIT!!!!”

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Women Only?

by Yoram Samets

I just finished reading Sheryl Sandberg's new book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.  While reviewers and critics argue about its content and the author's intentions, I believe that every person, father, husband, boyfriend, and son should read this book. While many women are tuned in to the issues raised, men are miles away from being on the same channel. The more "enlightened" the man, the bigger the challenge for them to open up enough to see -- to really see -- and to feel the issues.

The data presented in the book clearly reinforces how indoctrinated we are to gender stereotypes, how blind we are to how we men (and women, too) create and support the gender status quo. The data and the stories were like 2x4's hitting me in the head, pulling me out of myself, helping me to identify areas that I need to "lean in" to. Our business needs to lean in -- to participate, be engaged.

As a man reading this book, my biggest takeaway was the need for us to take responsibility, cultural responsibility, for creating a level playing field for everyone and strengthen all of our lives. The inequities that are brought up are focused on women, yet that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our biases. Gender, sexuality, race, religion and economics are deep dividers in our culture, businesses and Jewish community. We can play a leading role in shifting the landscape. Sandberg speaks about leaning in, taking a seat at the table and "seeking challenges, taking risks and pursuing goals with gusto".  Jewish organizations have a responsibility to "lean in," to undertake the cultural challenges that are driving the inequity that Sandberg writes about, as well as other cultural barriers that disempower so many.  This is good for all of us -- now, more than ever.

Sandberg's book provided me with the opportunity to reflect on myself, my family, our company, our clients organizations. I look forward to "leaning in" to the challenges ahead. Creating a more authentic and honorable place from which to grow (personally and professionally) and contribute to the diversity that will make our company stronger and more successful in support of the Jewish community.

Planning For a Site Tune Up

By Yoram Samets

If you got past my headline, past the memories of your last site redesign, then I hope you will join me in what will be a much easier project than when you launched your new website. Let me start by suggesting that in all likelihood much has changed since your last site build. Does your site reflect the organization that you are today?  Does it reflect where your members are in the online world? Those are the key questions you need to be asking.  I am sure that many of you will answer ‘yes’ to those two questions. Yet here are a couple of things for you to reflect on:

Mobile

You already know that the number of visitors that are going to be accessing you on mobile devices is only going to explode in the next two years. Is your site mobile-ready? Unless it’s been specifically designed to do so, your existing site will not translate to a mobile platform that will be useful to your members or prospective members. Mobile needs to developed through both platform and content. Are you putting your best foot forward to engage with people in this ever expanding format?

Content

Those who have read any of my blogs know that I am a content beast. And most importantly, a relevant content beast. When was the last time you reviewed your content? When was the last time you updated content? Are you still using the same "about" information?  Is your Rabbi's bio current?  Undertaking a site audit would help you determine what content changes should be made. Not sure how to conduct a site audit? Check out the Jvillage Network Tune-Up Guide.  

Call To Action

Or should I say call to actions. Involvement is what your social media strategy is all about. And your website is a foundation of your social media strategy. Your website should be the start to a conversation. Are you connecting all the dots?  At the end of your "about us" section are you providing a contact link for a potential new member -- or do they need to click elsewhere to find this? Does your "early childhood center" page have a call to action?  Does your "men's club" page provide a link to upcoming activities or a link to a "get involved" form? Your website is all about informing and getting members and prospective members involved -- make it easy and provide them with a call (or calls) to action.

A site tune up is as big a project as you want to take on. It can range from totally rebuilding your site to refreshing all of your content to providing more frequent, compelling, and relevant calls to action.

Whichever route you choose, the key points to remember are:

• Keep your site current
• Make sure it reflects your purpose as an organization
• Make it relevant and valuable to your members