Twitter for Rabbis: A Crash Course

Today starts the 125th Annual CCAR Convention.
Hopefully, that means that #ccar14 and #whatrabbisdo are about to become Trending Topics on Twitter.

If that above sentence made perfect sense to you, and you responded with a resounded cheer of "yes!" then you probably don't need to read the rest of this blog post.

If that above sentence made your eyes glaze over with the # symbols and the word Twitter...read on.

How to become a quick-study at Twitter:

1. Go to twitter.com and set up an account. Choose a user name that isn't too long, isn't too complicated, and in some way helps to explain who you are. My username is imabima. (Get it?)

On Twitter, users are referred to by the user name, prefaced by the @ symbol. So my username is @imabima. The idea of "tagging" someone in a post actually originated in Twitter but expanded to Facebook.

2. Find at least 10-20 people to "follow." This isn't a huge commitment. It's not like being "friends" on Facebook. It implies no special relationship. You follow other people in order to have something to read and respond to as you use Twitter. Twitter is ideal when there are people having actual conversations back and forth rather than just putting ideas out into the world.

I suggest you start with these rabbis who tend to tweet at the CCAR Conventions (this list is by no means comprehensive):

@ReformRabbis
@RabbiLevy
@Rabbiisa
@rebeccaschorr
@RavMoss
@DeniseEger
@lizwood1982
@rabbisteinman
@ravyair
@RavHeidi
@rabbikip
@ravbat7

(There are so many others who tweet....this is just a sample, based on the front page of those tweeting at the CCAR right as I type this post. Also, there are lots of other non-Reform rabbis and other interesting things and people to follow on Twitter. That's a different post for a different day.)

A single Twitter post is known as a tweet. The verb used to explain what you're doing when you post on Twitter is tweeting.

3. There are two main kinds of posts in Twitter: your own original tweets and other people's posts that you re-post, known as re-tweeting. "Re-Tweets" are usually prefaced by the letters RT. Most "good" Twitter users will do a nice balance or combination of their own tweets accompanied by RTs of other people's stuff.

4. Hashtags: This gets people a little wiggy. It's really less complicated than it sounds. Hashtags are a way to follow along a certain stream of conversation in Twitter, which can be a vast ocean of stuff. So in order to best follow what's happening at the CCAR, users will post their tweets with the extra phrase #ccar14. This allows people to follow just this particular stream of information surrounding the CCAR Convention and differentiates our conversation from last year's convention. You can get by on Twitter with ONLY this hashtag for the convention. You don't need any other ones. As you get a little more advanced in your tweeting....you can learn more about these things.

5. In real life: Add your twitter username (known as your "handle") to your name tag at the convention. Talk to other people about how they're using Twitter. Don't be afraid to follow people and to see that others are following you.

Twitter is worth exploring. There's a lot to be learned and gleaned from the vastness of its information stream. It does seem a bit overwhelming and daunting when you merely look at how many tweets there are per day, per hour, all over the world. For specific uses and purposes, it can be a really useful and educational tool.

I look forward to reading all the #ccar14 tweets!

#BlogExodus and #Exodusgram 5774

Yes, it's that time of year again.

Passover is just around the corner and so is Rosh Chodesh Nisan, which is just about one week away.
I've thought a lot about whether I wanted to offer up the #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram prompts again this year. And I almost didn't. But then I realized that whenever I put up the prompts, I share them with the reminder that it is entirely what you want it to be. So I decided to put forth the prompts and give it a try. Maybe I will write on all of them, and maybe I won't. But it's a start, right?

So here it is, this year's #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram prompts:

Feel free to grab this image and share it, use it, post it....add it to your blogs, whatever!

So what is this really about? #BlogExodus is really what you want to make of it. I've provided topics for the first 14 days of the month of Nisan. What you do with it is up to you -- write a blog post, tweet, Facebook, tumblr, or something that I haven't even thought of yet! Use the hashtag to share your post (I put it into the title). It's a great way to kickstart a blog or rejuvenate your languishing blog or just get yourself ready for the holiday of Passover! I will be posting my #blogExodus posts here on this blog and I will tweet them out at @imabima. There aren't any rules, so maybe you don't like the order of the topics? Maybe you want to write on only a few of them? It doesn't matter. It is what you make of it. 

#Exodusgram is a little more interpretive. While I love Instagram (I'm imabima, of course), I know some people don't. So maybe you want to share Exodus-themed photos via Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, Pinterest or....whatever! My #Exodusgram posts will go up on Instagram and then be shared to my tumblr, imabima.tumblr.com. Whatever you do, don't forget to tag with #Exodusgram so we can all share.

The themes are really up for your own interpretation. I was thinking broadly and openly about what makes Passover special and interesting to me. I hope it will translate into creative and inspirational posts from all of us!

Are you going to join in? Leave me a comment here or send me a tweet or just...jump in!
At some point in the middle, I will probably do a "roundup" post and I will retweet all the #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram posts through Twitter via @imabima. If I miss your posts, let me know so I can go back and be inspired by what YOU have to say!

*Yes, I know that I put the Shabbat dates there. I don't blog/tweet/Facebook on Shabbat but I will post on Fridays before Shabbat and on Saturdays after Shabbat is over. You can, of course, do it any way you like!

Books Read in 2013

I don't have it much in me to write a long post about the books I've read this year.

I love to read. Even throughout all of the terribly difficult times in the hospital with Sam and all of the stress of the last few weeks of his life and the horrible hole that he left in our lives…reading brings me solace and comfort. I can lose myself in a book. Sometimes, though, the knowledge that I'm going to peek my head back out and find things unchanged…sometimes that makes it hard to get lost…

I don't keep track of when exactly I finish all the books, but I know that I went through some lengthy "dry spells" this year...periods when I didn't read anything beyond my Facebook feed or an Entertainment Weekly magazine…here's my list for 2013. I can't even imagine tomorrow, but I know that the sun will rise and set and I know that I will eventually pick up another book to read. 

And so it goes…

1. The Panther by Nelson DeMille
2. Havana Real by Yoani Sanchez
3. Game Changer by Margaret Petersen Haddix
4. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
5. Cuba: A History by Sergio Guerra-Vilaboy
6. Two Whole Cakes by Lesley Kinzel
7. Earth Unaware by Orson Scott Card
8. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
9. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
10. One More River by Mary Glickman
11. Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
12. I Love Mondays and Other Confessions From Devoted Working Moms by Michelle Cove
13. Friendkeeping by Julie Klam
14. Curse of the Thirteenth Fey by Jane Yolen
15. Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua
16. Beautiful Creatures by Garcia and Stohl
17. Memoir of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
18. Relational Judaism by Ron Wolfson
19. Wisdom for People of All Faiths by Evan Moffic
20. Saying No & Letting Go by Edwin Goldberg
21. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
22. The Still Point of the Turning World by Emily Rapp
23. The Round House by Louise Ehrdrich
24. Son by Lois Lowry
25. Enigma by Robert Harris
26. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
27. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
28. The Selection by Kiera Cass
29. The Elite by Kiera Cass
30. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
31. Liars' Gospel by Naomi Alderman
32. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
33. Earth Afire by Orson Scott Card
34. One by LeighAnn Kopans
35. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
36. Jerusalem Assassin by Abraham Azrieli
37. The Passage by Justin Cronin
38. Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss
39. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
40. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anotn DiSciafnai
41. The English Girl by Daniel Silva
42. Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
43. Indelible by Dawn Metcalf
44. Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
45. Two by LeighAnn Kopans
46. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
47. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
48. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
49. How To Be a Friend to A Friend Who is Sick by Letty Cottin Pogrebin
50. From Telling to Teaching by Joye Morris
51. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
52. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
53. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
54. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
55. Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor
56. Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Melton

Previous book lists are over in the sidebar <--- of my blog.
Usually I keep my list on my blog but this year I did a terrible job of updating it and started using GoodReads to keep track of what I've read. So feel free to follow me over there.

I'm hoping to read some of the "best of 2013" in the first month of 2014. What did you read in 2013 that you liked best? 

TorahMama: Vayishlach

Jacob prepares to reunite with his brother Esau and in the night he wrestles with a being. Eventually, he prevails and says, "I will not let you go until you bless me." In the course of the blessing, Jacob is also given a new name, the name Israel.

My daughter, age 6, likes to stomp off when she's angry. And sometimes I want her to just go away, so this works for both of us. But most of the time, I insist that she return. "Come back here, I want to hug you," I say. This does not always work in the course of an argument. She can't see past her anger or frustration to know that all I want to do is hug her. All I want to do is pull her back, hold on tight. Even when she's infuriating or infuriated, I still just want to hold on tight. But eventually she relents and I get to hold her and find peace in our relationship. My 12-year-old is getting to the point where a hug from his mom is a chore. But he lets me. He knows that it matters. He knows that I don't want to let him go until he blesses me with that exasperated sigh and giggle when I tickle him. The 3-year-old throws a tantrum over a misinterpreted demand. I scoop him up and squeeze him tight. "Lemme go!" he squirms. But I hold tightly, I won't let him go until I have whispered in his ear and found the way to reset the want, rewind the frustration, and get the blessing that I so desperately need. I will not let you go until you bless me...

TorahMama is my weekly attempt to look at the Torah portion through a parenting lens...

TorahMama: Vayetze

In this week's Torah portion, Jacob dreams of a ladder stretching from the ground into the heavens. He sees angels on the ladder, going both up and down. When he awakens from his dream, he says, "surely God was in this place and I, I did not know it."

So often, as parents, we get bogged down in the details. Where do the kids have to be? What did they eat for lunch? What brand of diapers should I buy? Do you have a clean gym uniform for tomorrow morning? Parenting can be a series of lists and mountains of laundry. The day to day can overwhelm. And yet each moment can have a spark of the Divine in it. Each moment holds a potential for holiness. It's hard to find, don't get me wrong. When the kitchen floor is sticky and there isn't any milk left and "he's poking me!" and….where's the holiness in that? But I know it's there. Surely God is in this place. How do I remember that? How do I seek it out and remind myself? Is it a note on the dashboard or a post-it on the coffee maker….whatever it takes to help me remember that yes, indeed, God is in this place. I might not have noticed it. I might be so bleary-eyed from yet another night in which the 3-year-old wanted a drink of water at 3am and lost his blankie at 5am….but if I prop my eyelids up, I can find the holy in the way his little body snuggles under the blanket or how his fingers grasp the cup. It's hard. Sometimes it seems nearly impossible to find the holy on the day when there are two kids throwing up and another one who has a science project to do….but if I just take one little breath, one little moment in each crazy-busy-overwhelming day….I can say it: surely God is in this place and I, I did not know it.

TorahMama is my weekly attempt to talk about the Torah portion from a parenting perspective....

TorahMama: Toldot

Esau and Jacob are the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca. Esau, the elder, is mostly interested in hunting and being outdoors. Jacob is more reserved and home-focused. Esau doesn't seem to care much for the "birthright" that is owed to him, and he sells it to Jacob for the low price of a bowl of red lentil stew.

The text tells us that when Esau comes in from the fields, he sees Jacob cooking. He is famished, hungry, starving. "Quick!" he says. "Give me some of that red stuff." He is too hungry to care what it is, too desperate for food to be polite. He demands instant gratification, instant satiation for his basic human need. My young children are so similar. When they want something, they want it NOW. When they decide that it has to happen, it must be immediate. Jacob uses this opportunity to his advantage, to negotiate with Esau for the birthright. We as parents can use this need for immediate satisfaction too. We can take the moment to remind them that, thankfully, they actually aren't starving. Thankfully, if it doesn't happen now, it's going to be okay. We help them to breathe, to consider, to think, to say please and to wait, even just a few moments, to fully understand that instant gratification may not be necessary. The thrill of waiting, of anticipation, of working hard to accomplish and earn something...this is part of our job as parents and teachers. Esau's need to be fed "right now" cost him his birthright. For our children, we hope that they will learn patience and persistence, steadfastness and determination.

TorahMama is my weekly attempt to talk about the Torah portion from a parenting perspective....

TorahMama: Chaye Sarah

Eliezer, Abraham's oldest servant, is sent to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham doesn't give him a lot of criteria, so Eliezer must determine on his own what qualities are worthy in Isaac's wife. He determines for himself that, upon his arrival at the communal well, he will ask a young woman to draw water for him. Whichever young woman not only agrees but also offers to draw water for his camels will be the right one to approach on Isaac's behalf.

Eliezer realizes that the "right" person for Isaac is one who is not only kind to strangers but goes above and beyond on their behalf. (It's a lot of work to draw enough water for camels!) Eliezer holds onto the ideals that we, as parents, hope for all of our children's relationships. We hope that they will choose friends and companions who are willing to go the extra mile, who are considerate and kind, who share goodness and bring our children up, not down. And of course, we also read this story and imagine the other side -- if it were our children being tested at the well, would they rise to the occasion? If my son or daughter were asked by a stranger for water, I sincerely hope that they would say, "of course. And how about some for your camels?" On its face, this is a story about finding a partner for Isaac. But deep inside, it is about the kind of people that we want our children to be, it is the kind of story about the kind of friends we want our children to be and the kind of people with whom we want to surround ourselves.

TorahMama is my weekly attempt to talk about the Torah portion from a parenting perspective....