Maybe the time is right to get a Judaism public relations campaign to reach the numerous assimilated Jews around the planet.
Expanding up, till the age of bar-mitzvah or so, I had little interest in Israel or in being Jewish. In spite of my mother stories and intense want to excite me about Zionism and Judaism it just didn interest me; absolutely nothing captured my attention. Attending public school within the Bronx, only sports occupied my mind. The only visibly Jewish kids I saw playing sports wore black pants and white shirts towards the park on Saturdays, and I didn know or wish to know them. >
Finally my mother forced me to take part in the programmes from the Zionist youth movement, Betar. When I arrived I keep in mind seeing Jewish children I deemed normal ?at age 12 or 13, I defined normalcy by one capability to catch and throw a ball. Betar altered my life in many methods and opened my eyes to the wonders and beauty of Judaism and Israel. But what is the Jewish community performing today to reach youth like myself who could so easily have slipped away? I'm frightened by the numbers of Jewish youths and young adults who're lost to the Jewish neighborhood and have little or no interest in Judaism or Israel. As the owner of a PR agency, I think advertising tactics ought to be studied and implemented by Jewish activist organizations?who invest billions of dollars ?yet appear to be so ineffective when it comes to reaching Jews between the ages of 12-30.
?Jewish education and outreach should turn out to be more sophisticated.
?Discover from Chabad. The largest (and considered the most successful by many) Jewish organization on the planet, speaks to Jews of all persuasions. Chabad rabbis function difficult to speak in a language that Jews from all backgrounds can comprehend. Despite their outer look, these rabbis are very modern. I, for one, think that this is 1 of the reasons why Chabad has inspired tremendous growth in communal involvement among unaffiliated Jews. When a Chabad rabbi invites somebody for Shabbat, he doesn ask by what means one will get there ?he just extends an invitation with no strings attached. There are lots of other authentic Jewish organizations that have to learn from Chabad and do much more to reach Jewish hearts on all levels. In the 2010 International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim, Russian billionaire, Gennady Bogolubov speech inspired me significantly and showed the unique power of Chabad to reach individuals.
?Education, business, and enjoyable can go hand- in- hand with Judaism. Groups like AJE?(Russian American Jewish Experience) of which I'm a board member, sponsors RajeMate, and provides RAJE networking. Young adults discover about Judaism and Israel, but also come to date (mate) and to network with successful Jewish experts inside their own professional fields.
?Israel will be the Central Point in Contemporary Jewish Life. As Birthright has effectively confirmed, there absolutely nothing much more inspiring than going to the Jewish State. Taglit-Birthright Israel is among the few effective Jewish charitable programs, which has changed the course of Jewish history by supplying the gift of educational, first-time trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26. There no PR like seeing Israel with your personal eyes. It breathtaking and forever changes one view on Judaism.
?Seductiveness sells. There no denying that Israeli women and men are outrageously beautiful. A couple of years ago the Israeli Consulate in N.Y.worked with Maxim Magazine for a cover story on stunning, alluring Israeli girls. I rather appear at Bar Rafaeli than Tzipi Livni any day from the week ?and no angle ought to be off-limits when it comes to capturing young minds, hearts and souls, considering the staggering rates of assimilation.
?Celebrity and Heroes Function. How numerous Jews possess a Jewish hero? A public relations campaign that highlights the contributions from the great Jewish heroes through the years ?from prophets to rabbis and students to modern-day IDF soldiers. There are so many excellent Jews, and we just don hear sufficient about them.
?Have fun. Whether it listening to Adam Sandler Chanukah Song or attending a Carlebach Synagogue, there are many enjoyable Jewish endeavours that could light the spark in a soul.efiance,?a film which shows Jewish resistance in Nazi Europe, and other similar Jewish pop culture creations, can light that spark.
As the owner of a U.S. PR firm, in many methods, it's my job is to shape people considering on issues. I think that the Jewish community must do a better job shaping Jewish minds if we don want to shed even more of them.
Let every of us take to heart the words from the holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hassidic motion: emember that inside a hall of ideal darkness, totally dark, if you light 1 little candle, its light will be seen from afar. Its precious light will probably be noticed by everybody. Your mission would be to light a candle for truth and the Jewish people.?
By lighting that spark we can keep more Jews Jewish.
Ronn Torossian is the Founder, President and CEO of New York-based 5W Public Relations, 1 of the 25 biggest PR companies in the US. Ronn Torossian has overseen the fast development and expansion of the PR agency towards the Inc. 500 list, also as provided counsel to a huge selection of businesses, including members from the Fortune 500, Inc. 500 and Forbes 400.