Dear Friends and
Colleagues,
These days
everyone seems to keep in touch via social media. So does the Jewish
Genealogical Society of Greater Miami (JGSGM)—after all, we’re on
Facebook! But I think that it’s time for
a Presidential Blog.
“Why,”
you might ask? We have a website. We get
frequent e-mail notices about events.
The society’s newsletter BRANCHES
reports twice a year on the contents of meetings and carries articles and
comments our members write. What purpose
would a Presidential Blog serve?
The
Presidential Blog wouldn’t replace any of these. It
would serve as a “clearinghouse” for the new kinds of projects our
organization has begun to launch—projects that might appeal to just a few of
our members at a time. The blog will
post information about them in “real time” so you can participate in ones that
might interest you. I suspect more of
you would become actively engaged if
a project were “right up your alley.” You could also use the blog to post
questions about the project before it
starts, suggest ways to tweak it so it includes issues you want to know
about. The blog could help members with
similar interests “discover” one another; arrange convenient times to meet, and
so forth.
I
have in mind projects like small-group, hands-on workshops narrowly tailored to
a particular method of genealogical research or to a particular Jewish
community. A few such groups are already underway (but it’s not too late to
join). Examples are “How to find information
about Ashkenazi Jews who immigrated to South America?” and “How to research
possible relatives in Israel.” Participants could use the blog to share
preliminary discoveries or to ask for help with brick walls. Members outside the small group might be able
to offer help or else get an insight that would aid their own work. Or decide they need a small-group project for
what they’re working on, posting on the blog to find like-minded members.
The Presidential
Blog will also call for “just-in-time” volunteers—a few here, a few there—for some
of our other recently launched projects.
So far, these mostly involve our cooperation with Beit Hatfutsot—the Museum of Jewish People in Tel Aviv. You’ve heard of them before, and I’ll be
blogging in much more detail in the future.
But for now, let me just sketch some activities the blogs might ask you
to participate in. How about an
opportunity to talk one-on-one (and have recorded) stories from local Jews
whose genealogical memories should be preserved? How about helping our Society find such interesting
people? Or what about helping youngsters and older folks interact to foster
learning between generations, and perhaps even lure the kids and their families
into genealogy. (Future members, right?) What about helping a novice member get
started?
And, of course,
the blog will ask for volunteers when the Society or its established Committees
need volunteers on an ad-hoc basis. Individuals could use the blog to ask the
membership if anyone can help with a particular question. We could even post comments on topics
relevant to Jewish genealogy.
In other words, what I am trying to say is that we have great members,
some already motivated, active volunteers ready to help and share their
talents. We need to let you know what
they are up to and to share this information with you when it happens—not six
months later. I see the blog as an evolving platform that will enhance communication among us.
Here’s to expanding the JGSGM social network with the Presidential Blog! Each time I blog, you will receive an e-mail
link to it on the JGSGM website www.jgs-miami.org. I
invite each of you to read it, comment, and become more active in our
Society.
Let
the blogging begin!
Enjoy the
Holiday!
