Writing, Editing & Creative Media Consulting
Events with Esther
Jewish Blogging 101 and 201 Now Online
013 years ago
I recently concluded a three-part webinar series on social media and blogging for the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California. My presentations from those webinars are now available online. See the “Social Media Basics” webinar here.
Newly uploaded on Slideshare is “Jewish Blogging 101” and “Jewish Blogging 201,” both below.
Jcpsc blogging 201
View more presentations from Esther Kustanowitz.
“Social Media Basics” Now Online!
013 years ago
In April, I did the first of a three-part social media webinar series for the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California. Our focus in this session was an overview of social media and to begin the discussion of how social media can help Jewish non-profits strengthen their public profiles, promote their projects, and enhance their relationships with their clients/consumers/communities. I’m uploading finished presentations to Slideshare – feel free to check them out.
Are Facebook and Twitter a Fad?
014 years ago
At a recent event about social media and Jewish community, I spoke on a panel with Leah Jones where we addressed what the future of these social media tools might be. More videos from this event are available on my YouTube channel.
Esther’s Sessions at LimmudLA – Including Dates and Times
014 years ago
Join me for my sessions at this weekend’s LimmudLA conference….
The Innovation Ecosystem: A 21st Century Organic Jewish Community
Joshua Avedon, Yoni Gordis, Esther Kustanowitz, Naomi Less, Scott Perlo
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Identity and Responsibility, Teen Approved
Over the past decade or so, the Jewish world has witnessed the emergence of a new landscape of innovative startups. These enterprises have created new entry points to Jewish life, and new ways of building Jewish community. This diverse and vibrant collective of new Jewish initiatives is evolving into an organic communal infrastructure for the Jewish community in the 21st century. This session is a tour though the diverse and vibrant ecosystem driving Jewish innovation across the globe. Meet some of the innovators and find out how their work is changing the Jewish world.
Jews’ Line Is It Anyway?
Saturday 2:00 PM–3:15 PM
Arts and Performance, Teen Approved
What’s so Jewish about basic improv comedy? This informal, participatory workshop introduces the basics of both improv comedy and Jewish community to Jews and Judeophiles of all ages.
Finding Your Inner Megillah
Monday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Identity and Responsibility, Teen Approved
There’s a megillah inside every Jew, not just those named Ruth and Esther. Jews are natural storytellers because our faith is based in oral and then written history. But what makes a story worth telling and retelling, generation after generation? In this experimental writing workshop, visit some noteworthy texts from Jewish tradition and engage in free-writing exercises based on and inspired by those texts.
Hope to see you there…
Upcoming Events: 2010
014 years ago
2010 is right around the corner, and I’m booking gigs in at least four cities. Be in touch to discuss ways in which I can help you improve your relationship with social media and creative content in 2010…
January 21 – invitation-only Skills Building Workshop: Best Practices in Social Media (Los Angeles)
February 12-15 – Presenter, LimmudLA (Los Angeles) – register now – “Writing Your Inner Megillah” (writing class), and “Jews’ Line Is It Anyway?” (basic improv from a Jewish perspective)
March – TBA – (Los Angeles, and a probable visit to San Francisco) / Bay Area
April – TBA – NYC
June – TBA – Jerusalem
July – ROI Summit – Kfar Maccabiah (near Tel Aviv)
August – TBA – Los Angeles
Stay tuned for more events as they’re confirmed. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about my appearing in a city near you!
June and July: Back in Israel Again…
014 years ago
by Esther
in Events with Esther
Another year’s gone by and it’s time for another ROI Summit. This year, in addition to all the behind-the-scenes prep work, I’m teaching 8 hours – that’s right, two sessions of 4 hours each – of social media workshops.
Blogging Basics – Creativity, Conversation and Promotion
This session provides an introduction to blogging creatively through creative exercises designed to help you identify your individual goals for your blog (or other online writing), and learning about the tools that will help you achieve those goals. This class will include the basics on Blogger.com, creating your own blog presence, how to start and continue a conversation on your blog and others, and how to import posts automatically to Facebook and Twitter. We’ll also do a basic overview of how Twitter can be helpful and provide pointers on pitching your projects to the Jewish media. If you are planning to participate in this class please, bring along your computer.Beyond Blogging Basics – Putting the “Social” in Social Media
Twitter isn’t necessarily about sharing what you had for lunch, it’s about participating in many
conversations, with each “Tweet” a chance to communicate briefly and effectively with your audience. This class provides a deeper look into blogging, Facebook and Twitter as tools for maintaining contact with followers, colleagues, funders etc. Learn how to manage multiple accounts and how to create stronger online relationships. If you are planning to participate in this class, please bring along your computer.
Interested in running these classes (or specially tailored versions of these classes) in your organization or community? Be in touch about creating a social media plan that works for your life, work and budget: esther.kustanowitz at gmail dot com.
Esther’s Limmud LA Sessions
015 years ago
LimmudLA, an annual post-denominational, multi-generational conference exploring all facets of Jewish life and identity in which everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach is being held February 13-16 in Costa Mesa, CA, and I’m involved with four sessions…times and room assignments will be revealed on site, so if you’re going, make sure to look for me on the schedule and running around the conference.
Reshaping the Jewish Future: A Look at Young Jewish Innovation Worldwide
Jewish demography studies have focused on the dwindling birth rate. But beyond the numbers panic, Jewish innovation and creativity has seen unprecedented growth as a cohort of young Jews are changing the Jewish future through creative programs. Join representatives of the ROI Community (a global network of Jewish leaders in their 20s and 30s) for a discussion about community partnership with these new initiatives and a glimpse into how globalization may affect the Jewish people.
The Singles Scene: Jewish Dating in the Age of J-Date
Scott Perlo, Esther Kustanowitz, Suzannah Warlick
It has been said that all is fair in love and war, but is everything really fair in the pursuit of love? What are the “sins” of modern dating and matchmaking? How does the Internet affect how we connect with (and sometimes disparage) each other? What do Bible stories teach us about relationships? And how can we as Jews apply our ethical code and tradition to the process of matching ourselves and others? Our panelists explore ethical dating in the modern age.
‘Jews’ Line is it Anyway?: Basic Improv for Jews
Let’s face it: we may be the people of the Book, but our history, while widely documented after the fact, is not pre-scripted. As a people, Jews have always improvised in daily life and our adaptability, intelligence and humor have helped us become an active part of comedy and popular culture. Join other beginning improvisers for basic improv icebreakers and some light cultural analysis of what makes these short-form improv games “Jewish.”
Writing Workshop: Find Your Megillah
There’s a megillah inside every Jew, not just those named Ruth and Esther. Jews are natural storytellers because our faith is based in oral and then written history. But what makes a story worth telling and retelling, generation after generation? In this experimental writing workshop, visit some noteworthy texts from Jewish tradition and engage in free-writing exercises based on and inspired by those texts.
General Assembly Retrospective
16 years ago
There’s been lots of press about this year’s GA, which devoted a plenary to Next Generation issues. I was honored to serve as a speaker for that plenary.
If you missed it, here’s a link to the video.
Full text of the delivered speech available at MyUrbanKvetch.com; click and let the link lead you…
New Column; Upcoming Appearances
16 years ago
After Yom Kippur, I found myself tapping away at my keyboard, Bradshawlike yet again, and dipping into the primordial ooze of “The Blame Game.”
Coming soon…gigs and conferences. You gonna be there?
October 21, American Zionist Movement Biennial, Evening Plenary (Newark, NJ)
October 28-30, Professional Leaders Project (Santa Monica, CA)
November 8, Rutgers New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, “Matchmaker: In Search of a Kosher Man” discussion. 9pm (New Brunswick, NJ)
November 12, UJC General Assembly, Next Generation Panel, 9-10:15 am (Nashville, TN)
Last Sunday’s Sex AND the City Day at Makor
17 years ago
by Esther
in Events with Esther
Last Sunday witnessed the long-planned day of lectures, sessions and workshops on the subject of the single life, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Ruth Westheimer and an afternoon panel of my own creation which portrayed a dating “state of the union” of sorts to the audience of about 40 men and women.
Featuring professionals from online dating services, matchmakers, dating bloggers and humorists, our panel addressed certain universal questions–about who pays on first dates, whether online dating works, what the role of the contemporary matchmaker is, etc. The audience was just as involved as the panelists, which created a wonderful dialogue on the subject, about which all of us–panelists and audience members– were passionate.
Copious notes were taken, and hopefully, as soon as the smoke clears from our Memorial Day Weekend Barbeques, I’ll have a more substantive post on what was–and wasn’t–covered by the workshop.
Were you there? Leave me a comment and let me know what you liked about Sunday’s program…