Welcome to our OU SYNABLOG! My name is Shlomo Einhorn and I am currently the Dean and Rav of Yeshivat Yavneh in Los Angeles. If you are interested in a more detailed bio click here. Let’s get to work.
The purpose of this blog is to share tips, tactics, strategies, and best practices that enable Shul growth and promote Shul vitality. Some of the content will come from methodologies that I myself have adopted and a lot of the content will come from other successful OU Synagogues that have creative ideas worth sharing.
As the secular New Year begins I thought it would be appropriate to share a few Apps/Sites that can make a difference in your shul:
- paper.li – This amazing site allows you to create an online newspaper in literally minutes. Create a snazzy looking online newspaper by aggregating blogs, websites, and other resources that match the messages you are trying to drive home in Shul. One of the advantages of a “online newspaper” for a synagogue with shared resources is that it fosters some great communication among members. Here is an example I created today: https://paper.li/RabbiEinhorn/1419182613. If you upgrade to Pro you can customize logo, advertising and much more.
- fiverr.com – This relatively new site has hundreds of creative people waiting to do almost any job you may need done for only $5! Yes that price is subject to slight change based upon need (ex. How fast you want the flyer design, etc). I can’t even tell you for how many projects I’ve relied on fiverr. The trick with using their service (which also is an app) is not putting all of your eggs in one basket. Meaning, if I need a logo design, or a flyer design I will hire three totally different designers on fiverr.com. This way if one guy suddenly goes off the grid I’m covered. Or if one guy has a design element that’s nice and you think it would be fabulous when combined with a design element the third designer worked on, you can have them each tweak their design. Let me just add, though, if you are going for a major project (e.g. building campaign, annual booklet) I would go higher end. For that I would use the expensive, but fun, site: www.99designs.com. The great thing about them is that you don’t have to pay for what you don’t like. I’ve used them for two projects and have really been blown away. There is a terrific side value to 99designs.com and that is a feature that allows your social media followers to vote on their favorite design from among the different entries you have. This builds excitement for the event and/or project.
If you would like to see some of the flyers I have done on fiverr.com and 99designs.com friend me on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rabbi.einhorn. See these two recent flyers: - FETCH – Stop wasting your time looking for things you need for shul events. Fetch will do that for you. Having a Chulent Competition? Take a picture of the crock pot that you need and post in on the Fetch app. If it exists they will find it, and at a great price. Services like FETCH are critical (Also check out taskrabbit.com ) because they free up your office staff to focus on projects more essential to the greater wellbeing of the synagogue .
Check out this FETCH Screen Shot to get an idea:
Bonus look: check out the IOS app IFTTT.
I look forward to schmoozing with you next week,
Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn
Feel free to contact Rabbi Einhorn at rabbieinhorn@gmail.com for any thoughts, comments or observations.
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