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June 2010 |
Seems like that's the first question people ask each other these days, even before shaking hands. In just six years of existence, Facebook now boasts 400 million active daily users. These users collectively spend over 500 billion minutes per month using the site. If Facebook were a country, it would be the world's fourth largest.
What do all these people actually DO on Facebook? Many use the site to connect with others around the world who share similar interests. Do you like Pina Coladas? 74,864 Facebook users like them too. Getting caught in the rain? 1,119 people claim to enjoy just that. (And if you find that you suddenly now have an annoying song stuck in your head, you can join 642,886 others who are members of the Facebook group called "I get one line of a song stuck in my head all day.")
Maybe that's why actress Betty White recently quipped on national television, "Now that I know what [Facebook] is, I have to say, it seems like a huge waste of time."
Okay, that may be true. But there's quite a bit of useful information circulating on Facebook as well. You can go on the site to learn torah, swap kosher recipes, discover new information about Israel, fight anti- Semitism, access audio and video presentations about important Jewish topics, and much more.
And now, Facebook is the latest way to connect with Little Neck Jewish Center.
Since I started our synagogue's Facebook presence several months ago, we've used the space to promote events, share candle lighting times and highlight upcoming b'nai mitzvah celebrations, but also to share interesting Jewish content you may not find elsewhere. I regularly post videos and links I'm sure you'll enjoy, and you can log on and share some of your own!
If you haven't visited our Facebook page, I invite you to take a look at facebook.com/LittleNeckJC. Take a look around, and then be sure to click on the "like" button at the top of the page. Despite its vast uselessness, Facebook offers our community a great opportunity to connect online and share Jewish content, thoughts and ideas. Its interactive nature is ideal for a community like ours. I hope you'll join us, and look forward to seeing you there!
ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I want to take this opportunity to publicly wish Tzeitchem L'shalom (may you go in peace) to Rabbi Joseph Prouser and his wonderful family as they prepare to move on to their next adventure. Though I have only known Rabbi Prouser for a short time, I have quickly come to admire his vast wisdom, common sense, quick wit and overall rabbinic abilities. It has been a true pleasure working with - and learning from - Rabbi Prouser in the months since my arrival at Little Neck Jewish Center. I would like to thank the Prouser family for making my family feel so welcome when we first joined the community. Each member of the family is one-of-a-kind, and they are simply a fun group to be around.
Thank you, Rabbi Prouser, for your many years of inspiration, education and enthusiasm to the Little Neck Jewish Center community. Your legacy will certainly continue to guide us well into the future.
Cantor Joshua J. Shron