Edmonton Journal | My Edmonton Scribbles

Mar 1, 2012 -

Bat mitzvah, Communication, Community, Connection, Media

Engaging in tradition

While I was practising (or struggling) with my bat mitzvah portion recently, my rabbi, Carmit Harari, made a comment that stuck with me. She said, “It doesn’t matter what you do with your portion. The most important part is you are engaging with your tradition.”

That comment stuck a chord again when I was debating what to write as a post today. When Marty Chan challenged me on Twitter to combine my thoughts about my bat mitzvah and my role on the Edmonton Journal’s Community Advisory Board, I had to think how they were related. Rabbi Harari’s words fit like a glove.

How my life has changed in the past year

If you asked me a year ago what was a hashtag, a tweet or a retweet, I would have looked at you blankly.

As a member of the CPRS Edmonton chapter, I decided to attend a luncheon in December 2008 that focused on the topic of social media. Walter Schwabe of f usedlogic was the guest speaker. Schwabe said one line that sold me on Twitter – (to paraphrase) if you aren’t on it, you are out of the game.

Communicating through action

A bite of food communicates what you believe in. The movie, Food Inc., left me with this thought after watching the film and absorbing how the food industry works in the United States.

Actions come in many forms in communities and if you think about it, a community’s actions are really a tactic of communication.