Another Year Come and Gone

Yesterday I celebrated my 30th birthday. I am officially not able to get away with tantrums...in public anyway. I am officially too old to still know where my blankie is (but I do). I am officially old.

I am now at the age that I thank God that my parents are still around. I am also at the age where I regret not seeing them more than I do. I am now at the age where my friends are moving on. We used to all live in the same neighborhood, now we are all dispersed around the US, with new families, new jobs, new educations and experiences. Some even in foreign countries.

I am now at the age where I can be proud of my accomplishments. I don't think its big headed or egotistical to look back on a year and smile at your merits. I won't say it was perfect. I'm sure I harmed people. I'm sure I didn't try hard enough to repair relationships that I'd damaged. I'm sure laziness and the flaw of wanting to take on too much too fast kept me from helping more people than I did. But, I did do good stuff too.

There have been a lot of changes in my life over the past year. Most importantly, I married my bashert Evan. He is absolutely the perfect match for me. He lets me be myself with no reservations and tells me every day how awesome I am. I pray that I put into this relationship at least a percentage of what I receive, because even that would be a ton. I loved my wedding. Not that I remember much about it, but it had been a long time since my whole family had been together. My fam doesn't have many opportunities to see one another. I got to see cousins that I hadn't seen in years and that was awesome. I am thankful that Evan has a large and loving immediate and extended family. They are all so great and have made me feel incredibly loved and accepted as one of them. Even if I am too busy to say it all the time, I know that Evan and I are very blessed.

I have worked hard to help others too, not just myself. Professionally, I am still working at NJOP and have been writing their @JewishTweets on Twitter. I love having this opportunity and getting to meet amazing Jews throughout the world that are using Twitter (of all places, right?) to engage in their heritage, whether by asking questions, telling jokes or sharing an inspiring story. I'm also interacting with fans on the Jewish Treats Facebook Page. If there is anything you want to learn about Judaism, let me know. If I don't know the answer, I have great people to ask for help.

Also this year I've worked on ParnasaFest (see blog I wrote on it here). What started out over lunch in Downtown NYC last February has turned into a internationally recognized grassroots initiative. After the mass layoffs in the Jewish nonprofit world, a couple friends and I asked ourselves, how can we help. A couple days later, we hosted our first ParnasaFest, a job networking event for those who need it. Whether they're in need of a new job opportunity, in need of new business contacts, or needing to meet people who are dealing with the same craziness in their lives that they themselves are dealing with, if nothing more than to shmooze and commiserate. Whatever their reason for attending an event or utilizing resources on our website, I hope they found utility in our work. I think they have, and that makes me happy.

I have also become a matchmaker on SawYouAtSinai's sister site YUConnects which is meant to facilitate matches amongst those in the Yeshiva University community. I love having this type of tool at my disposal to help Jewish singles. If you are on either of the sites, please seek me out on the matchmakers page and send me a message. I'd love to try to help you find your bashert!

Also, I was inducted into the prestigious ROI Community of young Jewish innovators and attended their summit in Israel this past summer. What an amazing collection of people to be grouped together with. It was a great honor.

And finally, I was honored last month to receive a nomination from a friend of mine in the United Jewish Communities' Jewish Community Hero contest. Its a huge honor. A lot of my fellow nominees are just like me. They desire to help their fellow Jews every day. A couple nominees who I'm voting for every day are Rabbi Moishe Engel who started the Gan Israel in my community that I attended every summer growing up and I attribute a lot of my religious growth to that experience and my friend Sharon Weiss-Greenberg who has just taken on the role of JLI Co-Director at Harvard where she and her husband are working with the Jewish students on campus. Then there is the Jewish Robot William Levin, my fellow ParnasaFester Dave Weinberg, and many more. So many great people on there that I'm happy are being recognized for what they do. Here is my profile, please check it out and shoot me a vote if you can. The prize money could be a huge help for the Jewish projects that I work on.

That's the year in review. I am so thankful for the friends and family in my life. I love you guys alot. Thank you thank you thank you. Shana Tova Umetuka, I hope you have a happy and sweet New Year. I hope you have a prosperous year full of opportunities to better yourself and those around you. I hope you receive all the things you desire at the right times. I hope you take advantage of your new clean slate and start filling it up with mitzvos and good deeds. And I will do my best to do the same. Gmar Chasima Tova, May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for Good!

Susanne

Am I Your Hero?

Some things come up and demand a quick post. I know I'm behind on writing about so many different things that I've been meaning to get to but I have so little free time of late. But here goes... I was nominated by a buddy of mine for the United Jewish Communities' Jewish Community Hero contest. Its a great honor for those of us who selflessly devote our time, energy, and tiny paychecks to the Jewish Community. Sometimes a thank you is all I need to get through a tough and frustrating patch. Getting recognized like this can give me an even bigger push. Below is the text from my friend's nomination:

Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?

Susanne is the Social Media Coordinator of the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP), where she has been involved, since before social media was a normative means of communication, in reaching out to unaffiliated and loosely-affiliated Jews around the world, to engage them in their Jewish heritage. Originally a U.S.-based organization with a small reach into Canada as well, Susanne has helped to turn NJOP into a worldwide phenomenon, and has thereby touched the lives of millions of Jews worldwide, both directly and indirectly.

In her free time, Susanne co-chairs ParnasaFest, the international grassroots initiative providing job networking assistance for the Jewish community, teaches pro-bono social media classes at synagogues and organizations, volunteers as a matchmaker for Jewish singles, and has consulted for the World Jewish Congress.

What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?

Through Susanne's efforts, NJOP has become a clearinghouse of information for Jews seeking to understand their cultural and religious identity. Previously, NJOP had a loose affiliation with synagogues around the U.S. that was most known for its Shabbat Across America program. Now, with over 4,100 followers on Twitter, a widely read blog, and growing networks among young and old alike, NJOP has transformed into a powerhouse for informal - and formal - Jewish education for all age groups and backgrounds. According to their 2009 report, NJOP, still a small organization with a dozen staff, "has successfully reached more than 1,054,000 North American Jews and engaged them in Jewish life," and its programs, "have been offered at more than 3,670 locations across North America and in 37 countries worldwide."

Some of my good friends are fellow nominees, including former roommates (Sharon that's you), my ParnasaFest partners Dave and Dani, fellow ROIers Tamar and Ari, and rabbis and community educators that I've become acquainted with via my work at NJOP. Every one of them is worthy of this honor for the incredible work that they do for their local communities.

I hope you'll find the time to take 30-seconds out of your day to click the below link and vote for me and other people who you think are deserving. You can vote once everyday through October 8th. Please encourage your friends and families to vote as well by tweeting my link or devoting your Facebook status update to my cause. Thanks for your support!!!


VOTE FOR ME HERE!!!

*Picture will be posted to voting site soon.
** Picture above shows how far I'd go for your vote. Even kissing babies on the campaign trail. ;)

ParnasaFest is Global!

This economy is in trouble. No one is doubting that. No one had a "good year" (other than bankruptcy lawyers). Heck, even my mom's plastic surgeon is offering discounts (true story). No one is safe. A bunch of my friends started getting laid off. First the guys in finance lost their jobs. The recent financial scandal then rocked the Jewish nonprofit world. I interviewed about 5 years ago for a communications job at Hadassah. Had I got it, I probably would have been let go last month. I was killing for this one job in YU for many years. If I got that, I might have been fired last week. Who's next?

Who's next? That's the question that inspired my friends Dave Weinberg, Dani Klein and myself to stand up and do something. Two things that I care about are the Jewish community and the social media world. You might not think so but they have a common bond. Members in each of these communities care deeply for one another. Jews give tzedakah (charity) and aid to others in need. Social networkers happily offer free advice and support to strangers whenever it is asked for. We asked, why not bring the two communities together? The Jewish community is in need. Jews from all industries (business, non-profits, lawyers, even doctors!) are unemployed or are searching for new, better jobs at a time when it seems like there aren't any. Perhaps we can do our part by showing our Jewish friends and neighbors how to network and most importantly, help themselves.

I'm a strong believer in histadlus (basically, an effort). Everyone must make an effort if they want to see results. I often compare finding a job to dating. Think about it. To find a job, you need to put yourself out there in every way possible. Talk to people. Let your friends know what it is you are looking for. This is 2009, UTILIZE THE WEB (I met my husband online, why not my next job?). Most importantly, learn how to brand yourself. Make your next employer seek YOU out, not just vice versa.

ParnasaFest is Jewish networking during bad economic times. What we started over lunch during Jeff Pulver's SocComm has become an international grassroots effort to provide networking and job assistance opportunities for the Jewish people and the greater community at large. This is not only an event for the unemployed. So many of my friends have replied to me, "Thank you so much for thinking of me, but thank God, I am still gainfully employed". Even if you are in a job that you love, I encourage you to come to a ParnasaFest event in your city. Perhaps you might be the link between one of the attendees and their next job. Maybe you are a lawyer, but your sister works in an office that is hiring an accountant and you can refer someone their way. All that we ask is that you come ready to schmooze and eager to help a brother out. As the New York Lottery says, "You Never Know".

You can follow our most recent updates on Twitter and you can visit our new website, ParnasaFest.org. We are updating constantly with new ParnasaFest events throughout the world. What started 11 days ago with a small event at my synagogue in upper Manhattan is now a global initiative. We are now planning events in Jerusalem, London, Toronto and throughout the United States! (For a full list visit ParnasaFest.org)

Finally, we could use your support. We don't ask for much. If you are a believer in our cause, donate $5. Local, national, and even international sponsorships are still available. Contact us at parnasafest@gmail.com if you have any personal questions, comments, suggestions or want tips on how to organize an event in your hometown. Remember, you are our partner in this effort. All it takes is the will to help your friends.

Make a donation today!