Double Vision: Disasters or Dreams?

By DINAH JACOBS
Updated: NOVEMBER 16, 2015 16:17
What should I post to my 4600 Facebook friends I ask myself each day?
The tragedies and challenges of the matsav, the current situation in Israel? Or how I'm living my dream as an olah hadasha, a new Israeli citizen, in Jerusalem? I personally know a large number of my Facebook friends because my not-for-profit organization, ReNEWed Jewish Leaders (RJL), begun in 2008, has educated more than 400 Rabbis and other Jewish leaders across the Jewish spectrum in cutting-edge leadership and management skills. They and their members, throughout the US, Canada, the UK, and South America are now my Facebook friends. And Facebook friends lead to more friends, as posts are shared worldwide.
What is the largest nation, by population, in the world today? Facebook! 1.55 billion active users have logged on to Facebook in the last 30 days. (China boasts a population of 1.35 billion, India 1.25 billion, and the US, a population of 322 million.) The power of Facebook was most recently demonstrated after the horrific Paris attacks mid-November, when the social media giant activated its Safety Check feature. Individuals could mark themselves safe and notify friends of their status. I was grateful that hours after the attack, I knew a large number of my French friends were safe. Yes, the clout of Facebook is clear. Less clear to me has been what I personally want to communicate on Facebook in this challenging time in Israel.
Pondering this, I literally laughed out loud when the answer hit me like a lightning bolt. "Ask the customer!" in this case my Facebook constituency. Why the laughter? Because "ask the customer" is an axiom on which I built my 17 year career as the Corporate Director of Customer Affairs in a global financial services company. What policies grow revenue because of increased customer satisfaction? What are the deal-breakers for customers? My staff and I determined the answers to these all-important questions through extensive use of Customer Surveys executed with state-of-the-art statistical know-how.
So, returning to the question of what to post on Facebook, I decided to "ask the customer" and posted this question on my Facebook Timeline: "Do you want me to post about 1. The 'matsav,' the current situation/attacks in Israel? 2. Events in Jerusalem? 3. My own life here? 4. All of the above?" Eighty-five people posted answers. Although this is not a statistically valid sample, the unanimity of responses gave me my answer. Virtually everyone asked for: all topics.
Here's a taste of the comments: Chaim wrote: "All of the above, with your own special take on how they relate and impact one another." David replied: "It's important to hear about the attacks from someone who isn't being filtered by politicians or media. But it's also important to hear that this is not 'all' that is happening in Israel. We in the US and elsewhere need to be reminded that life goes on, that Israel is still humming and vibrant and beautiful. Without this balance the terrorists accomplish their objectives. Be safe and enjoy life!" Andrea and a few others commented: "Thanks for even asking your friends' opinions." And Dorothy touched my heart. She wrote: "Your writings are the inspiration for me to spend a month in Israel this winter." John Ruskin, the renowned Victorian critic wrote: "The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think because of one who can see." My goal is to tell what I see in the "plain way," Ruskin mentions. And I hope my Facebook friends then can think about our beloved Homeland in a more informed and ideally inspired way. "Disasters and dreams" -- I will post them both!