OPINION: Time for the community to embrace a digital future

The world of digital media is ever-changing. New trends, new features, new opportunities. As many flock to capitalise on the opportunities it creates, are we, the Jewish community, failing to capitalise on its potential?

Yes, social media is rife with antisemitism. CST recorded more online incidents in the first half of 2024 than any other January-to-June period on record (630 incidents). However, under-utilising or at worst, not utilising social media at all could make Jewish organisations future impact more challenging. The very fabric and strength of our community’s future may just hinge on our ability to adapt and thrive in this new digital landscape.

As a young Jew, part of my morning and evening routine is to check social media. Today, most people source their information including details of events online rather than reading, for example, newspapers and flyers.

It is therefore not surprising that I and so many of my peers find ourselves wondering why Jewish communal organisations still focus a majority of their marketing budgets and resources on print, when the results simply do not translate.

Moreover, Jewish organisations are often heard wondering why they are struggling to engage young members of the community. The answer is clear, it lies in precision targeting — put simply, to engage with tomorrow’s future leaders means engaging with them through platforms they actively use (the digital space) and having a clear stage to do this. We can’t complain about infographics and videos being shared if we don’t share simple and engaging content ourselves.

As a former digital engagement officer at the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), I’ve seen firsthand how powerful a well-executed digital strategy can be. When we wanted to give Jewish students, and the wider community, a voice to stand proud and say ‘we’ve had enough’ of antisemitism on campus, we turned to social media.

The results speak for themselves: with over 3,500 people (1,500 of whom were students) signing onto our public letter to vice-chancellors and over a million online interactions, we created one of UJS’s most engaged campaigns on record. It was only through a digital campaign strategy involving interactive content —and not just a statement against the issues — that we were able to generate the results we did and connect alumni and members of the wider community towards the same shared goal.

There is so much potential on social media to be unleashed; it is a powerful tool. Like it or hate it, it’s here to stay, and used the right way, the possibilities for Jewish organisations are infinite. It’s time for our community to use social media to its potential. it can be a strong strategy to fight antisemitism and combat misinformation. It can raise awareness of the vital work Jewish organisations are doing whilst also promoting our vibrant Jewish community life.

Digital media can be a tool to engage with stakeholders to influence and create sustainable change, ensuring our voices are heard on issues that matter. Finally, it can be utilised as a main platform for fundraising. The time is now for Jewish organisations to invest in all things digital, otherwise it might just be too late.

But we don’t just want to survive. In order to ensure a sustainable, engaged, and vibrant Jewish community, our digital media platforms need to reflect those who will one day be officially leading it.

Engagement shouldn’t start when you are already involved in an organisation; engagement needs to start from when a young Jewish person wants to find a community with which they identify. It will only be through a clear strategy that recognises connection, accessibility and awareness that combats this issue.

It is now up to the community to step up to that challenge.

Matty Fisher is a Lauder Fellow of the World Jewish Congress and was UJS Digital Engagement Officer 2023/24