In the core conversation "Is Facebook Making Houses of Worship Go Extinct?" we plan to discuss how social media has changed the role of the religious meeting place. Using the model of the synagogue as a case study, we note that in the past, people went to the synagogue not only to pray as a community, but also for the social element. It was the place that they made their lifelong friends. It was where they met their future spouse. It was where they went to get all of the important news that concerned the local and global Jewish community. Today you don't necessarily need a central meeting place to accomplish those social needs. With the growing use of social networks, young Jewish adults have found other ways and places to connect. We plan to examine how communal religious spaces are needing to adapt to be more than just the physical space people come to pray, but to also be places that foster connections and relationships in new, innovative and experiential ways.
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official listing on sxsw.comhttp://schedule.sxsw.com/2014/events/event_IAP20931
