If your daily life even vaguely resembles mine, then everywhere you look, you see promotional material advertising specials for gym membership, weight-loss programs, and other assorted services that can enhance your well-being or sense thereof. Why are we seeing more of this than usual? Because it’s right after the New Year, these gyms and businesses have tapped into the minds of their target audience, hoping to lure them in with their special January rates. Because outreach is about reaching people where they are, I wonder if we as the Jewish community are making our voice heard at this time of year and capitalize on the secular New Year as an entry point to engagement.

We can do this by thinking about where our target audience “is” and how we can reach them where they “are.” Many folks spend the first days and weeks of January resolute to make improvements in their lives, and to take control of an area that they feel might need some work. By programming in a way that bridges self-improvement with a taste of something Jewish, we can design and subsequently advertise our programs around this time of year to take advantage of where people “are” psychologically. Whether a yoga class with a Jewish twist, or a workshop on “getting organized” based on principles of Jewish wisdom, this is the time of year to offer and creatively promote such programs. What kinds of programs do you offer at this time of year?