Why didn’t you tell me that people in Malaysia read your blog?
That’s what someone recently said to me who was poopooing the very idea of a blog or that anyone might be interested in what I have to say about such a niche group like Jewish teenagers.
(Come to think of it, would those readers know the word poopoo? For those in Malaysia, it means to mildly deprecate or dismiss something as not important).
So you can imagine how funny it is when I check my ‘stats’ on WordPress to see a map of the world (similar to the one above) with readers distributed in far-flung countries that don’t even seem to have a Jewish population at all, let alone Jewish teens.
This is very funny to me. Talk about reach.
But really, this is hard to fathom.
I’ve written before about how Jewish teens enrolled in Jewish education after the typical age of drop-off (bar/bat mitzvah) are off the Jewish communal radar.
They seem to be the “forgotten few” — for foundations seem to favor those teens that attend summer camps or day schools.
I mean, where are these statistics coming from? Are these actual readers? Or are wires crossed somewhere?
I’m still giddy at the idea that someone out there reads this blog and the issues I care about.
Recently, I ran into someone who I haven’t been in touch with for quite some time and she nonchalantly said, “Oh, I know what you’re up to, I read your blog.” (really? and you don’t comment? or follow?)
Where are your readers? Is this surprising to you too?
Related articles
Jewish Teens:The Young and (thankfully) Restless (ruthschapira.wordpress.com)
Jewish Teens: Lost? (ruthschapira.wordpress.com)
Jewish Teens Reinvent the Synagogue (ruthschapira.wordpress.com)