Congregation Beth Israel launches YouTube channel

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2010-08-01T00:00:00

Nearly a year ago Congregation Beth Israel began podcasting its Shabbat and holiday worship services via ipadio in an attempt to reach home-bound or out of area members. Since that first breakthrough last September, nearly 100 podcasts of services and special events have been added to Beth Israel’s ipadio log, and responses from around the community and farther afield (Australia and Israel) have confirmed that people are indeed listening.

Now it’s not just the power of the word that Beth Israel wants to share—it’s the picture too. CBIpdx is Congregation Beth Israel’s own YouTube channel, featuring selections from special services and events including production numbers from the hit 5770 Purimschpiel, Woodschlock; and performances by members of the NW Gospel Choir and Beth Israel’s multi-generational choir from the Jan. 15 Shabbat Shira service honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

These events, and many others at Beth Israel, were captured on film professionally by husband-wife filmmakers and congregant Tony and Robyn Barbon, of Folklore Media. Both have extensive production experience, with Tony having worked for more than 20 years as a producer, director, executive director and cinematographer with companies such as Turner Classic Movies. He also worked for 10 years in New York as an independent director of photography for film and television programs such as Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and The Barbara Walters Specials. Robyn honed her production skills as a production stage manager at the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theater Company, stage managing shows in Chicago, on Broadway and in London’s West End.

In 2003, Robyn and Tony relocated to Portland with their two daughters and formed Folklore Media, a creative media company that produces a wide array of projects including fundraising videos for nonprofit groups, online promotional videos and other videos for businesses. Their style of storytelling is honest and personal and they are skilled at making non-professionals feel comfortable in front of a camera. Their years of experience working for others taught them well how a simple story can be transformed into a powerful narrative.

Robyn and Tony’s first project for Beth Israel was the synagogue’s 150th Anniversary video, and they recall feeling an enormous sense of responsibility during production.

“We had three critical goals when we began: to accurately distil the considerable history of CBI, to preserve a record of the CBI community as it exists in our time and to inspire a vision for the following 150 years. As members of the congregation, we feel privileged that our work is included in CBI’s archive.”

Robyn and Tony enjoy documenting Beth Israel’s activities and continue to work with the clergy and leadership to expand Beth Israel’s visibility in the community via the congregation’s website, bethisrael-pdx.org and other media outlets such as YouTube.

“CBI is a unique and vibrant community and we’re proud that our family is part of it. There are so many events that draw upon the diverse talents of this congregation; this is an exciting time in which to belong and to be a part of sharing these events with the community.”

People can learn more about Folklore Media at folkloremedia.com.