WEBSITE/E-MAIL POLICY

website policy

E-MAIL

1. The Webmaster will be the official gatekeeper of the e-mail list for the synagogue.  Access is to be given to the Temple Administrator and the Webmaster.  Any officer, trustee, or member shall make a request for a mailing through the Temple Administrator.
2. Members may elect in writing not to have their e-mail information included in the printed directory.  In such event, the e-mail address will be used only for official Temple correspondence.  Failure by any member to expressly request in writing that the information be excluded shall be deemed to be permission to print the e-mail address.
3. The Temple will not publish individual e-mail addresses of Temple members on the Website unless specifically requested in writing, but members of the board may be contacted via generic e-mail addresses or links on the website (e.g., YouthGroup@temple-sinai.org).  The Temple will publish e-mail addresses of outside organizations that send the information to the synagogue for publication to its members.
4. The Temple will not distribute e-mail lists of its members to any other organization [other than the URJ] or as approved by the Board.
5. E-mail guidelines for members –
   
   1. The Temple, as a nonprofit organization, cannot take any partisan stand on any politicalissues, and we expect that our membership will honor that status and not use the e-mail lists for any political purposes.
   2. The e-mail list is for the convenience and use of our membership for personal and synagogue-related correspondence, and for distribution of information of general interest in the Jewish community.  It is not to be used for commercial purposes, nor are the address lists to be distributed outside the membership of the congregation.  It is the expectation that our membership will respect the privacy of the members of the synagogue by using the lists for appropriate purposes.

WEBSITE

1. Temple Newsletter - Shofar –
   
   1. The synagogue will publish a redacted version of the Shofar on the website, which will exclude personal information other than names.  Failure by any member to expressly request in writing that the information be excluded shall be deemed to be permission to print the name.  The Webmaster will take reasonable efforts to withhold names on request, but the Temple will not be responsible if a name is published.
   2. Pictures – No names will be published with pictures, other than generic captions, unless specifically requested in writing.
   3. Content – The following information will not be included in the redacted version of the Shofar published on the website:
      
      1. New member names and addresses
      2. Capital Campaign information specifically relating to individual donations
      3. Oneg phone numbers
      4. Information identifying names of children wherever possible (youth group articles and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs is where it occurs the most)
      5. Yahrzeits
      6. Classifieds
      7. Birthdays and anniversaries
      8. Other information which is deemed not to be of general interest to persons outside the membership or which divulges personal information, or upon written request
   4. Criteria for determining publication on website—must be directly related to Temple activities or of general interest (but not commercial) to the members or prospective members
2. Officers and trustee names
   
   1. Officers and trustee names and positions will be printed on the website, but personal e-mail addresses will not be published.  In lieu thereof, a generic e-mail address will be published by which the board member may be contacted.

The Website/E-mail Policy committee is constituted as an ongoing ad hoc committee to address issues relating to website and Internet usage, e-mail, and other electronic communication, security, and access issues.

Website/E-mail Policy Committee:

Karen Westall (Chair)
Howard Neuwirth-Hirsch (Webmaster)

September 11, 2002