Last fall, Bet Shira Congregation in Pinecrest was looking for a way to integrate those congregants who couldn’t attend services due to their health or long distance. They reached out to Midtown Video for a solution to enable congregants to watch the services and events in the comfort of their home.
After meeting with the Midtown team, Bet Shira Congregation decided it was time to enter the digital age and begin streaming the synagogue’s services and other events live to their website. They had two special requests, one, the system had to be simple enough to use that a video technician would not be needed to operate it and two, that it required a minimal amount of manual labor during the filming of the Sabbath services.
Gigi Sopo, Member Services for Bet Shira Congregation shares, “The Midtown team is great! They are all warm, friendly and professional. Whenever we’ve had an urgent issue that needed to be addressed, they were there. Virge Castillo has been my go-to person for all technology questions and has helped us a great deal.”
Midtown handled the Sony and Apple products installation and provided all the technological tools the synagogue needed, as well as providing training on the flash player set up, proper broadband selection and additional support as needed. The installation itself was a challenging one, as it required careful wiring to maintain the aesthetics of the sanctuary due to the type of existing ceiling tile.
“We have been using our equipment for several months now and we are very satisfied!” continued Sopo, “Our Tricaster is fabulous and the camera is high definition. The training that Midtown provided me was superb and has allowed us to use our new equipment effectively.”
Since they began video streaming the services the synagogue has received several e-mails expressing appreciation as well as contributions. Many of the web viewers aren’t even congregants. They are watching from Spain, Israel and other countries. The webcasting of synagogue services was most appreciated during High Holy Days when many people cannot afford tickets or are unable to attend due to illness. Added Sopo, “Streaming services brings our community together in a way it’s never been before.”
Bet Shira Congregation is a conservative synagogue in Pinecrest, Florida offering enrichment programs, adult-learning opportunities, social events, preschool and religious school. For more information, visit www.betshira.org.
To learn more about Midtown Video’s turnkey installations, click here.
