I recently discovered an interesting web site called carrotmob.org. A Carrot Mob is the opposite of a boycott. Boycotters are people who want to change the world. They do so by convincing many people to not shop at a particular company, because of an improper business practice (e.g. poor treatment of its employees). In the end, the company has lost customers, but one is never certain if the desired result of the boycott will have been achieved.

And then there is the Carrot Mob. The founders of this organization take a different approach to changing the world, one business at a time. The Carrot Mob does not “boycott” a business, but instead successfully convinces people to “shop like crazy” at a particular store, if the store agrees ahead of time to make the change which the Carrot Mobbers desire.

For example, Carrot Mob is most interested in positive change to the environment, such as energy efficient lighting and solar power. If a business agrees to significantly improve its practices in line with these goals, then Carrot Mob provides the instant gratification of an increased number of customers.

So everyone is happy. Environmentally conscious consumers see positive changes in the business world. And a particular business has more customers. What could be better?

Why the term “Carrot Mob?” — “Mob” refers to the large number of people who are willing to devote their time and money to reward a business for its positive changes. The “carrot” refers to the old dichotomy of the carrot and the stick. Carrot mobbers prefer to reward good behavior, rather than to punish the opposite. Others might say: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Wouldn't it be great if we could apply the concept of Carrot Mob to other areas of our lives — if we could use the strength of community to bring about positive change? By Carrot Mob criteria, the larger the crowd, the better the product, but this is certainly not always the case. After all, even the Detroit Lions sometimes attract a crowd. The largest crowd we ever see in the synagogue is of course on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. But unlike a Carrot Mob, I don't assume that the large crowd means that you love these services better than any others during the year.

If you did attend the services that are the most enjoyable, then we would have overflow crowds on Shabbat (especially on Friday and Saturday nights), at daily minyanim, and on such fun holidays as Purim and Simchat Torah.

The key to the Carrot Mob approach is to let your feelings be known, and then find a way to convince others to stand behind what you want. I urge you to speak directly to us (me, Cantor Berris, Kerry Greenhut, etc.) to let us know what would draw you to the synagogue. But then, when we create the program you desire, we expect you to help it succeed by not only attending, but also bringing along 50 of your friends.