The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia rolled out a brand-new website this week. It’s not just a fresh look. It’s your gateway to the Jewish communities of Greater Philadelphia. Below is a Q&A about the outstanding new features and resources available on the site. We hope you’ll explore it today, and every day, at jewishphilly.org. Join the Movement. #CarryTheLight.
9 Quick Questions about the NEW jewishphilly.org
With Rachel Calman, director of marketing and communications, and Andrew Stitt, digital production associate
- Why did the Jewish Federation choose to launch a new website?
RC: We put together a new website for a few reasons. We realized that people were coming to us looking for resources in the community. In response, we made a robust Community Resources section for people to find exactly what they need. Because we were hearing that our previous site was hard to navigate, we restructured the information for increased accessibility. We also felt that we needed to create a better site on the back-end so that we could easily change and update functionality on the site.
AS: We also chose to launch a new website to reflect our new brand. We went through a rebrand to better reflect who we are as an organization. We represent giving, inclusion and tradition to all Jews in Greater Philadelphia, and we wanted to make sure that our website represents that.
- How does the new site fit in with the new branding that the Jewish Federation launched in September 2016?
RC: This is phase two of the rebrand. We needed to create a new site for all of the reasons above and to reinforce the visual and messaging changes that were part of the brand launch in September.
- What kind of information can people find on the website?
RC: People can find out who we are, find ways to give and get involved, see stories from our communities in our new blog called “The Latest” or find a Jewish event to attend in Greater Philadelphia for any age or interest. Plus, donors and Jewish Federation event attendees will also find a new login feature. This will enable you to keep all of your information stored on your account so you can check your donation history and sign up for more than one event without having to type in all of your information repeatedly.
- What upgrades will visitors find on the new site?
AS: The Community Resources section is the biggest upgrade. It is a searchable directory of Jewish resources in Greater Philadelphia. Many of our website visitors come looking for Jewish resources, so we made them as easy as possible to find.
RC: Yes, now visitors can easily find our robust Community Resources section and can search by location and by category: Religious Life, Education, Food, Culture, Services and Programs, Health and Travel.
- What are your three top favorite features of the new site?
AS: The easier-to-navigate Events Calendar, the new overall cleaner design and navigation and the Community Resources section. I’ve been working with websites for a decade, and the top two rules are that they should look good and work well. This website does both!
- Is this new site mobile-device friendly?
AS: Very much so. It is fully responsive and scales down nicely to look good on phones and tablets, as well as on desktop and laptop screens.
- If someone is new to the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community how could the site be helpful to them?
RC: This is a great resource for new community members because they can see how many activities and events are available for them to become involved in. Using the comprehensive Community Resources section, they can find any Jewish resource they may need.
AS: Right, if they need to find where to buy kosher food or where to send their children to Hebrew school, we have them covered.
- Why should people visit the site on a regular basis?
RC: We are constantly updating information. For example, you can find an opportunity to travel with purpose, scholarship offerings, camp resources and much more. During unfortunate times of crisis, you can also refer to the Jewish Federation homepage for important updates, like when we mobilized our communities to support Mount Carmel Cemetery.
AS: The new website also will allow us to tell more stories, more frequently. This includes stories about everything from the great work being done in the local Jewish community to how to make your own Seder plate.
- Who should people talk to if they have questions or suggestions regarding the site?
AS: They can go to our contact form (jewishphilly.org/who-we-are/contact-us) and submit their question or suggestion. We would love to hear everyone’s feedback.
