Dear Webmasters:
I hope you had a nice summer. It's hard to believe summer is almost over and the High Holidays are right around the corner!
The URJ has many articles, recipes, and blog posts from ReformJudaism.org to help you begin planning your High Holiday programming. You can include links to this content on your website or social media account and can repost this content online or in your bulletin with a link and attribution.
As the High Holidays approach, make sure your profile shows whether you offer services for non-members so we can include your congregation in our promotions. To update your profile, visit the Reform Movement Marketplace. This will also help your members; if any of them will be traveling, they can request seating at a nearby congregation using the High Holiday seating reciprocity form.
I would like to thank Lisa Goldstein, RJE of Congregation Shalom of San Antonio, Karen Freedman of Beth El The Beaches Synagogue in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and Michelle Foels of Temple Shalom in Myrtle Beach, SC for sharing with me their experiences with RJ Web Builder. They were all quoted in my latest blog post.
You can use the Communications group and the RJ Web Builder group in The Tent to share resources, ask questions, and connect with other communities and congregation webmasters.
5784 will be bringing some exciting changes to the Tent, which is moving to a new platform called Mighty Networks. If you currently use the Tent, you're welcome to explore this new platform now! Go to the new platform, click "Request to Join," and follow the prompts.
A new RJ Web Builder 3.0 user group is in the works; I'll keep you posted as we prepare to go live!
Help me congratulate the congregations whose sites have recently gone live via RJ Web Builder 3.0 (a full list is on the help site):
Springhill Avenue Temple, Mobile, AL
Beth El The Beaches Synagogue, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Temple Shalom, Myrtle Beach, SC
Joel Emerman
Senior Website Manager
jemerman@urj.org
212.452.6579 (Central Time)
HTML and CSS Basics
While knowledge of HTML and CSS is not required to manage RJ Web Builder sites, knowing some of the basics can be helpful.
How to Find Free Images Online for Your Website
If you do not have the resources to take your own pictures, refer to this document to be sure you’re following best practices to ensure you are using images correctly.
Free Photo Editing Software
You will probably need to use photo editing software to prepare images for use on your website or for social media. This resource provides a list of free options to help you optimize your images.
Google Ad Grants
This page details Google’s Ad Grants program, which provides advertising credits to eligible nonprofit organizations, including synagogues.
From the URJ
2022 Annual Report
We are happy to share our 2022 annual report with you! As you read about the work we did last year, we hope you feel energized by all that we have accomplished.
11 Resources for Your New Board
This is the time of year that many congregations form new boards. Here are a few ways your board can utilize URJ resources.
Submit a Congregational Ethics Code
The URJ encourages every congregation to adopt an ethics code that outlines appropriate behavior, and are offering resources to assist congregations in creating ethics codes.
Register Now for the URJ’s 150th Anniversary Celebration
For one joyful weekend from December 15-17, we're gathering to celebrate our community, values, and purpose. Register now to celebrate our 150th anniversary and gather in Washington, D.C.
Share our "Power Your Purpose" Activity Book
Cultivate a love for the environment in your congregation's kids with our "Power Your Purpose" activity book! Created for children ages 5-12 in partnership with Highlights Magazine, this book is packed with stories, games, and puzzles that promote sustainable habits and inspire environmental action.
Is your congregation hosting a virtual gathering or program that's open to the public? Submit it for inclusion in the Reform Movement calendar.
If you are receiving this email, you are the person who was reported to the URJ as your congregation's website manager. If there are other people who need to be on this list or if you need to get off this list, please send corrected information to jemerman@urj.org.