Dear Webmasters:
Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.
We’ve been very busy adding new features and making necessary fixes to our new RJ Web Builder calendar plugin. Now, when you go to your calendar page, you’ll notice an event preview when you hover over any event.
Within the plugin, event categories can be designated via different colors. Now you can add a color legend to the top of the calendar page. Also, when setting up a recurring event, there is a field in which you can set dates to be excluded from the series. One of the features of the home page upcoming events module for recurring events is the display of Next dates. The upcoming events will display the next event in the series and list the next few after that. When setting up the module, you now can turn it on or off. Finally, you can easily duplicate an event with just one click on the events list in the backend.
If you haven’t switched over to the new plugin, I would recommend doing so immediately as we continue to have issues with the old Events Calendar plugin. Please review these step by step instructions to help you set up the new plugin. All tutorials can be found here. If you have any questions, issues or need help, please do not hesitate to reach out.
If you were using our Torah and Haftarah calendars in the old plugin, you’ll need to set them up again. These two easily add-able calendars display Torah readings and Haftarah readings through 2024. With these .ICS links, you can set up both calendars.
Thank you to those who were able to attend our webinar last month on how to make your RJ Web Builder site more ADA compliant. If you were not able to attend, the video is posted on our help site. In this webinar, we reviewed a list of tips to make sure your website complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and show you how to make these changes yourself.
While most accessibility issues can’t be addressed without directly changing your content, a quick and easy way to make your website more accessible to those with disabilities is by adding an accessibility toolbar. This new plugin adds several helpful features with minimal amount of setup and without the need for expert knowledge. A small icon on the left or right side of your header allows users to open a toolbar that gives them options for underlining your links, setting grayscale, negative or high contrast effects, making your fonts more readable, adding a light background to make your content more prominent and much more.
While this new plugin has been added to the network already, it can’t be added automatically to all sites without it appearing on all sites. The plugin must be manually activated on each site separately. If you wish to utilize the accessibility toolbar, please let me know so I can activate it for you.
Don’t forget to utilize the Communications group or the RJ Web Builder group in The Tent as a place to share resources, ask questions and connect with other communities and congregation webmasters.
Please help me congratulate the congregation who went live recently on RJ Web Builder 3.0 (a full list is always available on the help site):
Temple Sholom, Galesburg, IL
Joel Emerman
Congregational Websites Manager
Pronouns: he/him/his
212.452.6579 (Central Time)
Quick Tips
How to Create a Fake Link
If you want to create a parent menu item that doesn't go anywhere, you'll want to create a fake link.
How to Add a Custom Menu
If you want to show a different menu on different pages, you can use the custom menu option.
Did You KNow?
Fall Holiday Print and Digital Bulletin Ads are Available
Use these Rosh HaShanah camera-ready ads for your congregation's newsletter or bulletin (print or email) and on your website or Facebook page.
Many of Our Congregations are Offering Virtual Opportunities That Your Members Can Take Advantage Of
Browse the Reform Movement calendar for a full list. If your congregation has a virtual gathering or program that's open to the public, submit it for inclusion in the Reform Movement calendar. If your congregation is offering High Holiday opportunities for non-members and/or streaming services, update your record in the congregational directory.
Staying In Touch
We are challenged in reaching current webmasters due to high turnover and changes in email addresses. If you are receiving this email, you are the person who was reported to the URJ to be handling your congregation's website. If there are additional people who need to be on this list or if you need to get off this list, please send corrected information to datamgmt@urj.org.