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About This Website
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Program Leaders and Committee Members: Check out TBZ's "Visual Identity Guide" for downloadable logos, graphics, and template flyers and posters which consistently identify "who we are" to our members, prospective members, and the community. For more information, please email the TBZ Webmaster |
TBZ's Website is a resource for members and non-members alike. Using this site you can find out more about our shul, including its organization, history and activities. You can read about the benefits and services offered to members, and find out how to join — and contribute to — TBZ. Announcements, articles, book excerpts, educational information and links, an other useful publications and resources also are available to read or download.
On this page you can read about:
Website Design and Organization
Design Process Reflects How TBZ Community Thinks and Functions.
TBZ's Website — www.tbzbrookline.org — is the dream-child of shul co-president Enid Shulman and former co-president Myra Musicant, who, along with Reb Moshe, have longed for an improved way to communicate about Temple Beth Zion — to members; within programs and committees; and to the community. For several years, TBZ has maintained a rudimentary Website, and in early 2005, a small group, including Enid, Myra and board members Len Rosen and Gary Cohen, began meeting with Reb Moshe to discuss a vision and organizing structure for a revamped site. Like most seemingly logistical activities at TBZ, the group soon realized that building a TBZ Website would be a spiritual/existential project, too. An example from early on: we knew (from looking at other temple Websites) that our planned Website ought to feature a declarative section entitled, "Who We Are." Predictably, we sank deep into an interrogatory permutation of that title — "Who Are We?" — and wrestled with many resulting questions, including:
- How do we view ourselves?
- How would we describe our "essence" — our communal neshama (soul) and passionate ruach (spirit) — to each other, and to the community?
- How would a Web-based self-portrait balance the esoteric (our attraction to more mystical strains within Judaism) and the exoteric (our undeniable zest for exuberant community life)?
- To what extent should our self-description emphazise Reb Moshe’s historical and temperamental affinity for Buddhism?
- In tone, would we describe ourselves as "Old School" or "New Age?"
- What would we write about TBZ's place in, and contribution to, the broader Jewish world?
- How should we describe the role of prayer in the TBZ community? Do we experience prayer traditionally, or through the flexible use of techniques from Jewish mystical and other faiths/systems? How do we balance words and silence?
- What is the role of Jewish observation/law at our shul? Does TBZ help its members be more "observant?" Is that our shul's aim?
- How is social activism integral to spirituality at TBZ? To what extent have we harnessed our community's spiritual focus to make important (even unique) contributions to our communities?
- How should we express our devotion to study and learning, with the intention of deepening our individual and community connections?
- What do we ask of ourselves, and each other, in being a "participatory" community? How can a Website encourage such participation?
- What is the best way to communicate our self-perception as a "special place" for Jews?
- How do we explain what it is that attracted us (and so many new members) to our shul? Is it that we offer a seemingly more "authentic" (at least, deeper) Jewish experience?
- How can a Website convey both "joy" and "exuberance," on one hand, and contemplative "stillness," on the other?
- If, indeed, we are (and are constantly becoming) a "special place," do we have an obligation to let the community know about us? We might still be discussing these questions, had Reb Moshe not reminded us that never-ending self/Self reflection is "who we are" — and yet we still needed a new Website!
Website Concept.
In order to move forward, we settled on a two-tiered concept for the Website:
Website Design.
After an extensive search, we located Darim Online, a Vermont-based non-profit organization which provides beautiful online solutions for synagogues, day schools and Jewish organizations. We first contacted Darim Online in the Spring 2005, and shortly thereafter, hired it to help us design and build our Website. The Website you are now using is the product of many months of hard work, both here at the shul and at Darim Online's Vermont office. Blessings to our colleagues at Darim Online for a wonderful job!
Photographs of Ark Mosaics and Faith Quilts.
The beautiful photographs of the Ark Mosaics and the Faith Quilts panels were shot by TBZ member Geoff Stein, an award-winning professional photographer whose understanding of balance, light, reflection and shadow are matched by his cheerful willingness to deploy his talents in service of our community. TBZ's new Website would not have had the same warmth and evocation of our Sanctuary without Geoff's contributions. Yashir Ko’ach, Geoff; may your strength grow!
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How to Use this Website
This Website has been designed to make it as easy as possible to find what you want. The content is divided into sections that each contain related information, and links are provided wherever possible to guide you to further information that may be useful. There are a number of ways of finding the information you want, which are described below. If you don't find what you want straight away, try using a different option to search the site.
As with most Websites, the pages on the TBZ site are organized hierarchically — it's easiest to think them as branching out like an upside-down tree (much like a family tree), with the homepage most closely associated with the major Website "categories." Each category in turn contains several key "sections," and each section contains one or more "pages."
Navigation Tips.
A few simple navigation tips will help you find your way around www.tbzbrookline.org —
- Categories. Our original concept for the Website is evident in eight site categories — three inspired by Reb Rami (Reality, Prayer & Meditation, and Love in Action; notice that Reb Rami’s interpretation of Pirke Avot occupies a central portion of the homepage); and five informational categories (Who We Are, Reb Moshe, Life Spiral, Events & Programs, and Resources).
- Navigation Bar and Dropdown Menus. Every page on the Website has a "navigation bar" right above the banner:
Clicking on a category name in this navigation bar will open a dropdown menu, listing the major sections which comprise that category. You can then link to the lead page in any section which interests you by clicking on the desired dropdown menu link.
- Homepage Banner. You can also link to one of the first-tier categories — Reality, Prayer & Meditation, and Love in Action — by clicking on the corresponding blue rectangle on the homepage:
- Navigation Icons. At the top of each page, we've included seven "navigation icons" which function as shortcuts to frequently-visited pages:
- Seaching the Website. There's also a "Search" box on every page, in the top left corner above the banner; it looks like this:
- Enter one or more words in this box, click the "Search" icon and a page will appear with a list of places on the Website that include one or more of the words that you have entered. To reduce the number of results, add extra words to your search, or put the exact phrase you’re interested in within quotation marks. You can give it a try, above!
- Links. On many pages some words or phrases appear in blue-underlined text. These words and phrases are links to other pages on the TBZ Website that contain more about that subject. Sometimes, we link to external Websites where we consider their information to be useful. Where noted, some links will open a music clip, or an Adobe PDF file or Microsoft Word document. And occasionally, an underlined link will bring up an email window to allow you to send a message or request to a specific committee or leader within the shul.
- "In this Section." On every page, we also include links to related sections or particularly important information on the left-hand side of the page, under the heading, IN THIS SECTION . These links may be content on the TBZ Website or on external Websites. TBZ endeavors to make sure that all such links are up-to-date and appropriate, but we can’t take responsibility for the content of third-party Websites.
- Global Content. The left-hand area also contains links to global content. For example, we've included a link to the Faith Quilts pages on the left-hand side of every page.
- "More Information." On many pages, we've also include links to more detailed information about a topic at the end of the main block of text, under the heading, MORE INFORMATION. Again, this may be content on the TBZ Website or on external Websites; here too, we can’t take responsibility for the content of third-party Websites.
- PDFs and Word Documents. Some of the information on this Website, such as speeches and papers, is provided as PDF files. You will need extra software on your computer to read these, but the good news is that this software is free.
- Listening to Music Clips. Music clips have been posted throughout the site, in recognition of the important role music plays in the creation of our sacred communal space. Regular attendees of our lively services will recognize many of the clips. With each clip, a link is provided, to enable you to learn more about the musician and to purchase your own copy of the musician’s CD. We encourage you to support the the talented music-makers who entertain and inspire us with their melodies, voices, instruments and spirit. Please support their creativity by purchasing their recordings.
- Browsing. Ultimately, the best way to learn about our Website is to meander around, clicking on links which catch your eye, topics which pique your curiosity. There's a great deal of content here, plus many useful links to outside organizations. If you're reading this, you already are a competent "Web browser." Browse! Enjoy!
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Be a WEB MENSCH!
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Wherever you see the "be a WEB MENSCH" symbol, we need your help — creating content for this Website. For more information on what you can do (and learn, in the process!), please contact Reb Moshe or click on the WEB MENSCH symbol to contact the TBZ Webmaster. |
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Thank You to Our Website Authors!
Websites inherently are works-in-progress, and so the list of authors, contributors and advisors continues (and will continue) to grow. Surely, we’ll forget to name someone, in listing the names of those who have helped us launch the new tbzbrookline.org and our new visual identity – but their contributions are no less appreciated. Special thanks go to Reb Moshe, Enid Shulman, Myra Musicant, Len Rosen, Noam Sender, Reggie Silberberg, Meredith Joy, Priscilla Stein, Jay Zagorsky and Gary Cohen for helping us reach this moment.
MORE INFORMATION
Visual Identity Guide
Join a TBZ Yahoo! Group
Privacy Policy
Website Usage
Darim Online
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