By Cheryl Cook, Executive Director

I’m delighted to announce the launch of our new website and logo.

The site is the result of a multi-year rebranding process, the result of which enables us to tell the story of this work in a dynamic, clear, and energetic fashion.

Working with Cornershop Creative for the website, and with Betsy Wise of Wise Branding Group and designer Nicole Williams for the logo, the final product is a comprehensive and unified vision of our work to strengthen the Jewish community’s response to the causes and effects of domestic poverty.

At our new site, you’ll find beautiful representations of our story and our programs, and of course, you’ll have the chance to meet our 2016-2017 class of Corps Members.

Our new logo, a unique take on the traditional Star of David imagery, is meant to convey a number of meanings:

• The image is filled with multiple points of intersection and connection, representing what we seek to create in our programming: understanding the connections between the many overlapping struggles faced by Americans who are working to make ends meet, the linkage between Jewish wisdom and our work for change.
• While we are inspired by Jewish tradition, and our work is grounded in Jewish learning and community, we seek to build on it our through our work, to help our participants in our programs and the broader Jewish community find new pathways into a Judaism rooted in pursuing justice.
• We’ve chosen bright colors to represent the vibrancy and inspiration of the Avodah community.

For those who haven’t viewed our website in a while, this new incarnation is far more easy to navigate, and woven throughout with powerful stories of the leaders in our community. We’re so excited to be able to so clearly share who we are on this site, as well as the potential it offers us moving forward.

A great many hands and minds contributed to the creation of this website, including our Communications Task Force chair Alison Hirsh and task force members Benetta Mansfield, Ben Hammer, Ilana Carp, and Rebecca Shaloff who played an important role as a creative sounding board; our staff team and many alumni, who lent their voices and edits, in addition to their faces and stories; and to David Wolkin, our Director of Communications, who managed the project. Additional thanks to Harvey L. & Jan Miller and an Anonymous Family Foundation for supporting this project from the start.

We hope you’ll take some time to peruse and enjoy the new site, and allow me with extend warm wishes for a sweet New Year in advance.