Chabad.org Cancels Its Weekly

By Karen Schwartz

When Yossi Kahan, 22, goes out on Friday afternoons, he takes handfuls of “Think Jewish” weekly print publication with him.

A smicha student in Manalapan, N.J., Kahan has a regular route where he visits Jewish business owners and engages them and their customers in discussions about that week’s Torah portion and other aspects of Judaism.

Many of the men don tefillin when Kahan produces a pair, and the women learn about Shabbos candles. The handouts also leave an impression, says Kahan, who calls Chabad.org’s publication an invaluable resource.

“It gives them something more for when they have time, when they have a chance to sit down and read,” explains the 22-year-old. “They actually appreciate it very much.”

Culled from inspirational articles and scholarly texts available on Chabad.org, the 4 year-old Think Jewish has grown into a customizable brochure people across North America have learned to look for on a weekly basis.

Thousands of copies hit the presses each week and people read them at synagogues, their children’s day schools, or from the friendly rabbi who walks in off the street.

The Scroll

But this Friday, readers will encounter a completely revamped – and renamed – publication.

Called The Scroll, the new handout is designed to get even more people reading, says Mendy Cohen, Chabad.org’s director of publications.

Part business card, part learning tool, anytime read and conversation piece, it features local Shabbos times, Chabad House contact information, and a slew of helpful hints and tips.

As for the name, it was an easy choice, pointing to both Judaism’s central text and the Web experience found in the act of scrolling.

“The Scroll evokes a Torah scroll, which is the foundation of Jewish life,” says Cohen. “Through this publication, we are helping people engage their heritage and learn more about Jewish life.”

Torah in QR

For Baruch Gorkin, who led the redesign, the project is all about “finding form that is in keeping with the very contemporary spirit of Chabad.org, thereby reaching a new audience for whom the previous visual tone and name didn’t necessarily resonate.

“This redesign makes the publication more relevant for a young audience; it’s more in line with its contemporary content,” continues Gorkin, whose portfolio includes rebranding campaigns for several major corporations.

“It’s all about giving you a glimpse into the vast content that exists on Chabad.org. It’s a digest that invites you back into the site.”

Because The Scroll is available for bulk orders and and can be tailor-made for local institution unique communities, a QR barcode on the bottom of the first page allows readers to navigate their smartphones to any site a distributor wishes. Web addresses at the bottom of each article also point readers to places where they can get more information about a specific topic.

“With all the smartphones today, we really frequent our computers less and less. So we’ve added a QR code in each customization,” explains Cohen. “If you hand it out to people, they’ll scan it, and their browser will bring them to your own site for more information.”

More whimsical

Printed in Brooklyn, The Scroll has stepped up to a five-color as opposed to a four-color layout, mixing a bright orange to give the publication a special look.

“There’s a lot of technical work that goes into making the piece look so good,” says Cohen.

Cohen’s staff prints and sends out three issues at a time, and also sells direct subscriptions for $50 a year. All of the content is aimed at keeping people up to date and connected to Judaism, packing everything into a small and informative selection in a meaningful way.

Gorkin sees the goal as creating something “modern and sleek” to draw people in.

“This is about quality Jewish content reaching a new level of its audience,” he says. “People who want to look at something that speaks their language: less didactic, more whimsical, more contemporary.”

Bulk orders

The Scroll is available for bulk orders and can be customized with a name of an organization on the top of the front cover as well as dedication and local Shabbos candle lighting times. To order customized version, visit; www.MyChabad.org/TheScroll, email [email protected], or call 718-735-2000 ext. 267

Home delivery service is available as well. Annual subscription are very popular with people buying it as gifts for family, friends and business associates. To order a subscription; www.Chabad.org/TheScroll

Beginning this Friday, The Scroll will be available in the small zal upstairs in 770 Eastern Parkway for bochurim going on mivtzoim in the NYC area.