Park Avenue Synagogue

Founded in 1882. Rebranded in 2020.

Strategy
Brand Identity
Copywriting
UX/UI
Publication Design

Everyone’s heard the expression “two Jews, three opinions.” This was no joke when it came to getting 2,000 members of one of the largest and most influential synagogues in the world to align around a new voice. Shavrick & Partners were selected to rebrand and redesign the synagogue’s communications in conjunction with an $84-million renovation of their landmark Upper East Side Manhattan building. The question was how to appeal to the those reaching bar-mitzvah age, as well as the Boomers who needed easy website navigation and were uncomfortable with change.

Over the course of 18 months we conducted research, defined personas, clarified the mission and vision, developed a comprehensive new brand identity system and tone of voice, and most significantly, redesigned the PAS website. The site features a calendar comprised of over 150 classes and events annually, serving the entire membership and the broader community.

“When it comes to renewing the look and feel of our synagogue, the changes are entirely good in that they signal our optimism about our communal future. Like the restoration of a painting, our efforts reveal beauty which may have been obscured.”

— Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD

Our task was to balance best-in-class 21st-century communications practices with Park Avenue Synagogue’s 140 years of history; weaving the old with the new.

Partner with us: hello@shavrick.com

Subscribe to our newsletter