Community is always the answer
Tzibur Harlem Website
Brief
Tzibur Harlem is a Jewish community-building organization in Harlem, New York. While interning at Loyal Design, I was tasked with building their website from the ground up. I carried out the project independently, with guidance and feedback from my supervisors, and worked directly with the client—leading Zoom meetings and managing most email communication—to ensure the design aligned with their vision and needs.
Team
Loyal Design
Focus
Web Design, Client Interaction
Duration
4 months
YEAR
2025
Discovery phase
Less Shul, More Soul
As someone who grew up Jewish, I have a pretty clear sense of what Jewish institutional design usually looks like, and what makes it feel exclusionary to people who aren't already engaged. There's a difference between wanting to be around other Jewish people and wanting to be in an explicitly Jewish context. Tzibur is trying to reach people in that second category: Jews who want community and connection, but might be turned off by something that leads too hard with religion or tradition. So the challenge wasn't just making something warm and contemporary—it was making something that felt like a warm, inviting community that happens to be Jewish, rather than a Jewish organization trying to seem warm and inviting.
Design Approach
Breaking the Blue
Many Jewish organizations lean on predictable visual conventions: blue palettes, bold symbolism, traditional motifs. Tzibur needed something different. The site had to appeal to young adults in Harlem, including those who identify as Jewish but don't have a strong connection to Jewish practice or institutions. Rather than a "Jewish look," the priority was warmth and openness.
The palette centers on rich earthy reds and soft neutrals—comfort and intimacy over solemnity. A friendly serif adds elegance without taking itself too seriously. Together they position Tzibur as rooted but contemporary: a community that meets you wherever you're coming from.
Design Approach
Worth Hovering Over
Motion throughout the site reflects the same calm, contemporary tone as the visual design. Since events are the main CTA for the site, the event cards got extra attention to make sure they feel as inviting and delightful as possible. Upon hover (or tap, on mobile) information is revealed in sequence—description first, action second—so the interaction feels like an invitation. The blog cards follow the same interaction logic — scaled down slightly to match the quieter role blog posts play on the site.
