Simchat Torah Challenge
Simchat Torah Challenge — A website uniting tens of thousands of Jews worldwide in weekly Torah reading to honor October 7 victims
Overview
Simchat Torah Challenge is a global Torah reading initiative launched by the Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, uniting Jews worldwide in weekly Torah study to honor the victims of the October 7, 2023 attack — now continuing its second year. This platform was purpose-built to become an online resource for the search for Jewish identity across leading organizations including Sefaria, Chabad, Yeshiva University, Hillel International, and AISH HaTorah.
Services
Web Design, Web Development
Industry
Nonprofit / Jewish Community
Website
simchattorahchallenge.org
Challenges
In the wake of October 7 — a date that fell on the holiday of Simchat Torah — at NextProject Gorin, Loeb partnered with leading Jewish organizations to create a two-year learning initiative through collective Torah study. The initiative needed a solution that could:
- Unite participants across the full spectrum of Jewish observance and backgrounds
- Deliver weekly Torah portions in real-time with educational, modern commentary
- Support a global sign-up system to accommodate of scale
- Create a sense of shared community and purpose around a deeply emotional cause
Media of the week
Solution
GS developed and built simchattorahchallenge.org — taking an existing design and sculpting it into a polished platform to make weekly Torah engagement feel personal, accessible, and text-focused.
Development & Integrations
- Clear, sign-up flow with weekly email onboarding to keep participants engaged throughout the initiative
- Content management system enabling the team to publish and update weekly Torah content efficiently
- Built and launched in a short timeframe to meet the strict launch date, while also planning for global scale
Content Structure
- Weekly parsha pages with curated insights and commentary from participating Jewish organizations
- Accessible across all sizes that foster the same focal experience for a broad, diverse audience
Tech Stack
Next.js, React, Sanity, Tailwind, CMS
Outcome
The platform successfully engaged its global audience — and it continues to grow from there.
- Up to 25,000+ sign-ups before the official launch, exceeding the initial target of 10,000
- Tens of thousands of participants continue to engage in weekly Torah reading
- +10 major Jewish organizations are providing original content
- Year-long engagement established the global partnership for a through weekly touchpoints
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