Scalable platform that supports Jewish literacy
Project goals
Build a faster, easier-to-manage website that appeals to kids and supports the needs of both families and staff
Result
The new platform handles high traffic, is simple to update, and helps the foundation reach more families with less effort
About the client
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports Jewish life and learning through a wide range of educational and cultural programs. With flagship initiatives like PJ Library and PJ Our Way, the foundation promotes literacy, identity, and engagement among Jewish families across North America and around the world.
The Project
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation needed to upgrade the PJ Our Way website — its book program for Jewish kids aged 8 to 12. The old site was slow, hard to manage, and didn’t offer the kind of interactive experience kids are used to today.
Our job was to rebuild the platform on Kentico MVC, improve performance, make content easier to manage, and create a dual-mode interface that worked equally well for children and parents. We also had to ensure the site could handle heavy traffic during peak times and play nicely with their existing ERP system.
Challenge
The original PJ Our Way site had reached its limit. It was slow, hard to update, and no longer met the needs of its growing audience — the kind of challenge we often address through custom web development services. The foundation needed a platform that could scale, support a better user experience, and reduce the day-to-day load on staff.
Outdated website hindered engagement and didn’t reflect the interactive experience kids expect online — something thoughtful UI/UX design can significantly improve.
Performance pressure: The platform needed to handle up to 50,000 users and 5,000+ simultaneous sessions without lag.
Two user types: Parents and children needed distinct interfaces — with content, navigation, and permissions tailored for each group.
Gamification logic: Users earn badges for activities, requiring custom logic to track and reward actions accurately.
Accessibility requirements to ensure inclusive access for all users.
Content management: Admins needed an easier way to update books, events, and content across the site.
What We Built
To deliver on performance, we used a Kentico MVC architecture with web farms and layered caching. This gave us full control over how pages loaded and made the site much faster across the board.
Here’s what we delivered:
Split view for kids and parents — Users can toggle between child and parent modes on any page. The layout, permissions, and content shift accordingly.
Gamification features — Kids earn badges for reading activity, tracked with custom logic behind the scenes.
Custom admin modules — Editors can easily manage book titles, reading lists, events, and user data inside Kentico’s admin interface.
Content staging and versioning — New content can be previewed and pushed live with one click.
ERP integration — The site connects directly to Microsoft Dynamics NAV and a custom API built on top of it, made possible through robust CMS integration services.
Onboarding tour — A built-in guided tour helps new users find their way around.
Accessibility improvements — We followed best practices to ensure the site is usable by everyone.
Results
The new PJ Our Way platform gave the Harold Grinspoon Foundation the tools they needed to serve a growing audience without overloading their team. The site is faster, easier to manage, and better suited to how kids and parents use it.
Handled peak traffic without performance issues — up to 5,000 concurrent users
Reduced admin workload by simplifying how books, events, and content are updated
Improved engagement with kids through interactive features and personalized experiences
Clearer experience for parents with a dedicated view and content tailored to their needs
Stronger accessibility ensured all users, regardless of ability, could fully participate
Smooth backend operations thanks to seamless integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV
“They were excellent. Always on point with deadlines. We found next to no bugs. Responsive, even across time zones. Their attention to detail was outstanding… We estimated a 97% success rate on a 50,000-people rollout.” - Eric Jordan, CIO at HGF
This upgrade wasn’t just technical — it helped PJ Our Way grow its impact. By making the platform more stable and inclusive, the foundation can better fulfill its mission: fostering Jewish identity, strengthening community, and empowering the next generation to connect with their heritage through stories.
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About the project
Client:
Country:
USA
Industry:
Education
Services:
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