|
|
Sept. 9, 2005
New site for B.C. Jews
David Vladar hosts a one-stop community shop.
KYLE BERGER
Newcomers to the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver have often
complained about the challenge of making connections and/or finding
events or programs that interest them. David Vladar has decided
to do something about it.
On Aug. 1, Vladar launched his new website BCJews.com, which he
calls the "one-stop [shop] for all Jewish events."
"Since I came to Vancouver, I have met many people who are
relatively new to the community and they all have one common thought,"
he told the Independent. "They felt it was very hard
to track down community events and get involved without a lot of
persistence.
"Another trend I had noticed is the large amount of e-mails
I received each week from the various organizations promoting their
events," he continued. "Sometimes I'd even get multiple
e-mails per week from the same organization. However, like many
people, I am busy and have limited time and patience when it comes
to reading the same information over and over again."
It is Vladar's intention that BCJews.com becomes an information
haven for British Columbia's Jews to use whenever they want it.
"To start, it will focus on listing events from the different
organizations throughout B.C.," he explained. "Participating
organizations will be listed on the site, with details and a link
to their website and e-mail."
The organizations will also be able to list all their events and
sort them by category for easy searching.
"It's also going to be good for tourists, visitors or people
thinking of moving to Vancouver," he said. "They can go
to one website and get a real comprehensive look at what's going
on in the area."
The site also includes a community calendar and information about
affiliated local organizations. Once he is receiving regular input
from most of the local groups, Vladar plans to make the site customizable
and interactive with a discussion forum page for members. He will
also feature information on local synagogues, community centres
and kosher grocers or restaurants.
Vladar moved to Vancouver from Edmonton a year agp. He has a wealth
of experience working with websites. He studied website development
in university and he is a part owner of VCS Vault, a computer company
that focuses on websites, office systems and backup solutions.
Check out the site online at www.BCJews.com.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
^TOP
|
|
