The giant words seem jarring on the wall of a synagogue — “Resident Evil: Extinction” — and, indeed, they have stopped pedestrians in their tracks along West 34th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

The sign on the side of Congregation Beth Israel-West Side Jewish Center advertises the latest installment of an apocalyptic, zombie-filled movie series based on the “Resident Evil” video games. It was installed by OTR Media, which manages the sign space. And it has apparently offended no one in the Orthodox congregation, said the congregation’s rabbi, Jason Herman.

The billboard is a source of helpful income for building maintenance, Rabbi Herman said.



He said the congregation has the right to veto the advertising content but that OTR Media generally tried to be mindful of the synagogue’s sensibilities. For his part, he said, he tries to be judicious in using his veto power, limiting it to ads that use profanity or feature “immodestly dressed people.”

As to the current sign, Rabbi Herman said, “Not every ad that goes up there would be 100 percent to our liking, but we didn’t feel this was something that was worth making the ad agency’s job more difficult.”