Draft:TorahApp
Jewish Educational Software Application
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TorahApp (also known as Torah App or TheTorahApp) is a free, all-in-one Jewish Torah study application that combines religious texts (seforim) with audio and video lectures (shiurim) in a single platform.[1] Launched in 2023, the app integrates content from multiple established Jewish educational resources while curating its textual offerings specifically for an Orthodox Jewish audience.[2] TorahApp is available on iOS, Android, and as a web application.[3]
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 2 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 4,276 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
| TorahApp | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Josh Herzberg |
| Initial release | November 2023 |
| Operating system | iOS, Android, Web |
| Type | Religious software, Education |
| License | Free |
| Website | torahapp |
The application differs from other digital Torah resources by offering integrated audio-text study capabilities, allowing users to read Jewish texts while simultaneously listening to related lectures.[1] Designed for commuters and mobile learners, the app includes a calendar-aware prayer book (Siddur) that adjusts based on the Hebrew calendar, and continuous playback functionality for uninterrupted transitions between audio files.[4]
History
TorahApp was created by Josh Herzberg, a Google software engineer who began development in August 2023.[2]
The app was initially built by Herzberg for personal use after finding that existing platforms lacked continuous playback functionality for Torah lectures during his commute.[1] The application was publicly announced in February 2024, with coverage appearing in several Jewish media outlets including The Jewish Press, The Jewish Link, and Torah Musings.[2] Rabbi Gil Student, director of the Halacha Commission of the Rabbinical Alliance of America (RAA), provided rabbinic guidance on the curation of texts to ensure Orthodox standards.[5]
Herzberg developed TorahApp without external funding as a volunteer project, encouraging users to donate directly to the content providers whose materials the app aggregates. It does not utilize any advertisements for funding.[6]
Features
Textual Tools
The app provides access to over 6,000 texts including Chumash, Tanakh, Gemara, Mishnah, Rambam, Halakha, Midrash, Chasidut, and Mussar texts.[3][4] Textual features include a calendar-aware Siddur (prayer book) that automatically displays correct liturgical texts including variations for Tachanun and Ya'aleh VeYavo, with support for Ashkenaz, Sefard, Chabad, and Edot HaMizrach nusachot.[1][4] For Torah reading practice, the app includes a Tikkun mode, a Shnayim Mikra mode, and a Sefirat HaOmer counter.[3] The texts themselves are sourced from Sefaria's open-source library. However, TorahApp applies a curated filter to include only texts considered acceptable within all parts of the Orthodox Jewish community, excluding certain non-Orthodox scholarly translations.[5]
Audio and Integration
TorahApp aggregates approximately one million audio and video shiurim (lectures). Content is sourced from YUTorah, OUTorah/All Daf, TorahAnytime, Chabad.org, and others.[1][6] The app allows users to open multiple text tabs while simultaneously listening to shiurim.[4] A continuous playback feature allows lecture series to play without manual intervention between episodes.[4] The app supports CarPlay and Android Auto integration and offline downloads.[3]
Rabbinic Endorsement
TorahApp received a formal haskama (rabbinic endorsement) from Rabbi Gil Student of the Rabbinical Alliance of America (RAA).[1] In his endorsement, Rabbi Student noted that this may represent the first instance of a national rabbinic organization formally approving a mobile application, specifically regarding content curation for Orthodox users.[1]
TorahApp is also included in the pre-approved app library for kosher smartphone platforms, such as SafeTelecom (KosherOS).[7]