Draft:TorahApp
Submission declined on 26 May 2026 by Meadowlark (talk).
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
|  |
Comment: This draft does not demonstrate that your subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article. Please see WP:42 for more information on what kind of sources you need to present. At least three sources that meet all three criteria in WP:42 are generally required. In particular, interviews with or sources written by people closely connected with the subject are not considered independent. Meadowlark (talk) 09:56, 26 May 2026 (UTC)
| TorahApp | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Josh Herzberg |
| Release | November 2023 |
| Operating system | iOS, Android, Web |
| Type | Religious software, Education |
| License | Free |
| Website | torahapp |
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]
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
[edit]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
[edit]Textual Tools
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Student, Gil (2024-02-15). "TorahApp, A Yeshiva In Your Hands". The Jewish Press.
- 1 2 3 "Important Announcement: TorahApp". Torah Musings. 2024-02-13.
- 1 2 3 4 "TorahApp official website". Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "TorahApp". Google Play Store. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- 1 2 "New TorahApp Under Rabbinic Guidance". Rabbinical Alliance of America. 2024-02-07.
- 1 2 Nissel, Andrea (2024-02-15). "Enhance Your Torah Study With The Free All-in-One TorahApp". The Jewish Link.
- ↑ "SafeTelecom KosherOS approved apps list". Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements;
- are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight;
- are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content.
Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.