How can you use smartphones and tablets for Jewish education EVEN if you don’t have one? Answer: Tell your students about them.
Our picks of the best Jewish apps for smart phones and tablets:
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The Amazing Jewish Fact-a-Day CalendarA 20-second nugget of amazing Judaism on the screen every day, with links to online reading, audio and video. Coolest feature: Using GPS, the app rests on Shabbat.
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TorahAppAn all-in-one Torah tool, combining seforim (Torah books) with shiurim (classes - audio/video).
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KavanaDiscover inner calm, mental clarity, and a fulfilling spiritual life.
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IBlessA handy, on-the-go-guide to the Hebrew blessings (berachot/berachos/berachoth) recited before and after eating. Search for a food and the app tells you which bracha to make.
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The TanachAllows you to browse, search and study the Best Seller. Features crisp Hebrew text and precise vowel placement and includes Rashi‘s commentary.
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Alef Bet SchoolhouseAll Jewish educators say it’s important to learn Hebrew, but some students really struggle with the language. Alef Bet Schoolhouse teaches the aleph-bet with sound, color and animation.
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Star-K KosherThe largest repository of Kosher consumer information in cyberspace, combining www.star-k.org, the internet's first and most comprehensive consumer information website and the interactivity of the STAR-K Kosher Information Hotline 410-484-4110.
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More Kosher Apps!Click this icon for over a dozen great iPhone apps regarding kosher shopping, cooking, and dining.
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iShofarPlays the shofar sounds right on your phone! A clever instructional tool for learning the difference between tekiah, shevarim and teruah. Also great for rousing teenagers in the morning – tell them it’s a mitzvah!
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Megillat EstherRead the full Megillat Esther on Purim…. The app also allows you to make gragger noises every time you reach the name of the wicked Haman. It goes without saying that this is by far the coolest way to hear the Megilla.
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Bedtime ShemaThe Bedtime Shema app is a fun and interactive learning aid for children, inspiring them and helping them learn to say the Shema. Is there any Jewish phrase more central and vital for children to learn by heart?
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HebrewNEXTThe official Hebrew flashcard app of Birthright Israel, bringing Hebrew right to your phone and making it quick and easy to learn. Includes key phrases for travel.
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YU TorahYeshiva University’s service for streaming classes by prominent YU teachers. Now there is no excuse not to learn a little every day.
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Torah AnytimeOne of the most widely used Torah learning apps, with 500 teachers and hundreds of thousands of hours of Torah on all topics.
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Meaningful MinuteA new inspirational video every day.
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Siddur for iPhone iPhoneSiddur for iPhone is a free prayer book with a compass to point you towards Jerusalem. (Note, there are many cool siddur apps, like this one that computes local prayer times.)
- Siddur for iPad iPad
Click here to download the iPad version of the Siddur app.
Know of a great Jewish app not listed here?
Please let us know by sending an email to info [at] jsli.org or contact us here.
Give a Gift App
Did you know that you can gift an app?
Think about it – for a few nickels, you can give loved ones, friends, students, or clients something that they’ll enjoy every day – such as a nugget of Jewish wisdom with links articles, audio and video.
1. You know that most of them have iPhones and/or iPads
2. There are 1,000,000 apps out there but only a few hundred Jewish ones and the best of these are for the highly-literate – Daf Yomi, etc.
Moreover, once they have the app installed, you can use it as a conversation starter – like, “Did you see today’s amazing Jewish fact” etc.
Better than a book they may or may not read. Better than something that will sit on their desk. This is something they’ll likely use and enjoy (and think of you every day).
How Apple’s gift program works:
To gift an app from the App Store, open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, find the app you want to gift, tap the Share icon, select “Gift App,” enter the recipient’s email, and complete the purchase. The recipient will receive an email with instructions to download the app. (Currently there is no way to do this with an Android app.)