OHRBIT personalizes Torah study, fostering growth and consistent learning for users of all ages
When cutting-edge AI meets millennia of Torah wisdom, new possibilities emerge. The OU’s Torah Initiatives Department has launched OHRBIT, a free, AI-powered app that brings Torah learning to users in a personalized, accessible way, and helps them to grow consistently and meaningfully.
Using AI to tailor Torah study to individual interests and abilities, OHRBIT presents a major opportunity to encourage people to learn more Torah and more people to learn Torah. While designed with young professionals and college students in mind, OHRBIT is suitable for learners of all levels and offers a flexible, user-friendly approach to Torah learning.
OU National Director of Community Engagement Rabbi Simon Taylor says the app’s name was carefully chosen to reflect its purpose:
“OHRBIT is meant to convey the idea of having all of Torah learning within one’s reach,” he says. “It combines ohr (light) with bit (tech), symbolizing the fusion of technology and Torah. Users can engage with the app however they choose; some may want a quick dose of daily inspiration, while others may prefer to explore specific topics in depth or learn on a more advanced level. It really depends on what kind of learning you’re seeking.”
OU Director of Jewish Media, Publications and Editorial Communications Rabbi Gil Student adds, “The project is an opportunity to take the best of technology that has transformed industries and use it to transform Torah learning.”
OHRBIT is funded by an anonymous donor who was a close friend of OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt”l. Recognizing AI’s potential to spread Torah knowledge, the donor approached the OU and other organizations with his idea.
“Rabbi Hauer, zt”l, offered for us to take the lead, and brought together stakeholders operating in the same space,” says Rabbi Taylor. “We brought in an AI strategist, and together, built a plan to turn our vision into reality. We wouldn’t be here today without the donor. His gift has been such a bracha and we’re so appreciative of his passion and commitment to bring this project to the Jewish people.”
From All Daf to All Parsha, the OU’s Torah Initiatives team has launched nine mobile apps, including this newest one.
“We’re honored that the donor entrusted us with building the application,” says OU Director of Product Development Shelomo Dobkin. “This project isn’t just for the public; it has taught us a great deal internally about emerging technology. It’s an exciting endeavor because we’re exploring new tools, staying at the forefront of innovation, and seeing how this can benefit the Jewish people.”
As the OU’s first AI-powered app, OHRBIT blends the personalization of Spotify and Amazon, the interactivity of ChatGPT, and the gamified learning style of Duolingo to gather user preferences and deliver content tailored to individual learning approaches.
“Users can choose to complete a profile when they first log in, postpone it, or skip it altogether,” notes Dobkin. “As they interact with OHRBIT’s chatbot, the app learns their learning level, preferred content, and favorite teachers. Requests for specific topics or materials gradually inform future recommendations, allowing the app to continually adapt to each user’s interests and learning style over time.”
Users can access text, audio and video, schedule and track their learning, set reminders and objectives, and celebrate achievements. Rabbi Taylor emphasizes that while OHRBIT includes a virtual Beit Midrash, it is not a substitute for in-person learning.
“This is absolutely not meant to replace learning in a Beit Midrash, studying from a real Gemara, for example, or with a real chavruta,” he says. “Nothing can, or should, do that. However, in terms of interacting with it as a daily companion that personalizes your learning according to your skills and interests, it’s very chavruta-like.”
OHRBIT’s trusted content comprises hundreds of thousands of hours of OU shiurim spanning decades, as well as vetted content from partner organizations including The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, OpenDor Media, and Britain’s United Synagogue, among many others.
“This app will search all those sources for material tailored to users’ personal tastes and interests while also featuring trending content on a particular day,” says Rabbi Student. “Our goal is to whet users’ appetites around other topics, and expand their preferences, inspiring them to grow on their own. OHRBIT might challenge a user, for example, to explore a different topic or teacher. The aim is to broaden people’s horizons, not by pushing them, but by offering gentle encouragement.”
To keep users engaged, OHRBIT offers gamification features like daily challenges, and streaks, which celebrate consecutive days of learning.
While Rabbi Taylor strongly believes in AI’s revolutionary capacity to advance Yiddishkeit, he stresses the necessity of shielding against potential dangers.
“As a community, we need to determine how we are going to safeguard and protect children and adults from the dangers of AI,” he says. “People are fixated on that, as we should be.”
Rabbi Student explains that OHRBIT includes mental health guardrails, such as prompting users to seek professional help for certain searches, as well as protections against misuse.
“This is a Torah learning app,” he stresses. “We want to stay focused on our goal, which is to serve as an on-ramp for people with questions about Judaism. We want to serve users in the best way that we can.”
OU Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph sees in OHRBIT a new way to illuminate the digital age with Torah.
“Just as light flows into the streets and meets anyone who passes by, the ‘ohr’ (light) of OHRBIT brings Torah directly to the learner, wherever they are,” he says. “That is its gift: to reach those seeking it – and even those not yet seeking – and spread the light of Torah farther than ever before.”
Download the OHRBIT app on your smartphone or visit www.OHRBIT.ai