New Daf Yomi app used by Jews daily in Gulf countries
Over 26,000 people are already using the app. The 14th Daf Yomi (daily page) cycle began in January.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA page from the Babylonian Talmud(photo credit: Courtesy)
A new app allowing users to study Talmud every day has seen a surprising amount of users from countries around the Persian Gulf.The Orthodox Union (OU), a major North American Orthodox umbrella organization, launched the free app "All Daf." Not only does it allow users to study Talmud every day, but it also offers opportunities to enhance learning, such as daily classes and commentaries given by world-renowned rabbis, as well as audio and video content.“All Daf is the largest Torah initiative to date spearheaded by the OU. We created it to open up Daf Yomi learning to an even broader group of Jews at all learning levels,” said president Moishe Bane.“As we developed the app, we knew that it would be a tremendous resource and tool for those looking to learn Daf Yomi. [However,] it has exceeded our expectations because it offers something for everyone, both the experienced learner and the person new to Daf Yomi,” he added.The launch of an app to make learning Talmud more accessible coincides with the beginning of the 14th cycle of Daf Yomi, which entails studying one two-sided folio of the Talmud each day for over seven years.Over 26,000 people are already using the app, but the most surprising fact is where some of those users come from. While many are Europeans and North Americans, some users also come from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. “The OU is constantly looking for new ways to make Torah accessible to the global Jewish community, and we’re so happy to see that Jewish people in South America, Central America, the Arabian Gulf, Africa and the Southern Hemisphere are utilizing the app to be part of a worldwide Torah learning community,” said OU executive vice president Allen Fagin.Last month, tens of thousands of Jews around the world celebrated the completion of the 13th cycle of Daf Yomi. The most impressive “siyum” took place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where 92,000 people attended.
