How One Google Engineer Built the World’s Largest Torah App in His Spare Time!
🚀 From Google Engineer to Torah Tech Innovator: How Josh Herzberg Built the World’s Largest Torah App in His Spare Time
In today’s Shtark Tank episode, we dive into a story that perfectly captures the challenge—and immense opportunity—of being a Ben Torah in the workforce. Our guest, Josh Herzberg, is a software engineer at Google who has created the Torah App: now the largest digital library of Torah shiurim and texts. Remarkably, he built this in his spare time, motivated by a passion to make Torah learning more accessible for today’s busy schedules.
Here’s a closer look at what we learned from Josh about balancing a high-tech career with a commitment to Torah values, along with the unique challenges and rewards of bringing Jewish learning into the digital age.
🎙️ A Personal Project with a Higher Purpose
Josh’s journey with the Torah App started with a personal need: finding a way to keep up with Torah learning during his daily commute. What began as a side project grew into something much larger as Josh saw the potential to support learners worldwide. Now, the Torah App allows users to access both texts and shiurim from their phones, turning small moments into powerful learning opportunities.
🌍 Building the World’s Largest Torah Library
With nearly 900,000 shiurim and texts from sources like YUTorah and OU Torah, the Torah App has grown into the largest collection of its kind. Josh’s project reflects not just his dedication to Torah, but also his deep understanding of what modern learners need: flexibility, accessibility, and depth—all in one place.
🖥️ Applying Tech Values to Torah Learning
Josh brings the tech industry’s principles of innovation, accessibility, and user-centered design into the Torah world. The app’s user interface supports multi-tab study sessions, audio-text integration, and even “bingeable” series, making learning easy to fit into any schedule. As Josh explained:
“Tech values like flexibility and scalability are changing how we approach Torah study. There’s no excuse anymore. The tools are there, the shiurim are at our fingertips—we can really engage with Torah wherever we are.”
✨ Balancing a Career with Torah Commitment
Josh’s story is a powerful example of navigating dual identities: a high-tech professional and a Ben Torah. He shares insights into how he has managed to stay connected to his religious values while succeeding in a demanding industry, and how his commitment to Torah continues to shape his approach to both work and life.
📈 Why This Episode Matters to Bnei Torah in the Workforce
This episode offers inspiration to anyone striving to balance a meaningful commitment to Torah with the demands of a career. Josh’s journey is a reminder that we can find creative ways to integrate Torah into our lives and even leverage our professional skills to bring value back to the Jewish community.
🎧 Listen Now!
Tune in to the full episode on Spotify and Apple.
Explore the Torah App for yourself on iOS, Android, or the web at thetorahapp.org.