New York–Begun as an ad hoc gathering of shiur [lecture] recordings, YUTorah (www.yutorah.org) has become a formidable force in the spread of Torah learning worldwide, reaching a major milestone upon passing the 100,000 shiur mark this January.
“The growth of YUTorah has been exponential,” said Rabbi Robert Shur, director of YUTorah since 2007. “What started in 2004 with a little over 1,000 shiurim grew to 10,000 about two and a half years later. It took another five years to get to 50,000, with the second 50,000 taking less than three years.”
The list of contributors and lecturers is extensive, from across Yeshiva University and around the world. While some contributors have just a handful of recordings, there are 20 rabbis or lecturers with more than 1,000 uploaded to the site. Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professorial Chair in Talmud, and Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz of Bais Haknesses of North Woodmere, a daf yomi [daily Talmud study] contributor and host of the “Ten Minute Halacha” series on the site, each have more than 4,000 recordings on the site. The recent addition of some 3,500 shiurim of Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, mashpiah at YU, now available free to the public for the first time, helped YUTorah break the 100,000 mark.
The YUTorah site has become a conduit for yeshivot in Israel, allowing their alumni to continue listening to shiurim from their rabbis. Shuls and individuals worldwide turn to YUTorah to stay linked to a wide variety of learning opportunities on many topics, geared towards a diverse audience. The site’s popularity is reflected in its more than four million annual visits from 185 countries, as well as thousands of downloads of its mobile apps for Android and iPhone.
Users can dedicate and sponsor days, weeks, or months of learning. In 2006, longtime YU Benefactors Marcos and Adina Katz gave a generous gift to endow YUTorah. “They are visionaries who appreciated the potential of online platforms for the revolution of Torah study around the world,” said Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean at YU’s Center for the Jewish Future.
