Tapping into Tech is where I review my favorite apps and tell you why they are super awesome for working moms.

Here are 5 of my favorite Jewish apps that make Jewish living easier and more accessible for me.

1.  JStream

JStream is my go-to Jewish music app.  I don’t know if it’s available on iTunes, but for the Android lover, it’s the perfect place for Jewish music in radio format! It has multiple stations, lists the song that’s being played and stops when your phone rings.  Even if you don’t regularly listen to Jewish music, this app is perfect for getting into the mood of any upcoming holiday- Shabbos songs on Erev Shabbos, accapella for Sefira and basically any songs related to upcoming yomim tovim.

I found this app when I was looking to listen to JM in the AM on my phone.  Their app was only available for iPhones (so iPhone users, check it out), so I needed another solution.  Since then they did come up with an Android app, but I’m sticking with this one for now because there are so many different stations on it.  And did I mention it’s free?

2.  Brochos

Made by the same people as JStream, this Brochos app has come in very handy.  You just type in a food and it tells you what bracha it is.  It’s the app you never thought you needed.  Now that DS1 is learning all about brachos, I’ve been using it a lot to make sure I tell him the correct bracha to make on the foods he asks about.

The app also includes the text of each bracha (bentching is not yet available) in a very clear-type print.  You can look up a specific food, category or even a “random” food.  Each food includes the bracha rishona (blessing before eating) and bracha achrona (blessing after eating).  The perfect app for someone on the go.

3.  Smart Siddur Lite

I tried out a few different siddur apps and settled on Smart Siddur Lite.  This one is free, easy to read and just like the name, it’s smart.  It displays what needs to be said.  For example, ya’aleh v’yavo is only displayed on days that it needs to be said (ex: Rosh Chodesh).  What can I say?  It’s smart.  I mostly use this for bentching, but it does have a full siddur.

The siddur portion is free; the rest of the tools come with the paid version.

4.  Tehillim Ohel Yosef Yitzchak

Long gone are the days of carrying around a small tehillim with you.  Here’s a great tehillim app that allows you to keep track of your own chapters (great if you’re part of a group!), set bookmarks, say chapters specific to a special day/time of month.  They even have a section where you can select a segula you want to say tehillim for!

And this app is free!

5.  MikvahCalendar.com

I won’t go into detail about what this one does, but MikvahCalendar.com makes keeping taharas hamishpacha as easy as can be.  You can customize settings based on your minhag, ask a Rabbi via email and get email/SMS reminders.

The app is free, but access to the service is $16-$18/yr. depending on how many years you sign up for at a time.

 

Do you have any great Jewish apps you can recommend?  Which are your favorites?  Which can you live without?

Until next time,
Shaindy