VIrtual Tikkun™ Transforms Torah Experience
'Virtual Tikkun blends traditional Torah practice with modern technology providing a custom, online tikkun for each unique Torah scroll'— David Bayer
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- Virtual Tikkun 1.0 'Where Words of Torah Take Flight™, the pioneering digital Tikkun designed to capture and accurately represent unique Torah scrolls, delivers high-resolution online images of every column in each Sefer Torah together with the Chumash text for each column. Each scroll is organized by parshiot (portions) and aliyot (readings) with in-line indicators, providing direct and intuitive navigation. Students and experienced readers alike learn and practice their readings using views of the same Torah from which they will leyn (read/chant) - including the handwritten Torah column image, Chumash text, and most importantly, the side-by-side Tikkun view.
'Virtual Tikkun blends traditional Torah practice with modern technology' said David Bayer, Founder and CEO, 'providing a custom, online tikkun for each unique Torah scroll that simplifies and accelerates the Torah experience for students and seasoned Torah readers so they can leyn with confidence.'
Traditional Tikkuns provide only a standard set of images from one Torah scroll. However, every Torah scroll is handwritten by a Sofer (scribe) and can vary based on word spacing, line space, letter kerning, calligraphic script differences, and actual condition. This can lead to real-time surprises that create anxiety for students and seasoned readers, as well as burden clergy, teachers and tutors with demands for one-off Torah images (that are now provided by Virtual Tikkun) and in-person practice sessions.
Virtual Tikkun also enables synagogues that are fortunate to have multiple Sifrei Torah to utilize more of their kosher Torah scrolls in ritual practice, especially pre-war scrolls saved from the Shoah that differ significantly from modern Vav Torahs. B'nai Mitzvah, adult students and Baalei Kria (Torah readers) can now learn and review their readings using the Virtual Tikkun for each unique scroll to become comfortable with their reading.
Overcoming these challenges was imperative for Rabbi Amanda Russell at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco: 'To bring more of our Torah scrolls into rotation for regular reading use, including several saved from the Shoah, Virtual Tikkun delivers immediate, high-quality access to images of each scroll, with the customized side-by-side Tikkun view that makes learning and chanting Torah easy and accessible. This has empowered our B'nai Mitzvah and lay Baalei Kria across the board.'
Virtual Tikkun uses artificial intelligence to optimize the high-resolution images, deskewing textual lines and optimizing contrast while maintaining contextual condition information. To create the traditional Tikkun view it intelligently reads the text in each unique Torah, automatically aligning the Chumash text correctly line-by-line and identifying parshiot and aliyot for the entire Torah to guide navigation. Users can easily download or print out their reading, as well as share locations with students and colleagues. As an internet-based application, Virtual Tikkun is available on-demand across a variety of digital devices.
The audience using Virtual Tikkun extends from B'nai Mitzvah to seasoned readers. Together with clergy and their teachers they expect a high level of support for their Virtual Tikkun. 'What a pleasure this experience has been. The Virtual Tikkun team has been very easy to work with, very responsive to our needs and goals,' said Susan Simon, Director of Education at Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland CA, who leads an in-house team of lay Torah readers. 'They worked quickly and efficiently when photographing our Torah and listened closely to our feedback and suggestions for new application functionality, implementing them quickly. The intuitive interface of Virtual Tikkun has made our Torah readers very happy.'
Virtual Tikkun v1.0 is available today. To ensure that all synagogues can avail themselves of Virtual Tikkun pricing is structured on a sliding scale. We will be exhibiting and previewing Virtual Tikkun at the ACC-GTM 2025 conference in Washington DC, June 29-July 2. Please visit www.virtualtikkun.com or contact David Bayer at [email protected] for more details or to schedule a demo.
###
About Virtual Tikkun:
Virtual Tikkun strives to make the experience of chanting and hearing Torah vibrant and alive, shared by young and old alike, by delivering a Torah tikkun experience that accelerates learning while creating comfort and confidence. We leverage advanced technology to create custom, personalized tikkuns of your unique Sifrei Torah with detailed organization, robust capabilities, and flexible, on-demand delivery. Blending tradition with modernity, the Virtual Tikkun experience supports clergy and tutors, while empowering congregants and students to broaden the Torah experience community-wide.
Virtual Tikkun, Where Word of Torah Take Flight, and the Virtual Tikkun logo are trademarks of Booksandart LLC.
David Bayer
Virtual Tikkun
[email protected]
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
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Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Associated Press
VIrtual Tikkun™ Transforms Torah Experience
Custom Tikkuns for unique Torah scrolls remove barriers to leyning (reading/chanting) Torah 'Virtual Tikkun blends traditional Torah practice with modern technology providing a custom, online tikkun for each unique Torah scroll'— David Bayer SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2025 / / -- Virtual Tikkun 1.0 'Where Words of Torah Take Flight™, the pioneering digital Tikkun designed to capture and accurately represent unique Torah scrolls, delivers high-resolution online images of every column in each Sefer Torah together with the Chumash text for each column. Each scroll is organized by parshiot (portions) and aliyot (readings) with in-line indicators, providing direct and intuitive navigation. Students and experienced readers alike learn and practice their readings using views of the same Torah from which they will leyn (read/chant) - including the handwritten Torah column image, Chumash text, and most importantly, the side-by-side Tikkun view. 'Virtual Tikkun blends traditional Torah practice with modern technology' said David Bayer, Founder and CEO, 'providing a custom, online tikkun for each unique Torah scroll that simplifies and accelerates the Torah experience for students and seasoned Torah readers so they can leyn with confidence.' Traditional Tikkuns provide only a standard set of images from one Torah scroll. However, every Torah scroll is handwritten by a Sofer (scribe) and can vary based on word spacing, line space, letter kerning, calligraphic script differences, and actual condition. This can lead to real-time surprises that create anxiety for students and seasoned readers, as well as burden clergy, teachers and tutors with demands for one-off Torah images (that are now provided by Virtual Tikkun) and in-person practice sessions. Virtual Tikkun also enables synagogues that are fortunate to have multiple Sifrei Torah to utilize more of their kosher Torah scrolls in ritual practice, especially pre-war scrolls saved from the Shoah that differ significantly from modern Vav Torahs. B'nai Mitzvah, adult students and Baalei Kria (Torah readers) can now learn and review their readings using the Virtual Tikkun for each unique scroll to become comfortable with their reading. Overcoming these challenges was imperative for Rabbi Amanda Russell at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco: 'To bring more of our Torah scrolls into rotation for regular reading use, including several saved from the Shoah, Virtual Tikkun delivers immediate, high-quality access to images of each scroll, with the customized side-by-side Tikkun view that makes learning and chanting Torah easy and accessible. This has empowered our B'nai Mitzvah and lay Baalei Kria across the board.' Virtual Tikkun uses artificial intelligence to optimize the high-resolution images, deskewing textual lines and optimizing contrast while maintaining contextual condition information. To create the traditional Tikkun view it intelligently reads the text in each unique Torah, automatically aligning the Chumash text correctly line-by-line and identifying parshiot and aliyot for the entire Torah to guide navigation. Users can easily download or print out their reading, as well as share locations with students and colleagues. As an internet-based application, Virtual Tikkun is available on-demand across a variety of digital devices. The audience using Virtual Tikkun extends from B'nai Mitzvah to seasoned readers. Together with clergy and their teachers they expect a high level of support for their Virtual Tikkun. 'What a pleasure this experience has been. The Virtual Tikkun team has been very easy to work with, very responsive to our needs and goals,' said Susan Simon, Director of Education at Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland CA, who leads an in-house team of lay Torah readers. 'They worked quickly and efficiently when photographing our Torah and listened closely to our feedback and suggestions for new application functionality, implementing them quickly. The intuitive interface of Virtual Tikkun has made our Torah readers very happy.' Virtual Tikkun v1.0 is available today. To ensure that all synagogues can avail themselves of Virtual Tikkun pricing is structured on a sliding scale. We will be exhibiting and previewing Virtual Tikkun at the ACC-GTM 2025 conference in Washington DC, June 29-July 2. Please visit or contact David Bayer at [email protected] for more details or to schedule a demo. ### About Virtual Tikkun: Virtual Tikkun strives to make the experience of chanting and hearing Torah vibrant and alive, shared by young and old alike, by delivering a Torah tikkun experience that accelerates learning while creating comfort and confidence. We leverage advanced technology to create custom, personalized tikkuns of your unique Sifrei Torah with detailed organization, robust capabilities, and flexible, on-demand delivery. Blending tradition with modernity, the Virtual Tikkun experience supports clergy and tutors, while empowering congregants and students to broaden the Torah experience community-wide. Virtual Tikkun, Where Word of Torah Take Flight, and the Virtual Tikkun logo are trademarks of Booksandart LLC. David Bayer Virtual Tikkun [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
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Midstate Jewish congregation set out to write a new torah
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New York Post
06-06-2025
- New York Post
Long Island firefighter who heroically saved Torah from fire brushes off praise: ‘I'm no hero'
The Long Island firefighter who saved a sacred Sefer Torah from a burning Chabad on Wednesday said he was no 'super hero' and was just doing what he was trained to do. Firefighter Michael Farca, 54, was compared to a Hollywood action star by Greenvale residents for his heroic and holy rescue — but insists he was simply in the right place at the right time. 'I'm no hero,' Farca told The Post. 3 A sacred Sefer Torah was saved from a fire that happened inside a synagogue in Greenvale on Wednesday. Google Maps 'I saw the Torah inside and knew I had to get it out. That's it. The 70 other first responders who were there alongside me deserve just as much praise as I'm getting.' Farca, of Roslyn Heights, ran into the smoke-filled building as flames raged inside to make sure no one was inside and that is when he saw the Torah. Moments later, after clearing the building, he emerged out of the smoke holding the sacred scroll — a dramatic scene that brought some faithful witnesses to tears. Farca — who is Jewish — said he responded to the call as he would've any other, completely unaware that the building he was headed to was a synagogue. After breaking through the door in the Greenvale strip mall, Farca was caught by surprise as he realized that he was inside a house of worship — spotting the ark where the scroll is usually stored. 3 Firefighter Michael Farca, 54, from Roslyn Heights, came to the rescue to save the Torah from being burned, as he told The Post, 'I saw the Torah inside and knew I had to get it out. That's it.' Chabad of Greenvale 3 The Torah that was saved by Farca. Igor Shamalov 'I ran up to the ark and opened it to see if the Torah was in there, and sure enough, there it was,' Farca said. 'I embraced it, and took it outside.' Farca described the feeling of saving the Torah that morning as 'remarkable,' especially because the rescue came just a day after the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai 3,000 years ago. 'To think that we're celebrating the Torah on Mount Sinai 3,000 years ago, and here I have a Torah in front of me that is in danger of damage or worse — it's an incredible thing,' Farca said. The sacred scroll was ultimately returned to members of the Chabad completely unscathed — though the building is no longer being operational. 'The Torah is more than a book, it's our heart and soul,' congregant Yuriy Davydov said. 'Seeing it carried out safely felt like a miracle.' But the message that Farca wants people to take away is that he is just a regular first responder, and that anybody can make an impact if they choose. 'My hope, really, is that I've inspired someone, I would like to inspire them to get up and do something for their community,' he said. 'I want people to do something selfless that allows them to give back to their community, to their neighbor, to whomever, in a selfless manner.'