A network of Brooklyn volunteers has spent over a decade scanning thousands of seforim into an online library in an effort to both preserve volumes that are not readily available and to give anyone with an internet connection the ability to learn, no matter where they may be located.
Hebrewbooks.org was founded twelve years ago by people who like to remain anonymous, and currently has a catalog of 48,500 free seforim.
Three recently installed billboards in the Catskills, located on the east and westbound sides of Route 17 and in Monticello, advertise the site to the many travelers who frequent these areas during the busy summer months.
“We want to remind people going up to the mountains that they can learn upstate as well as at home,” explained a HebrewBooks spokesman.
“The most important thing is that people around the world are learning 24/7 for free. The internet which certainly has the potential for bad can be turned around and made into a kli kodesh for learning Torah. That is a truly incredible thing.”
HebrewBooks.org was founded with the purpose of preserving old American seforim that were either out of print or out of circulation. While the site has commonly used seforim such as Chumashim and Gemaras, there are many unusual volumes as well, including books published as early as 1490.
Seforim dedicated to shaylos and teshuvos provide a glimpse into contemporary events during different times in American history including a 1930’s sefer containing a shayla from a woman whose husband was presumed drowned on the Titanic and a sefer from the late 1960’s addressing issues of keeping Shabbos on the moon.
According to HebrewBooks.org owner, “Most of the volumes on the site are in the public domain and the remainder have been provided by their authors who are happy to make their works available to the public”. All seforim on the site can be viewed and printed at no charge, for private or educational use only.”
where are other famous authors like the ramchal, etc. or some sephardic authors
Look in the app store under hebrewbooks
It would reach more people.
I also want to thank whoever made it. As a shliach in a remote location, before my Seforim arrived I was able to prepare shiurim and Divrei Torah through your website. Kol hakavod!
Your family is proud of you.
his name, but the creator and owner of this site is an amazing guy who funds this site on his own and puts thousand of hours into it gratis. Kudos to his lovely wife and family who give him so much support for this, they surely partake in this mitzvah of ahavahs yisroel. Chazak!
BS”D
I’ve used HebrewBooks many times to prepare shiurim and the like, looking up inyanim in hard to find seforim.
May Hashem bless the owner of the site and the volunteers B’chol Mili Dmaitav BGU”R
The creator and owner of this website is one of our own, living in our Shunah! He is amazing!
For a Torah literate Jew, HebrewBooks.org is the most useful and incredible website on the entire internet. Fifty thousand volumes available for free download.
If the entire internet were created just for this website – dayainu!
huge mitzvah!
with essential seforim like lessons in tnya and sefer hamitzvos for youth being out of print, this is a great service.
Tizku l’mitzvos (P.S. now we’ve got to stock up on ink cartridges-do you know of any freebees for that too?)
I love the website, and it has greatly benefited me!