Sefaria-Export, A Data Puzzle and Deep Wiki (April 2026, Issue 8)
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Issue 8 | April 29, 2026 | 12 Iyyar, 5786
It’s been an exciting few months, as we hear about more and more projects being built with Sefaria’s API or codebase. You can learn about a few recent highlights below — and if you haven’t told us about your Powered by Sefaria project yet, please do! Fill out this form to share with our team and get your project listed here.
Now, read on to discover a helpful index of Sefaria’s open-source data, an invitation to take on a coding challenge, and some examples of recent Sefaria-based projects.
— The Developers on Sefaria Team
HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Sefaria-Export Update
Bulk-downloading Sefaria Library data just got way easier! We’ve updated our GitHub repository to point to publicly accessible Google Cloud Storage buckets. Now, with the improved structure of Sefaria-Export, you can download all available Library data faster than ever before. This can be done either by using a script or by entering the GCS bucket and manually exploring its contents. Each month, the data will be automatically updated to ensure that you have continuous, reliable access to everything you need to build your Torah learning tools.
QUICK TECH TIP: Exploring the Codebase with DeepWiki
Do you know about DeepWiki? This AI-powered documentation tool indexes open-source repositories and turns them into interactive, searchable documentation. Last summer, an engineer in the Sefaria community used DeepWiki to create an index of Sefaria’s open-source data. You can use this index to understand how different parts of our system connect, explore the data model and API in a hands-on way, and get a clearer view of the underlying architecture and relationships.
Help Us Solve the Dictionary Export Puzzle
Sefaria houses multiple major reference works, including Jastrow’s Dictionary and the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (commonly known as BDB). But we have a problem! Currently, there’s no straightforward way to export Sefaria’s dictionary data as a CSV, either from the website or via Sefaria-Export. This creates friction for users and creators who regularly request dictionary data in more portable formats for analysis, tooling, or content creation.
Do you have an elegant, user-friendly solution to this dictionary puzzle? Maybe a script to process the data dump, a conversion tool, or even a proposal for a new export format? Let us know at [email protected]! We'd love to feature solutions in a future newsletter.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Share your Project
Built something with Sefaria data that isn’t yet featured on the Powered by Sefaria page? As mentioned above, we always want to know what you’re building. Submitting your project helps to inspire other developers by showing what’s possible, strengthens the broader ecosystem of Jewish learning tools, and gives your work added visibility within the Sefaria community.
Recent additions to our ongoing list include:
- Eitz HaRabanim: This project uses Sefaria data to create an interactive tree visualization of Talmudic sages.
- Derekh Learning: An AI-powered Jewish study companion that transforms texts from the Sefaria Library into personalized lessons and generates fully linked study guides, reflection prompts, and tools connected to the original sources for deeper exploration.
Helpful Links
Developers on Sefaria | Sefaria’s API | GitHub | About Sefaria