Continuing the Legacy of Rabbi Sacks Through a New Historic Collaboration

Ten years ago, when Sefaria was little more than an idea, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt’’l, became one of our earliest champions. Sefaria, he said back in 2013, “has the potential to become the digital home of the book for the people of the book.” With the help of our community and many collaborators, Rabbi Sacks was proven right, and until his untimely death in 2020, he was a staunch supporter of Sefaria’s work.

So, it gives us distinct pleasure to announce a historic collaboration between Koren Jerusalem, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, and Sefaria to bring Rabbi Sacks’ literary legacy online and maximize its impact and reach.

Beloved by millions who appreciated his intelligent and accessible approach to Jewish thought, Rabbi Sacks demonstrated the relevance of our shared texts in contemporary life. While that legacy fortunately survives in the teachings and writings that he published tirelessly throughout his lifetime, there’s more to be done. Thanks to a generous gift from the William Davidson Foundation, we can now bring Rabbi Sacks’ work to more learners around the globe.

As part of this collaboration, Koren Jerusalem is publishing new English volumes by Rabbi Sacks and translating many of his books into Hebrew — as well as reprinting earlier works that have been unavailable for years.

Meanwhile, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy will develop and disseminate new pedagogical resources based on Rabbi Sacks’ teachings on ⁠www⁠.rabbisacks⁠.org, one of the first websites to link its textual citations to the Sefaria library and home to a searchable database of quotes, writings, and video content.

Ultimately, all of Rabbi Sacks’ works published by Koren will be available on Sefaria — more than three dozen volumes in total. These works will join the library in stages over the coming years, starting with an initial release in 2024.

A decade ago Sefaria was just a prototype, but Rabbi Sacks understood its potential. He continued to support the library as, slowly but surely, it became essential digital infrastructure for Jewish learning. Now, as Sefaria enters its next ten years, we are honored to create a permanent home for Rabbi Sacks’ legacy within the Jewish canon online.