Terms & Conditions
Last updated: October 2026
Hashem Echad ("the Platform") is a Torah learning program of Rambam Sephardic Congregation, a registered Canadian charity (BN 119109031RR0001), 34 Esther Crescent, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 3L4 ("Rambam Sephardic Congregation", "we" or "us"), which operates the Platform. By accessing and using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. These terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Platform.
The Platform is a Torah learning and Jewish unity platform designed to foster connection among all segments of the Jewish people — Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Litvish, Lubavitch, and Chassidim. The Platform provides the following tools and features: • Torah Library — Access to the Sefaria library including Tanakh, Mishna, Gemara, Halacha, and Mussar, with bilingual text and one-click translations. • Chavrusa Assistant — A personalized learning companion that answers questions, provides commentary insights, and remembers past conversations. • Chap-It Assistant — Select any passage of text to receive Assistant-generated explanations and contextual commentary. • Lashon Tov Filter — An Assistant-powered tool that helps refine your speech before posting or sending messages. • Tehillim Rooms — Join or create global Tehillim completion campaigns with real-time progress tracking. • Growth Dashboard — Log learning sessions and follow a 12-month Middot (character development) curriculum. • Unity Feed (Community) — Share and read Kiddush Hashem moments, Torah insights, chesed stories, and gratitude posts in a moderated community space. • Unity Resources — Curated music, shiurim, and Torah snippets from across the Jewish world. • Beta Testing Program — Eligible users may participate in testing new features and earn points through the beta rewards system. • Shop — Purchase items from the Shop. Orders are delivered only within Ontario's Greater Toronto Area. Shop purchases are sales, not donations, and no donation tax receipt is issued for them. • Donations — Make a donation to Rambam Sephardic Congregation through the Platform. Rambam Sephardic Congregation, the registered charity, issues official donation receipts for eligible donations.
The Assistant features on this Platform (Chavrusa Assistant, Chap-It Assistant, and the Lashon Tov Filter) are EDUCATIONAL AIDS ONLY. They are powered by automated technology and are intended to assist learning and personal growth, NOT to replace: • A qualified rabbi (rav) or posek • A real chavrusa (study partner) • Professional halachic guidance Sources and citations provided by the Assistant are for reference only and should always be verified against primary texts. We make no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of Assistant-generated content. The Lashon Tov Filter provides suggestions only — you remain solely responsible for the words you choose to publish or send. For any halachic question, always consult a qualified rav.
Users who post content on the Unity Feed or any other part of the Platform agree to: • Post only content that promotes Jewish unity, Torah values, and respectful discourse • Refrain from lashon hara (forbidden speech), motzi shem ra (slander), rechilut (talebearing), or divisive content • Not post private or identifying information about others without their consent • Not post content that is inappropriate, offensive, or contrary to Torah values • Not use the Platform for commercial solicitation, spam, or unsolicited advertising All community posts are reviewed by an automated moderation system before publishing and may be flagged, rejected, or removed. Rambam Sephardic Congregation reserves the right to remove content and block users who violate these guidelines.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account. Rambam Sephardic Congregation is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials. Users may be invited to the Platform by administrators or existing users. Roles (admin or user) are assigned at the discretion of the Platform administrators.
Torah texts displayed via the Sefaria API come from Sefaria, which makes its texts available under a mix of licenses. Individual texts may carry their own license conditions, and we display them with attribution to Sefaria. Please check Sefaria's own terms and the license shown on a text before reusing it. Platform content, design, branding, and features — including the Rambam Sephardic Congregation and Hashem Echad names, logo, and all custom-developed tools — are the property of Rambam Sephardic Congregation. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from Platform content without written permission. External resources linked in the Unity Resources section (music, shiurim, snippets) remain the property of their respective creators. All rights are reserved by the original copyright holders.
Our administrators reserve the right to delete posts, suspend accounts temporarily, or block users permanently who violate community standards. The Platform uses an automated moderation system that analyzes reported content and may issue automatic temporary blocks for violations. Blocks may be issued for violations including but not limited to: lashon hara, divisive speech, harassment, inappropriate content, spam, or repeated violations of these terms. Severe or repeat violations may result in permanent blocking and a flag on the user's record. Users who believe they were blocked in error may contact us at the email listed in Section 21.
We collect only the information necessary to operate the Platform. This includes your email address, display name, profile preferences (minhag, learning level, country), and learning activity data. Rambam Sephardic Congregation is responsible for this information. If you place an order in the Shop, we also collect the name, email address, billing or shipping address, and phone number (if provided) that you enter at checkout, together with your order details, so that we can process and fulfil your order. We do not sell your personal information. We do share it with the service providers that help us run the Platform, listed in Section 15 (for example Stripe for payments, our hosting provider, and the AI providers that process your Assistant requests). Some of these providers may store or process data outside Canada. Anonymous posting is available for community posts. Your personal learning sessions, Chavrusa Assistant conversations, and Growth Dashboard progress are not shown to other users unless you choose to share them (for example by sharing a conversation link). We keep your information while your account is active and for as long as needed to run the Platform and meet our legal and record-keeping duties. Donation records and receipts are kept as long as the law requires charities to keep them. To ask what we hold about you, to correct it, or to ask us to delete it, contact us using Section 21. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of this data to provide and improve the service.
The Beta Testing Program is an optional feature available to users who opt in via their Profile settings. Beta testers earn points by participating in platform activities and providing feedback. Points and activity counts are displayed on a leaderboard visible to other beta testers. Beta features may be unstable or subject to change. Participation in the beta program is voluntary and does not guarantee any reward beyond the points and recognition displayed on the Platform.
The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure at all times. The Platform is not responsible for the accuracy of Torah sources cited by the Assistant features — always verify with a qualified rav. The Platform is not responsible for the conduct of other users in the Community Feed, though we will take action on violations reported to us. External links to music, shiurim, and other resources are provided for convenience. We are not responsible for the content of external sites.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Rambam Sephardic Congregation and its directors, volunteers, and operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of (or inability to use) the Platform. This includes, without limitation, damages for loss of data, loss of learning records, unauthorized access to your account, or any interactions with other users through the Community Feed. Your use of the Platform is at your sole risk.
The Platform is intended for users aged 13 and older. Users under 18 should use the Platform with the knowledge and supervision of a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.
We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Platform's services. If you wish to delete your account and associated data, you may request deletion by contacting us at the email listed in Section 21. Please note that some anonymized or aggregated usage data may be retained for analytics and service improvement. Community posts and messages sent to other users may remain visible to recipients even after account deletion.
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for improving the Platform. Any feedback you submit to us (through the in-app feedback widget, beta testing form, or email) may be used by us without restriction or compensation to develop, improve, or modify the Platform. Submitting feedback does not create a confidential relationship, and you agree not to submit content that is confidential or proprietary.
The Platform integrates with third-party services including: • Sefaria API — for Torah text content • AI language model providers — for Chavrusa Assistant, Chap-It Assistant, and Lashon Tov Filter • External media providers — for Unity Resources (music, shiurim, snippets) • Stripe — for processing donations and Shop payments We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of these third-party services. Their use may be subject to their own terms and privacy policies. We encourage you to review those terms when applicable.
To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Rambam Sephardic Congregation, its operators, administrators, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: • Your use of the Platform in violation of these Terms • Content you post or transmit through the Platform • Your violation of applicable law or the rights of others • Your interactions with other users via the Community Feed
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved through good-faith communication and, if necessary, binding arbitration. The parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes amicably before pursuing formal legal proceedings.
We are committed to being accessible and welcoming to every member of Klal Yisrael — Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Litvish, Lubavitch, Chassidim, and Jews of every background and level of observance. No one is turned away because of affiliation, ability, or prior knowledge. We strive to design the Platform responsively for desktop and mobile use, and to remove barriers that might prevent anyone from learning or connecting. If you encounter any accessibility barrier while using the Platform, please contact us (see Section 21) and we will make reasonable efforts to address it.
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of significant changes through the Platform or by email.
For questions about these Terms, to report a violation, to appeal a moderation action, or to request account deletion, contact us at: admin@hashemechad.ca Rambam Sephardic Congregation (registered charity BN 119109031RR0001), 34 Esther Crescent, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 3L4, Canada. Donations and Shop purchases: donations to Rambam Sephardic Congregation are eligible for an official donation receipt as required by the Canada Revenue Agency; Shop purchases are not donations and do not receive a donation receipt.
Part B: Bais
Terms for the Bais Torah-education resource-sharing platform
Bais is a Torah-education resource-sharing platform, a Rambam Sephardic Congregation initiative, built to help rabbeim share shiurim, sheets, and materials, and to give yeshivos a home for their classes online. Bais provides the following tools and features: • Resource Library — Rabbeim upload and share shiurim, sheets, and Torah materials by category, age group, and topic; users browse, bookmark, and download. • Rabbi Profiles — A public page for each rabbi's shared resources. • Yeshiva & Class Pages — A yeshiva can register on Bais and give every class its own page for announcements, classwork, and materials from its rebbi'im, menahalim, and Rosh Yeshiva. • Admin Dashboard — Tools for the Bais team and yeshiva admins to manage resources, users, classes, and activity.
Bais offers a regular user account (browse, bookmark, and download resources) and a rabbi account (also upload and share resources under your own name or yeshiva). Creating an account requires an email address and password, or signing in through a supported provider. You're responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account.
Rabbeim who upload material to Bais confirm that they have the right to share it and that it doesn't infringe anyone else's copyright. By uploading, you grant Bais and Rambam Sephardic Congregation a non-exclusive license to host, display, and distribute the material to other users of the platform for its intended educational use. You retain ownership of your own material and may remove it at any time. Bais reserves the right to remove any resource that violates these Terms or applicable law.
A yeshiva may register on Bais and connect its rebbe'im, menahalim, and talmidim through a private yeshiva code, issued when the yeshiva registers (see "Register a Yeshiva" from the Log In page). Within a registered yeshiva: • A Rosh Yeshiva, Menahel, or Rebbe account is added by the yeshiva's admin through its Dashboard, and can post Announcements and Classwork to the classes they're responsible for. • Talmidim may browse a yeshiva's class pages without creating an account. Signing in (as a regular user) is required to post in a class's Announcements; anything posted there is public to the Rosh Yeshiva, Menahalim, Rebbe'im, and fellow talmidim of that class. • The yeshiva's Dashboard is visible only to that yeshiva's designated admin, who manages its Menahelim, Rebbe'im, and classes, and can view, post, or remove Announcements and files across the yeshiva's classes. • Because talmidim using a yeshiva's pages may be minors, yeshivos and their staff are responsible for what they post and for supervising their talmidim's use of Bais accordingly. Bais does not knowingly collect more information from a minor than is needed to operate the class pages (a display name and, if they choose to sign in, an email address), and a minor's posts are visible only within their own yeshiva's class, not to the wider Bais community.
Everyone using Bais — rabbeim, yeshiva staff, and talmidim alike — agrees to: • Post only Torah-appropriate, respectful content • Not post material that is offensive, inappropriate, or contrary to Torah values • Not use Bais for commercial solicitation, spam, or unsolicited advertising • Not post private or identifying information about others without their consent Bais and yeshiva admins reserve the right to remove content and restrict accounts that violate these standards.
Bais collects the information needed to operate the platform: your name and email, the resources you upload or download, and, for yeshiva accounts, your role and the classes you're connected to. This information is not sold. It is shared only with the service providers that host and run Bais (for example our hosting and database providers), some of which may store data outside Canada, and is used only to run Bais and, where you've agreed, to communicate with you about the platform.
These Terms may be updated from time to time; continued use of Bais after a change means you accept the update. For questions about these Terms, to report a violation, or to request account deletion, contact us at: admin@hashemechad.ca
"Hashem is One, We Should Be One."
Thank you for being part of the Rambam Sephardic Congregation community.