We believe in two core development principles that ensure the system is reliable and well-suited for our volunteers
We build in short cycles and adapt the system based on volunteer feedback. Instead of building for a full year only to discover it doesn't work, we build small pieces, test with real volunteers, and continuously improve.
A proven methodology for building reliable, scalable systems. These principles ensure the system remains stable as it grows from 5 to 20 to 50+ volunteers, with fewer failures and faster fixes.
This entire system is built around managing and coordinating dozens of volunteers who work across all aspects of the project. From transcription and tagging to quality control and content review, every feature of our platform is designed to support this large volunteer community and ensure their work is meaningful, efficient, and properly coordinated.
We are a team of hands-on software developers, AI experts, infrastructure specialists, and DevOps engineers with many years of experience in building large scale systems, inspired by Reb Shlomo Carlebach and driven by a shared motivation to bring this project to life. The technological lead of the project is Aminadav Glickstein, a devoted Chassid of Reb Shlomo Carlebach with over 20 years of experience, who has developed more than 120 applications. If this project succeeds, our hope and tefillah is that all the Torah within it will come alive and shine, and this vision is what motivates our entire team.
Using advanced embedding technology, the system understands the semantic meaning of queries and matches them with the most relevant Torah teachings. Users can ask questions in natural language, and the AI finds the Torah segments that best answer their questions — going beyond simple keyword matching to understand context and meaning.
The most important thing for success is the volunteer experience. Therefore, the system will be built to be easy to use, fast to work with, and require no technical knowledge.
The success of this project depends entirely on making it effortless for volunteers to contribute. Every design decision prioritizes volunteer experience — from lightning-fast performance to intuitive workflows that require zero technical knowledge. If volunteers can't easily use the system, the project fails.
🎯 Our UX Philosophy: "If your grandmother can't use it effortlessly, it needs to be simpler."
Volunteers work primarily on phones and tablets. Every interface is optimized for touch, with large buttons, clear typography, and responsive layouts that work perfectly on small screens.
Volunteers' time is precious. The system loads instantly, responds immediately, and never keeps volunteers waiting. CloudFlare's global CDN ensures fast access from anywhere.
No technical background required. The interface uses familiar patterns, clear language, and intuitive workflows that volunteers understand immediately.
Clean, uncluttered interface focuses attention on the work. No distractions, no confusion — just the essential tools volunteers need to do their sacred work effectively.
WhatsApp notification → Click link → Audio/video loads instantly → Work begins
Listen → Tag → Submit → Auto-save ensures no data loss
One-click to receive next assignment → Seamless continuation
The entire Carlebach Complete project will succeed because of our future dedicated volunteer network. Every search result we envision, every categorized teaching we plan, every tagged segment we anticipate will exist because volunteers will invest their time and spiritual understanding. This system will be built by volunteers, for the preservation of Rabbi Carlebach's legacy, with technology serving as the infrastructure that will support their sacred work.
Note: This describes our future vision and operational plan. The volunteer community and processing workflows outlined here represent what we will build and implement, not current operations.
We offer two infrastructure approaches to meet different needs and preferences. Both options provide the same core functionality with different trade-offs in cost, scalability, and maintenance.
| Feature | ☁️ Cloud Hosting | 🏢 On-Premises |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Investment | $0 | $2,500 |
| Monthly Cost | $450 | $50 |
| 24-Month Total | $10,800 | $3,700 |
| Server Location | Google Data Center, Tel Aviv | Foundation server room |
| Simultaneous Users | Unlimited | Up to 25 |
| Security Level | Enterprise-grade | Enterprise-grade |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% SLA | No guarantee |
| Scalability | Instant, unlimited | Hardware dependent / migrate to cloud later |
| Disaster Recovery | Must be configured | Must be configured |
| Global Access Speed | Fast via CDN | Fast via CDN |
| Hardware Failures | Provider responsibility | Foundation responsibility |
| Energy Costs | Included in price | ~$20-30/month extra |
| Data Ownership | Foundation owns, hosted externally | Complete physical control |
We recommend the On-Premises option for this project because:
Note: While cloud hosting is best practice for profitable businesses (to save labor and effort), this non-profit project serving a specific volunteer community benefits more from the substantial cost savings of on-premises infrastructure. We retain full flexibility to migrate to cloud later if the project scales beyond initial plans.
Every benefit below is made possible by the collective effort of dozens of volunteers who understand that they are participating in something much larger than technology — they are preserving and making accessible the spiritual treasures of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach for future generations. Their dedication transforms raw digital files into a living, searchable repository of wisdom.
Foundation scholars can instantly locate specific teachings and themes across decades of content
Advanced search enables thematic research and cross-referencing of Rabbi Carlebach's teachings
Secure, redundant cloud storage ensures the teachings are preserved for future generations
What once took hours to find manually hopefully will be accessible in seconds through intelligent search