YidKit For iPhones

Akiva senior develops all-in-one-kit
for Jewish prayer information.

Malkie Rosenbloom
Special to the Jewish News

B

etween Honors
Chumash, Mathematical
Physics and applying for
college and yeshivot in Israel,
Akiva Hebrew Day School
senior Dani Smith spends his
time developing apps.
In February 2015, he brain-
stormed the concept of develop-
ing an “all-in-one kit” for Jewish
iPhone users that would hold a
siddur (prayer book), z’manim
(list of daily prayer times), a
“tefillin mirror” (to see if your
tefillin is placed correctly on
your head) as well as a map-
generated minyan locator.
Appropriately named YidKit,
the app has about 400 con-
firmed downloads and is being
used in the U.S., Canada and
Israel.
“People have told me they’ve
used the minyan locator when
trying to find a minyan in
Akiva senior Dani Smith shows off his prayer
New York,” said Dani, 17, of
app, YidKit.
Southfield. “Someone else told
me they used the siddur on a
plane to say Tefilat HaDerech
(prayer for traveling). I personally use
basics of Swift, Apple’s programming
it each week to find out what time
language. After creating a pilot app
Shabbat starts and ends.”
called Finger Speed! (also in the Apple
Among his biggest fans is his own
App Store), Dani spent nine months
high school principal at Southfield-
building his skills in preparation for
based Akiva, Rabbi Noam Stein.
creating YidKit. His father was his
“I am so impressed how Dani uses
primary mentor in the development
his computer skills to help people with process.
their tefilot and enhancing their con-
“After I completed each component
nection with HaShem,” Stein said. “I
of the app, I would show it to my father
love Dani’s intensity in always trying
and ask his opinion,” Dani said. “He
to understand the different opinions
provided input every step of the way.”
about different halachic times so that
APP RELEASE
he can improve his product. YidKit
has been a great resource for me when At the start of the 2015-2016 school
year, Dani starting bringing the non-
I have needed a quick, direct app to
released version of the app to school.
check my z’manim automatically syn-
His friends immediately began asking
chronized to my location.”
Dani’s father, Avi, an IT director and him about the app he was using dur-
ing morning prayers at school. Dani
software developer at Home Depot,
released YidKit to the Apple App Store
discovered online courses for app
building through Pluralsight, an online in October 2015.
“I was inspired by the concept of
center for tech and creative training.
organizing and consolidating apps,”
Dani signed himself up for a three-
Dani said. “One day, I was going
hour online course that teaches the

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March 3 • 2016

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