FAQs
How To Use / Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ask Jewish Lives?
Ask Jewish Lives is a free, AI-powered interactive chat experience that allows you to explore Jewish history and culture through the award-winning Jewish Lives biography series published by Yale University Press.
Ask Jewish Lives offers a new way to engage with the Jewish experience, grounded in trusted scholarship. Responses draw exclusively from the books, written by leading scholars and acclaimed authors and vetted through rigorous peer review.
Is Ask Jewish Lives free to use?
Yes. Ask Jewish Lives is free, with no purchase required.
What is Ask Jewish Lives used for?
This tool is intended for educational and exploratory use only.
How do I interact with the AI?
You can use Ask Jewish Lives in two ways:
Q&A Mode – Ask direct questions and receive clear, concise responses
Persona Mode – “Converse” with historical figures as portrayed in the Jewish Lives series
Can I save or revisit my chats?
No. Conversations are not saved, and each session begins fresh.
What device works best?
For the best experience and performance, we recommend using a desktop or laptop computer.
Can Ask Jewish Lives create images or speak out loud?
No. Ask Jewish Lives is a text-based experience only. It does not generate images, audio, or spoken responses. All interactions take place through written text.
I’m an educator. Can I use this in the classroom?
Yes! Ask Jewish Lives is designed with educators in mind. We offer free classroom modules for high school and college instructors who want to integrate the AI into lessons and discussions.
Does Ask Jewish Lives replace the books?
No. This AI experience is meant to complement the Jewish Lives books, not replace them. We hope it inspires you to explore the biographies in greater depth.
Will more historical figures be added?
Yes. Additional personalities from the Jewish Lives series will be added over time.
How can I share feedback or ask questions?
We welcome your thoughts. Please email us at contact@jewishlives.org.