Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use Yachad — a Messianic Jewish companion app for everyday life (the "App"). If you have questions, contact us at m.budziat@gmx.de.

1. Who is responsible?

Data controller / responsible party:
Maximilian Budziat
Grüner Brink 14, 37603 Holzminden, Germany
m.budziat@gmx.de

2. What the App does

Yachad brings together the information and resources of Messianic Jewish daily life in one place. The App offers:

• Current Shabbat start and end times based on your location
• The weekly Torah portion and further matching readings
• An overview of all feast and fast days
• Connecting with other Messianic believers and congregations within Germany
• Table blessings before and after meals
• A multilingual interface with a freely selectable language

Yachad is a companion app. It does not issue religious rulings — for binding guidance, please turn to your congregation or spiritual leadership.

3. What information we collect

Profile data you provide

• Display name (shown to you and, where applicable, to other members)
• Email address (used to create and secure your account)
• Profile picture (optional, uploaded by you)
• Additional profile details you choose to enter (e.g., your region or city, your congregation, a short description)

Location data

• Your location — either your device location or a place you select manually — used to calculate Shabbat start and end times and the times of feast and fast days (see section 8)

Settings and content in the App

• App settings (e.g., your chosen interface language, reminder and notification preferences)
• Content you create or save (e.g., saved readings or notes)
• Content you share with others where you use the networking features

Technical data

• Basic device/app data needed to operate the service (e.g., timestamps, request logs, technical error reports via Sentry)

Please only upload profile pictures and content you are allowed to share. Do not enter sensitive information you do not want stored on our servers. We do not send marketing emails.

4. How we use your information

• To create and maintain your user account and profile
• To calculate Shabbat times, readings, and feast and fast days for your location
• To display the App in your chosen language
• To store your settings and the content you create
• To let you find and connect with other believers and congregations, where you use these features
• To operate, secure, and troubleshoot the service
• To monitor app stability and fix errors (via Sentry)

We do not sell your personal data and do not use it for advertising or profiling.

5. Legal bases (EEA/UK users)

If you are in the EEA/UK, we process personal data under these legal bases:

• Contract (to provide the App's features and your user account to you)
• Legitimate interests (security, error monitoring, service reliability, abuse prevention)
• Consent (e.g., for access to your device location, for optional profile details you choose to publish, and where otherwise required by law)

Because Yachad is a Messianic Jewish app, your use of it and the details you enter (such as your congregation) can reveal your religious beliefs. Such information is a special category of personal data under Art. 9 GDPR. We process it only because you voluntarily provide it in the App in order to use its features — that is, on the basis of your explicit consent (Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR). You can withdraw that consent at any time by removing the information or deleting your account.

6. Services and processors we use

Cloudflare

The App's backend runs on Cloudflare. We use Cloudflare Workers as our API, Cloudflare D1 as our database (account and profile data, app content), and Cloudflare R2 as object storage (e.g., profile pictures). Cloudflare processes this data on our behalf as a processor and also handles network-level security and traffic routing.

Sentry

We use Sentry for error tracking and crash reporting. Sentry may collect technical diagnostic data (e.g., device type, OS version, stack traces) to help us identify and fix bugs.

These providers may process personal data on our behalf as "processors." Data may be processed on servers outside the EEA; in that case we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. Please review the providers' respective privacy policies for details about their processing.

7. Data storage and retention

Account, profile, and content data is stored on our Cloudflare backend (D1 and R2) for as long as your account exists. Some data is also cached locally on your device so the App works smoothly and offline.

You can delete your account and its data from within the App, or by emailing m.budziat@gmx.de. After deletion, your profile and content are removed from our systems; technical logs and backups may persist for a short period before they expire.

8. Location data

Shabbat start and end times depend on sunset and sunrise at your position, so the App needs a location to calculate them. You can either grant the App access to your device location or select a place manually — the App works either way.

Location access is requested by your device and can be revoked at any time in your iPhone's Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. We use your location solely to calculate times; we do not build movement profiles and do not share your location with other users.

9. Networking and other users

Yachad lets you connect with other Messianic believers and congregations within Germany. Information you place in your profile (such as your display name, profile picture, region, and congregation) and content you actively share can be seen by other users of the App.

Please consider carefully what you make visible — for many people, their faith is sensitive information. You can edit or remove these details at any time in the App, and you can use the App's other features without taking part in the networking features.

10. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your data
• Object to or restrict certain processing
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent (where applicable)
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

To exercise rights, email m.budziat@gmx.de. We may ask you to verify your identity.

11. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encrypted transport (HTTPS/TLS) between the App and our API. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we aim to protect information against unauthorized access or disclosure.

12. Children

The App is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under the age required by local law to consent to data processing. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the App means you accept the updated policy.