Adult Jewish Learning
Generously supported by the Elaine Belle Krasik Fund for Adult Education.
Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff
Gefsky Community Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff made possible by the H. Arnold and Adrien B. Gefsky Endowment Fund of the Federation’s Jewish Community Foundation.
Explore Ongoing and Upcoming Learning Opportunities
The God Class
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States + Google Map
$150 for this 10-Session Series:
Wednesdays at 9:30 AM, Sept. 27 – Dec. 6.
Please Note: No class on Nov. 22.
In this class, we’re going to talk about God. We’ll discuss Jewish views of God and how they’ve developed through the ages. We’ll talk about our views of God, and how they’ve changed at different stages. This course, led by Rabbi Schiff, is going to examine deeply what it means to relate to God.Ethics & Crossroads
$300 for this 25-Session Series (Book Included):
Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, Sept. 27, 2023 – May 15, 2024.
Please Note: No class on Nov. 22, Dec. 20, 27, Jan. 3-31, Feb. 7, 28, Apr. 24.
Two Melton Courses Back-to-back!
Ethics
How do Jewish teachings shed light on contemporary issues such as the environment, inter-personal relationships, end-of-life decisions, and stem-cell research? This course explores the wisdom of rabbis and thinkers.Crossroads
With an emphasis on reclaiming the richness of Jewish history, this chronological exploration investigates significant crossroads where Jews took major decisions that shaped our shared identity and destiny.Here's a taste of the topics we'll cover:
Social media ethics, organ donation, suicide, honoring aging parents, sexuality, marriage, divorce, fertility treatment, abortion, gender fluidity, euthanasia, artificial intelligence, war, animal experimentation, environmental ethics and so much more!Torah 2
$225 for this 25-Session Series:
Mondays at 9:30 AM, Oct. 9 – May 13, 2024.
Please Note: No class on Nov. 20, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, 8, 15, Apr. 22, 29.
Understanding the Torah and what it asks of us is perhaps one of the most important things that a Jew can learn. In Torah 2, Rabbi Schiff will explore the second half of Leviticus and all of Numbers and Deuteronomy. This is a great opportunity to get a systematic understanding of Judaism’s foundational text.Modern Jewish Philosophy
$95 for this 7-Session Series:
Mondays at 7:00 PM, Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 27, Dec. 4.
Please note: No class on Nov. 20.
Mendelssohn. Cohen. Rosenzweig. Kaplan. Buber. Heschel.
In this course, Rabbi Schiff will introduce the great Jewish philosophers of modernity and will make their important ideas understandable and relevant to today.The Jewish Calendar
$55 for this 4-Session Series:
Tuesdays at 9:30 AM, Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14.
Understanding the Structure of Jewish Time
Sometimes the holidays come “early,” and sometimes the holidays come “late.” Why? In this series, Rabbi Schiff will explore the Jewish texts that gave rise to the Jewish calendar. How does the cycle of the Jewish year actually work, and what meaning does it offer to us?The Values We Hold Dear
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 United States + Google Map
$12/person Brunch & Learn
The Global Day of Jewish Learning
Join Gefsky Community Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff and Nina Butler, EdD for this year’s Global Day of Jewish Learning – Pittsburgh Edition. As people gather for Jewish learning all over the globe, we will take part locally, focusing on the global theme of “The Values We Hold Dear” plus a light brunch!
Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff is the Gefsky Community Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. He is a noted teacher and researcher in Jewish ethics.
Nina Butler, EdD, is an educator and consultant with extensive experience in the educational, leadership, disabilities, and nonprofit worlds. She is currently the founding director of Bikur Cholim of Pittsburgh: Friends of Jewish Patients.
The Israeli Political System
$55 for this 4-Session Series:
Tuesdays at 12:00 PM, Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12, 19.
A Guide for the Perplexed
Nowadays, Israeli politics is at the center of many critical Jewish conversations. But how does the Israeli political system really work? Over four lunchtime sessions, Rabbi Schiff will describe how the Knesset functions, how elections are handled, and how the courts, the laws and the demographics make Israel so politically unusual.Beginnings
$65 for this 4-Session Series:
Wednesdays at 9:30 AM, Jan. 10-31, 2024.
The first love. The first hate. The first dream… The Bible has many “intriguing firsts.” The great Israeli writer, Meir Shalev, z"l, died in 2023. In this course, we will pay tribute to him by together reading and discussing Shalev’s insightful book “Beginnings”.Continuing Legal Education Series
The Alan Papernick Educational Institute Endowment Fund presents a 6-Part Series taught by Gefsky Community Scholar Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff.
Earn 2 ethics credits per class!
Cost with credit: $195 series/$35 each individual class
Cost without credit: $165 series/$30 each individual class
CLE: The Nuremberg Laws Led to Kristallnacht
Eighty-five years have passed since November 9, 1938 – Kristallnacht.
On the 85th commemoration, it is important to explore the role that the law played in setting the scene for that terrible night. How did the Nuremberg laws lead to Kristallnacht and the Holocaust that followed? What does that tell us about the power of the law?
CLE: Usury: Paying Interest on Loans in Jewish Law
This might sound like a boring topic.
But have you ever wondered why God would care about interest on loans? Or how Jews ended up being money lenders for centuries? Or how this reality led to unfortunate antisemitic stereotypes about Jews and money? There may be some material “of interest” here after all…
CLE: The Legal Dimensions of Shabbat
In an age in which most “blue laws” have been forgotten, and in which we are apt to see the Sabbath as a religious institution, it is easy to forget that, historically, the parameters of Sabbath observance were precisely legislated. In this CLE, Rabbi Schiff will discuss the Shabbat as a legal institution in American and Jewish law.
CLE: Kedoshim
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States + Google Map
Sometimes, legal systems enact provisions that directly seek to elevate human conduct.
Jewish law does just that. In this special in-person CLE, Rabbi Schiff will explore the fundamental section of the Torah called “Kedoshim” (elevated behavior), and will clarify the intent of the numerous legal provisions to be found there.
CLE: Risk-Taking: How Much Danger Does Jewish Law Permit?
People regularly engage in extraordinarily risky activities.
Is this Jewishly allowed? Given that everything we do contains some danger, how would we know when the risk is too great? Can a Jew go bungee jumping? In this CLE, we will consider the limits of risk-taking from the perspective of Jewish law.