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ITJ Pittsburgh, a program of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association, offers three courses annually: Intro to Judaism, Beginning Hebrew, and Intermediate Hebrew.
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Intro to Judaism
24 sessionsCourse takes place over 28 weeks with holiday breaks
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19 teachersCantors, Rabbis, Professionals from across Western Pennsylvania
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Since 2019Over 300 students have been enlightened and educated in our flagship program course
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Current Course Offerings: 2026-2027
Fall 2026: Intro to Judaism
Intro to Judaism - In-person
Sundays, 2:00-4:00 pm, Unit 1 begins October 11, 2026
Learn about Judaism – its religion, practices, history, and culture – from cantors and rabbis from across Pittsburgh. In this 24 week course, we'll cover the Bible, Jewish Holidays, Israel, Keeping Kosher, Love and Marriage, Jewish History, Commandments, and God. Instructors represent rabbis from every major movement of Judaism: Conservative, Reconstructionist, Jewish Renewal, Orthodox and Reform. Each class is two hours long.
This course is split into three units, Fall, Winter, and Spring, taught on a continuous basis. A student that begins by taking Unit 2 in the Winter will continue to take Unit 3 and then Unit 1. Course fee includes all three units and a book, Michael Strassfeld's A Book of Life.
ITJ follows a handcrafted curriculum built by an expert team of cantors and rabbis from Western PA, each of whom is an adept scholar in their particular subject. This course is often a requirement for conversion to Judaism: consult your rabbi/cantor for further guidance.
Each unit takes place at a different Jewish community organization located in Pittsburgh, PA. Unit 1 will be at Congregation Beth Shalom. Unit 2 will be at Beit Kulanu (formerly Rodef Shalom). Unit 3 will be at Shoresh.
For individuals the course is $480; for couples it is $600. If it might be hard for a participant to pay $480 or $600 all at once, we offer the option of paying in three installments. Your first installment would be $160 for an individual or $200 for a couple.
Financial aid is available. For more information about aid or to answer any other questions, email Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman, ITJ Director, at [email protected].
Registration for Unit 1 is now open!
Registration for Unit 1 closes on October 10, 2026.
Intro to Judaism - Online
Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm, Unit 1 begins October 13, 2026
Learn about Judaism – its religion, practices, history, and culture – from cantors and rabbis from across Pittsburgh. In this 24 week course, we'll cover the Bible, Jewish Holidays, Israel, Keeping Kosher, Love and Marriage, Jewish History, Commandments, and God. Instructors represent rabbis from every major movement of Judaism: Conservative, Reconstructionist, Jewish Renewal, Orthodox and Reform. Each class is two hours long.
This course is split into three units, Fall, Winter, and Spring, taught on a continuous basis. A student that begins by taking Unit 2 in the Winter will continue to take Unit 3 and then Unit 1. Course fee includes all three units and a book, Michael Strassfeld's A Book of Life.
ITJ follows a handcrafted curriculum built by an expert team of cantors and rabbis from Western PA, each of whom is an adept scholar in their particular subject. This course is often a requirement for conversion to Judaism: consult your rabbi/cantor for further guidance.
Each unit takes place at a different Jewish community organization located in Pittsburgh, PA. Unit 1 will be at Congregation Beth Shalom. Unit 2 will be at Beit Kulanu (formerly Rodef Shalom. Unit 3 will be at Shoresh.
For individuals the course is $480; for couples it is $600. If it might be hard for a participant to pay $480 or $600 all at once, we offer the option of paying in three installments. Your first installment would be $160 for an individual or $200 for a couple.
Financial aid is available. For more information about aid or to answer any other questions, email Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman, ITJ Director, at [email protected].
Registration for Unit 1 is now open!
Registration for Unit 1 closes on October 12, 2026.
Fall 2026: Intermediate Hebrew and Roots of Kabbalah
Intermediate Hebrew class Registration now open
The course, called 'Roots of Prayer: Amidah', and is geared for any study working on proficiency at reading and understand Hebrew words that make up the core prayers of Judaism. We will also explore the deeper meanings of the prayers on a personal and spiritual level.
This class is recommended to anyone that has completed Beginning Hebrew and/or has learned the Aleph Bet. In this course, students will be working on fluency with reading, pronouncing, and understanding Hebrew prayer. The course is offered in person and online.
'Roots of Prayer: Amidah' begins October 27, 2026, and takes place over 10 sessions Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm at Shoresh PGH, 4300 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh PA. The class is $125.
Financial aid is available - contact [email protected] for more info.
The course, called 'Roots of Prayer: Amidah', and is geared for any study working on proficiency at reading and understand Hebrew words that make up the core prayers of Judaism. We will also explore the deeper meanings of the prayers on a personal and spiritual level.
This class is recommended to anyone that has completed Beginning Hebrew and/or has learned the Aleph Bet. In this course, students will be working on fluency with reading, pronouncing, and understanding Hebrew prayer. The course is offered in person and online.
'Roots of Prayer: Amidah' begins October 27, 2026, and takes place over 10 sessions Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm at Shoresh PGH, 4300 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh PA. The class is $125.
Financial aid is available - contact [email protected] for more info.
Roots of Kabbalah
Come learn the basics of the Jewish mystical tradition with Roots of Kabbalah, offered at Pittsburgh's leading Jewish learning organization, Shoresh PGH. What have the mystics and spiritualists of the past 800 years discovered about God; the universe; the meaning of life; the nature of connection; the nature of suffering? In this 5 week class we'll learn the core concerns of Kabbalah - wisdom collected from 200 CE to 1700 CE - as taught by the Hasidic masters that lived from 1700 to today.
Roots of Kabbalah begins September 29, 2026, and takes place over 10 sessions Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm at Shoresh PGH, 4300 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh PA. The class is $100.
Financial aid is available - contact [email protected] for more info.
Come learn the basics of the Jewish mystical tradition with Roots of Kabbalah, offered at Pittsburgh's leading Jewish learning organization, Shoresh PGH. What have the mystics and spiritualists of the past 800 years discovered about God; the universe; the meaning of life; the nature of connection; the nature of suffering? In this 5 week class we'll learn the core concerns of Kabbalah - wisdom collected from 200 CE to 1700 CE - as taught by the Hasidic masters that lived from 1700 to today.
Roots of Kabbalah begins September 29, 2026, and takes place over 10 sessions Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm at Shoresh PGH, 4300 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh PA. The class is $100.
Financial aid is available - contact [email protected] for more info.
Donate to ITJ
Donation to ITJ
The Hebrew word for donations is tzedakah, meaning 'justice.'
Intro to Judaism is a project of the GPJCA, a non-profit religious organization serving the community in Pittsburgh PA. A significant number of folks taking our classes are on financial aid.
In order to offset our costs for making ITJ and Hebrew classes available to everyone regardless of ability to pay, consider making a donation.