Students often ask about additional books, podcasts, websites, and, Jewish organizations and synagogues in Western Pennsylvania that would enrich their learning about Judaism. Here are some resources we recommend.

Books

Bible and Talmud
Etz Chayim Torah and Commentary (editor: David Lieber)
Torah: A Modern Commentary (editor: Gunther Plaut)
Commentary on the Torah (editor: Richard Elliott Friedman)
JPS Tanakh
Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible?
Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets
Adin Steinsaltz, The Essential Talmud
Barry Holtz, Back to the Sources
Ilana Kurshan, If All The Seas Were Ink
Milton Steinberg, As a Driven Leaf

History, Israel, Holocaust
Eli Barnavi, A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People
Chaim Potok, Wanderings
Elie Wiesel, Night
Art Spiegelman, Maus

Holidays, High Holidays, and Lifecycles
Michael Strassfeld, The Jewish Holidays
Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath
Alan Lew, This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared
Anita Diamant, The New Jewish Wedding
Anita Diamant, Choosing a Jewish Life

Prayerbooks and Liturgical
Artscroll (Orthodox)
Kol Ha-Neshama (Reconstructionist)
Mishkan Tefilah (Reform)
Siddur Lev Shalem (Conservative)
Or Hadash - Commentary on the Siddur (Conservative)
[Haggadah] A Different Night, Noam Tzion and David Dishon

God, Theology, Exploration, Observance
Shai Held, Judaism is about Love
Neil Gilman, Sacred Fragments
Isaac Klein, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice

Mysticism, Meditation, and Hassidut
Daniel Matt, Essential Kabbalah
Art Green, The Language of Truth
Aryeh Kaplan, Jewish Meditation
Mark Asher Goodman, Life Lessons from Recently Dead Rabbis

Websites

sefaria.org - open source Jewish texts in Hebrew and English including bible, talmud, kabbalah, halacha, hassidut, and liturgy
myjewishlearning.org - classes, glossaries, definitions, and articles
youtube.com/@BimBam​ - videos about the weekly parsha, talmud, lifecycles, etc.
hebcal.com - customizable Jewish calendar, essential for holidays and Torah readings

Podcasts

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Chutzpod! with Rabbi Shira Stutman and journalist Hanna Rosin
Judaism Unbound with Rena Yehuda Newman and Lex Rofeberg
Answers WithHeld with Rabbi Shai Held

Jewish orgs and Synagogues

Beit Kulanu - Reform congregation, East End
Shaarei Torah - Orthodox congregation, East End
Dor Hadash - Reconstructionist congregation, East End
Congregation Beth Shalom  - Conservative congregation, East End
Tree of Life - Conservative congregation, East End
Chabad of Squirrel Hill - Orthodox congregation, East End
New Light - Conservative congregation, East End

Beth El - Conservative congregation, South Hills
Temple Emanuel - Reform congregation, South Hills

Adat Shalom - egalitarian liberal congregation, Fox Chapel
Temple Bnai Abraham - egalitarian liberal congregation, Butler
Parkway Jewish Center - Conservative congregation, Monroeville
Ahavath Achim - The Carnegie Shul - traditional egalitarian, Carnegie
Ohav Shalom - Reform congregation, North Hills

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh - organization w/classes offered, East End
Shoresh PGH -  organization w/classes offered, East End
JCC PGH - organization w/classes offered, East End

JFCS PGH - social services and senior services
Squirrel Hill Food Pantry - food insecurity needs
JAA - senior care, both residential and at home