Global Day of Jewish Learning

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About Who

The Aleph Society

The Aleph Society is the spearheading organization of the Global Day of Jewish Learning.  The Aleph Society was founded in 1988 to expand Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s goal of the development of Jews, Jewish identity and Jewish communities. With operations in Israel, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, The Aleph Society has given Jews everywhere access to fundamental texts, the skills with which to understand those texts, the motivation to study, and an appreciation for the contributions of fellow Jews of all backgrounds.

For more information: www.steinsaltz.org

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is a teacher, philosopher, social critic and prolific author who has been hailed by Time magazine as a “once-in-a-millennium scholar.” His lifelong work in Jewish education earned him the Israel Prize, his country’s highest honor.

Born in Jerusalem in 1937 to secular parents, Rabbi Steinsaltz studied physics and chemistry at the Hebrew University. He established several experimental schools and, at the age of 24, became Israel’s youngest school principal.

In 1965, he began his monumental Hebrew translation and commentary on the Talmud, which was completed in 2010. The Rabbi’s classic work of Kabbalah, The Thirteen Petalled Rose, was first published in 1980 and now appears in eight languages. In all, Rabbi Steinsaltz has authored some 60 books and hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from zoology to theology to social commentary.  To learn more about Rabbi Steinsaltz’s books, click here.

Continuing his work as a teacher and spiritual mentor, Rabbi Steinsaltz established a network of schools and educational institutions in Israel and the former Soviet Union. He has served as scholar in residence at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies in Washington, D.C. and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton University. His honorary degrees include doctorates from Yeshiva University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Bar Ilan University, Brandeis University, and Florida International University.

The Shefa Institute

The Shefa Institute is the coordinating organization for Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s worldwide educational and publishing efforts. Its constituent institutions in Israel include the Mekor Chaim network of elementary and high schools, and the Tekoa yeshivat hesder, which together educate over 1,000 students. In the former Soviet Union, the Institute for Jewish Studies in the CIS runs informal education programs that have engaged over 21,000 individuals. For over 40 years, the Shefa Institute has been the spiritual home of Rabbi Steinsaltz’s Talmud project and scholarly endeavors.