Our Upcoming Conference

The Board of Directors of Kavod v’Nichum has chosen to respond to this time by being adaptable yet prepared for an uncertain future. We are considering various online formats for our historically in-person conference. It is very likely that we will not hold an in-person event this year but replace it with an online event instead of cancelling all together. The Board will make the decision as to online or in-person on May 3rd, 2020.

If we hold the conference as an online event, the schedule and layout of the conference sessions may change from our current in-person conference program design. The options we are considering are listed in this survey, in which you can share your preferences.

Please note that conference registration fees are 100% refundable through May 15th, 2020. You are encouraged to register for the conference at your earliest convenience.

Where and When

You are invited to attend the 18th Annual North American Chevrah Kadisha and Jewish Cemetery Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, June 7-10, 2020. The conference begins Sunday evening with dinner and a reception. Conference sessions begin the next morning, running from Monday 8:00am through Wednesday 12:00pm. Following the conference will be a Gamliel Day of Learning (see below). The venue for the conference will be Rodef Shalom Congregation at 4905 Fifth Ave in Pittsburgh.

Kosher meals will be provided, from Sunday dinner through Wednesday lunch. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs. (Email info@Jewish-Funerals.org.) We will do everything we can to assure you can eat well at the conference.

Program Highlights

The conference program is still being finalized. The preliminary conference program design can be viewed here. To get a deeper idea of the variety of programming sessions we include in these conferences, please visit the Previous Conferences page, where you can see program overviews from most of the previous conferences.

Poster Session Participation

This year’s conference includes Poster Sessions. Come share your ideas! The posters will be mostly unattended but viewable by attendees throughout the conference, with two 1-hour attended sessions on Monday and Tuesday evenings for live interactions with the authors. For more information about our Conference Poster Sessions and how to submit your topic for a poster display, click here.

Gamliel Day of Learning

In addition to the normal conference programming, the Gamliel Institute offers a one-day “Day of Learning” series of classes in conjunction with the conference. This will be Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday evening, and Thursday morning. These sessions include renowned instructors talking on a variety of topics. Non-Gamliel students must request permission to attend from the Gamliel Dean. To request to attend, email info@jewish-funerals.org. To register, visit the Conference Registration Page.

Conference Registration

Please register for the conference here. To request scholarship funding to attend the conference, please fill in the Scholarship Request form. Registration fees are 100% refundable through May 15th, 2020.

Please note that if we hold an online conference, the fee structure will probably change.

Hotel Information

The hotel for the conference is the Shady Side Inn, .6 miles from our session venue. It has a 14-passenger shuttle that will run between the hotel and Rodef Shalom. Rooms are suites arranged at the following conference room rates: Single – $119 plus tax = $136; Double – $129 plus tax = $147. Two-Bedroom Suites feature a master bedroom with a queen-sized bed, as well as a second bedroom with single or double twins.

If you are interested in home hospitality, please submit a Home Hospitality Request.

Travel Connections

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Pittsburgh! More information will be forthcoming about getting to Pittsburgh and about getting from the airport to Squirrel Hill/Shadyside (the East End of town) where the conference will be held. As you are planning your flights, arrival, and departure, go to flypittsburgh.com for all kinds of information about the Pittsburgh International Airport.

There are several ways to get from the airport to the venue (historic Rodef Shalom Congregation) and the conference hotel (Shadyside Inn) which are only .5 miles apart in the Shadyside neighborhood. The least expensive form of ground transportation is the Port Authority’s 28X bus that leaves from the airport every 30 minutes from about 4:30AM through midnight from right outside baggage claim and costs $2.75 (cash only) for the trip into the city. It takes about 50 minutes and there are stops near Rodef Shalom and the hotel. See this link for the bus schedule. You will be getting off at the Morewood Ave-past-Forbes stop if you are going to Rodef and at the Fifth-Ave-past-S.-Aiken stop if you are going to the hotel. Each of these stops is only a 1 block or so walk to your destination.

Lyft and Uber also service the airport. A trip into the Squirrel Hill/Shadyside neighborhoods costs from about $32-$40, depending on time of day. There are also taxis available outside of baggage claim and may cost about the same as Lyft/Uber.

Unfortunately, the Super Shuttle no longer services the airport.

There may be more options as the time gets closer. Check back as the conference date approaches for more info.

Bookstore and Exhibit Information

We will be having a bookstore at the conference in which you can sell books, artwork, and related items. In addition we will have an exhibit area. If you wish to participate in this part of the conference, either as a seller or exhibitor, please fill in the Vendor Request Form.