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Art Donsky, D.Div., MSW - Rabbi Without Walls

5.0
(46)best-of-weddings

Pittsburgh and Beyond..destination weddings welcome!

About This Vendor

Art Donsky - fully-inclusive unique weddings...

A FEW MAY AND JUNE 2022 STILL LEFT! You want a wedding as individual as you are! A day filled with joy and personal meaning. Look no further. Hi, I’m Art, an award winning "Best of The Knot" clergy who is passionate about helping ALL couples create a unique ceremony for their special day. Providing inclusive and welcoming celebrations especially for couples of diverse faiths and sexual orientation I am ready, willing, and able to help! I have more than 30 years of experience co-creating meaningful wedding celebrations. I joyfully officiate at a variety of services including: interfaith, co-officiation with ministers, priests & others, LGBTQ, non-denominational, secular & Jewish wedding celebrations. I am available for travel & destination weddings. My fee varies based upon the nature of your ceremony - will it be a quick civil-like ceremony for your elopement or co-officiation with a member of the clergy from another faith community with many meetings and counseling or something in-between. Every ceremony is unique. Let's connect and discuss your ceremony; you'll be glad you did. Please know I will never turn away any couple because of financial reasons!!!!! That's a promise! This is a non-judgement zone! Let's talk: call or text: 412-389-6581.

Details

Ceremony Types
Civil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding , Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Buddhist, Interfaith, Jewish, Conservative, Reform, Secular, Spiritual, Wiccan
Wedding Activities
After The Wedding, Newlywed Life, Getting Engaged, Premarital Counseling, Wedding, Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
2019 Best of Weddings Winner2018 Best of Weddings Winner

Art Donsky, D.Div., MSW - Rabbi Without Walls Reviews

Reviewed On 6/25/2021 by Caitlyn S
To be completely honest, before our wedding, my husband and I thought that the ceremony would be our least favorite part of the wedding. Having people staring at us, awkwardly staring at each other, etc. Turns out, it was both of our FAVORITE p...
art of the entire day. Art worked with the two of us and has some amazing tricks up his sleeve that made our simple ceremony something that I wish I could repeat every day of my life. Though we wanted short, it felt so special and was completely custom to our personalities. All day people were commenting on how beautiful the ceremony was. I can not wait to get our photos and video back and watch our ceremony again. It was so beautiful. I wish I could give him more business but I don't plan on getting married again. :) -Married 6/12/21-
Response from the Vendor on 08/08/2021
Thank you so much! I can't wait to see the photos. I wish you both a long happy married life together.
Reviewed On 10/21/2021 by Maria A
Rabbi Art was a pleasure to work with! It was great getting to know him and talk about both our vision for our ceremony and our lives in general. Rabbi Art was invaluable in helping us customize our ceremony, and making sure he incorporated tr...
aditions for us both as a couple being raised with different religious backgrounds. He was very helpful and responsive to any questions we had leading up to our wedding. He also did an amazing job explaining customs and traditions to us privately, and during the ceremony to our guests. We highly recommend Rabbi Art and couldn't have been happier with how our ceremony turned out.
Response from the Vendor on 10/24/2021
Thank you so much! You and Mark are an amazing couple. I wish you only the best. Rabbi Art.
Reviewed On 10/20/2021 by Andrew R
Rabbi Art did a fantastic time creating an inclusive and meaningful ceremony for all in attendance. His expertise in ceremony planning was helpful and we would highly recommend him!
Response from the Vendor on 10/24/2021
Thanks, Andrew. I enjoyed celebrating with you and Mia. All the best, Rabbi Art.
Reviewed On 10/19/2021 by Melissa K
It was my husband who was determined to have his Jewish bride married by a Rabbi because he knew how important it would be to me. When we first talked to Rabbi Art it took us less than 30 seconds to ask him to marry us. He immediately put us ...
at ease and made us feel like our ceremony could be tailored to exactly who we are as a couple. That being said, the ceremony far exceeded our expectations. He came up with an idea to include our family in the ceremony and was so thoughtful, supportive and very funny that everyone enjoyed it. We even had people coming up to us during the reception saying how it was the best ceremony they've ever witnessed. We can't thank him enough for what a wonderful officiant he was!
Response from the Vendor on 10/24/2021
Thanks for the kind words. You and Corey are just so perfect together. The location for the ceremony in your backyard was awesome and the atmosphere was so loving and supportive. All the best, Rabbi Art
Reviewed On 8/23/2021 by Marissa B
Rabbi Art was amazing! I’ve known him for most of my life and it was a no brainer to pick him as our officiant. Everyone at the wedding loved the ceremony and the warmth and love that he brought into it. He was so great and we would recommend h...
im!!
Response from the Vendor on 08/23/2021
Thanks Marissa! You and Dylan are such a wonderful couple. It was so beautiful to celebrate your wedding and see your family and friends. Rabbi Art.
Reviewed On 8/08/2021 by Stephanie P
Rabbi Art was wonderful. He worked on with our pastor to put together a beautiful interfaith ceremony.
Response from the Vendor on 08/08/2021
Thank you, Stephanie. It was truly a blessing to celebrate with you and Lee! All the best.
Reviewed On 5/19/2021 by Marissa B
Rabbi Art was amazing to us in all stages of planning our interfaith ceremony. We are incredibly lucky and fortune for the time and consideration he put into planning it not only with us but also with our priest. We received many compliments on...
the structure and the ceremony overall, Art truly made it special.
Response from the Vendor on 08/08/2021
Thank you so much, Marissa! It was such a joy to be with you both on your wedding day. All the best. Art
Reviewed On 7/05/2020 by Kelly S
Rabbi Art is the most thorough and wonderful officiant to work with. My husband and I had a mix of Catholic and Jewish wedding traditions. He made sure to explain the history and traditions that were happening so that all attendees could unders...
tand and follow what was going on. He also made sure to make the ceremony personalized and tailored to our desires and made our dream wedding a reality. Thank you Rabbi Art for the amazing experience!
Reviewed On 10/15/2019 by Alison C
Being an interfaith marriage, it was really important to me to find someone who understood a great deal about the Jewish faith but was also open and accepting of interfaith marriages. Rabbi Art could have not been more perfect. We received so m...
any compliments from our guests about how beautiful and personal our ceremony was! Mazel tov!
Reviewed On 8/20/2019 by P H
Rabbi Art was awesome! Very easy to work with and amenable to what we wanted. He did a fantastic job performing the ceremony. Would highly recommend Rabbi Art!!
Reviewed On 8/20/2019 by Leah H
Very relaxed. Willing to work with your needs. Absolutely wonderful!
Reviewed On 8/19/2019 by Lindsay O
It will take a lifetime to express our gratitude to Art for officiating our wedding. Art is easy going, attentive, and made sure everything was as seamless as possible, leading up to and during the wedding. We received numerous compliments from...
guests saying how profoundly moved they were by the ceremony. Thank you again Art, for making it perfect! -Lindsay and David
Reviewed On 6/14/2019 by Cara Z
Art “The Don” Donsky, Where to even begin. This weekend was absolutely the best of both of our lives. We will relive that magical day over and over again throughout the years. Thanks so much for being a stellar part of the ceremony and the da...
y as a whole. You absolutely gave both of us exactly the wedding we were both hoping for. Everything turned out perfectly from start to finish, and we will forever hold a special place in our heart for you being the one to direct it. Do you happen to have a copy of the ceremony and the transcript of everything that was said? The day went so fast (as everyone told us it would) and we would love to have that memoir to relive when we want to take a stroll down memory lane of the BEST. WEEKEND. EVER. Thanks again for being a part of cementing our spiritual journey together. It’s been such a wild ride and we can’t thank you enough for being such an integral part of it. Sincerely, The Keffer's!
Reviewed On 5/28/2019 by Marissa K
I cannot say enough kind words about our experience with Rabbi Art. Our interfaith ceremony honored both of our backgrounds and both of our families were comfortable and beyond happy with how the ceremony was conducted. Rabbi Art was always att...
entive and available to us and we were immediately comfortable during our premarital sessions. I cannot imagine a better experience or officiant!
Reviewed On 1/14/2019 by Abby B
Rabbi Art was so easy to work with. He let us know right off the bat that the ceremony was our's to personalize and it could be as religious or non-religious as we wanted it to be. We incorporated a ring warming into the ceremony and had two ...
literary readings, with no judgement. He was punctual and professional, and filed our marriage license ASAP after the wedding.
Reviewed On 9/28/2018 by Zach B
It is unfathomable that we were able to find a rabbi who so perfectly fit what we needed for our wedding. Rabbi Art provided my wife and I with a deeply meaningful religious experience, while at the same time tolerating the fact that one of my ...
groomsmen was a co-officiant due to a lost bet. Rabbi Art spoke beautifully about the symbolic, spiritual nature of our union. Indeed, he facilitated a traditional Jewish wedding in such a manner that my gentile in-laws (unnerved by the idea of a Jewish wedding ceremony) found the ceremony to be profoundly moving. Rabbi Art is the perfect fit for any contemporary Jewish wedding, and should be a staple for modern Jews who still want a traditional spiritual experience.
Reviewed On 9/16/2018 by Jen N
Rabi Art was amazing. He preformed a ceromony, short and sweet, exactly what we had hoped for. He was very accommodating and easy to communicate with. We highly recommend him!
Reviewed On 9/11/2018 by Philip F
Rabbi Art did an amazing job and could not have made our day any better. He was provided great guidance and was attentive to those items which we wanted to be included in our wedding. We are very happy with our choice.
Reviewed On 9/08/2018 by Anya K
We decided to move our wedding plans up by six months. Why wait?! Rabbi Art was very easy to work with, accommodating us at such short notice. Both personable and professional, all questions for our interfaith wedding were answered fully and ch...
eerfully. Rabbi Art made it simple and easy to skype video conference. On the day of our small wedding, he arrived at the venue ahead of us. The ceremony itself was perfect, everything we wanted and had asked for. I highly recommend Rabbi Art.
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words. Wishing you both continued joy and happiness. Art
Reviewed On 9/08/2018 by Ruth L
We had a wonderful experience with Rabbi Art during our wedding. As an interfaith couple, he made us feel so comfortable and was open to our opinions and values. We do not live in Pittsburgh, and he was always available to speak with us via Sk...
ype and met with us each time we travelled to Pittsburgh. The ceremony went just as we wanted it to. He provided an outline and we added our own ideas so it was the perfect ceremony for us. We would highly recommend Rabbi Art to anyone looking for an officiant!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words. I very much appreciate your recommendation. Art
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by John G
Art was a delightful addition to our special evening. His thorough pre-ceremony interview allowed him to determine both our special wishes and to personalize the actual ceremony. Very professional and prompt. We were delighted to have him stay...
for the reception and meet our family and friends.
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words. Wishing you both continued much joy and happiness together, Art.
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Diane D
Perfect ceremony for my daughter and son in law. Both sides/religions felt comfortable and happy!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you, Diane! It was such a beautiful ceremony. Art
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Nicholas F
Great officiant! Made the ceremony perfect for us!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thanks, Nicholas. Wishing you both much joy and happiness, Art
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Stephanie D
Gave a perfect, customized interfaith wedding! Met with us multiple times and got to know us so we felt happy and comfortable with the ceremony.
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thanks Stephanie, so glad you both felt happy and comfortable with the ceremony, Art
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Mallory A
Rabbi Donsky was great to work with! He was the officiant for our very small (non-denominational) wedding, just me and the groom. We were thrilled with the ceremony and wouldn't have a changed a thing. He is responsive, professional, and perso...
nable. I would recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant.
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words ---- wishing you both much joy together, Art.
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Annie S
Rabbi Art is great to work with. He has an outstanding personality and our meetings and wedding were enjoyable. We explained that we wanted to have a non-denominational ceremony with some Jewish tradition thrown in. Our ceremony was very low ke...
y and pretty short, which is exactly how we envisioned it. Rabbi Art has a suggested wedding outline that he can work with you to customize to you liking. We didn't really know what we wanted in our ceremony at first so this was really helpful. It was also helpful that Rabbi Art was easily accessible by email and skype. Our first meeting was in person, but our final meeting we just did over skype. That was great for us because we were so busy. He is truly a "Rabbi without Walls" and is accepting of all.
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words. So glad the ceremony turned just as you wanted. Wishing you both much joy and happiness together, Art
Reviewed On 9/07/2018 by Katharine B
We cannot say enough good things about Rabbi Art. To begin we were planning a wedding from 6 hours away, so he suggested we discuss plans via skype which was perfect for us! From the start he made us feel comfortable and accepted! My fiance is ...
Jewish while I don't identify with a religion, but he was totally willing to go forth with a Jewish ceremony. Rabbi Art was extremely easy going and easy to work with-we made changes to the ceremony until basically the day of. We had a good friend of ours co-officiant, which turned out great and you would have thought the 2 of them had rehearsed together. We also added in a Christian reader for my parents peace of mind. Rabbi Art was on time, organized, gave us clear instruction regarding the marriage license. Our ceremony was one of our favorite parts of our wedding! It was filled with love and laughter! Rabbi Art is definitely your guy with his easy going manner, and openness to any suggestions, opinions, etc. I could probably ramble on and on about how awesome he was!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2018
Thank you for your kind words. So glad the ceremony was one of your favorite parts of the your wedding day. Wishing you both much joy and happiness, Art
Reviewed On 9/03/2018 by Sara E
Rabbi Art was so easy to work with and made us feel 100% confident in all of our decisions on how to have a Jewish wedding that included references to the groom's Catholic upbringing. We we're planning a Pittsburgh-area wedding from Boston, and...
really appreciated Rabbi Art meeting with us over Skype or phone whenever we needed. We used his basic ceremony outline and added our own details and readings. The ceremony was my favorite part of the whole day, as each word spoken was meaningful and delivered with the perfect balance of solemnity and humor.
Response from the Vendor on 09/07/2018
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you loved the ceremony - it was quite beautiful. Wishing you a sweet and healthy New Year, Rabbi Art
Reviewed On 11/04/2017 by Courtney V
Rabbi Art officiated our interfaith wedding last July. My husband is Jewish and I am Unitarian Universalist. He helped us create a thoughtful and beautiful ceremony that reflected our values and was inclusive of both faiths. He was a pleasure t...
o work with, timely, responsive and helpful. Our guests all had great things to say as well. We highly recommend him!
Response from the Vendor on 11/05/2017
Courtney and Jake, Thanks for your kind words. What a joyous and beautiful wedding celebration! Wishing you both only much happiness for many, many, many years to come. Rabbi Art
Reviewed On 10/19/2017 by Chantel D
Rabbi Art did a fantastic job helping us create our perfect, simple, and interfaith (Islamic and Christian) ceremony on a budget. He also made us feel really comfortable talking about our relationship. We met online and got married within a ye...
ar of knowing each other. Rabbi Art was very encouraging and didn't make us feel awkward discussing these things honestly. My new husband and I highly recommend Rabbi Art!!
Reviewed On 10/01/2017 by Natalie D
Our interfaith wedding ceremony was a beautiful combination of both traditions, and Rabbi Art played a vital role in making that happen. We confirmed Rabbi Art's availability to co-officiate our ceremony about a year ahead of our wedding, and h...
e was extremely available and understanding as we planned out the details. He was very knowledgeable in answering all of our questions and helpful in providing insight and suggestions based on his experience as a wedding officiant. We received only positive feedback from all of our ceremony guests!
Reviewed On 9/26/2017 by Kara C
Our ceremony went so smoothly thanks to Rabbi Art. He was willing to lead a secular ceremony that we co-created. Art was accessible, kind, and professional throughout the whole wedding planning process.
Reviewed On 9/23/2017 by Kelli B
Rabbi Art took the time to get to know us as a couple and understand our shared values. He collaborated beautifully with the priest and together they constructed an unforgettable ceremony that touched upon the important parts of our lives and m...
ixed heritages that made our wedding unique. His candor was professional, kind, and most importantly open to all of our ideas. We couldn't be happier - to this day we still get compliments on the fluidity of mixed cultures and ease of incorporating Jewish and Christian traditions.
Reviewed On 9/18/2017 by Sarah S
Because we come from Jewish and Christian backgrounds, we knew our wedding ceremony would need to combine customs and traditions from both religions. Rabbi Art was both accommodating and understanding throughout the entire planning process as w...
e requested to incorporate readings, prayers, and customs. He was open to working with not only us, but also our families, in order to ensure our ceremony included our most important requests. Rabbi Art has a strong knowledge base on interfaith weddings and provided us with a clear outline for our ceremony. His sensitivity to our needs and emotions during the wedding planning process helped ensure that we were stress free in regard to the ceremony. Furthermore, we received many compliments from our guests regarding Rabbi Art. If you are looking for a personalized and meaningful ceremony, I would absolutely recommend Rabbi Art!
Reviewed On 9/18/2017 by Robert M
Art helped make our wedding ceremony a stress free part of the day we could enjoy as a couple beginning our life together. He understood what we wanted our ceremony to represent and was a helpful resource and mentor as we decided how to plan o...
ur union. His eagerness to help create a ceremony personal to the couple ensured our wedding would be special and meaningful to us.
Reviewed On 9/15/2017 by Katie G
Rabbi Art helped us create the perfect interfaith (Catholic & Jewish) wedding ceremony for our outdoor June wedding! He was extremely great to work with leading up to the wedding, always made us laugh during our visits, was very responsive and ...
provided a very helpful outline for our ceremony. We received so many compliments from our family and friends and can't recommend Rabbi Art enough!
Response from the Vendor on 10/02/2017
Hi all, Thank you for your kind words. What a blast it was working with both of you. Thanks for putting up with my sense of humor Enjoy the days, weeks, months and years ahead, Much love, Rabbi Art
Reviewed On 9/14/2017 by Ilya L
Rabbi Art made our special day perfect! We were able to meet with him and book his services last minute. He was able to work with us to accommodate for all the special requests we had for our unique interfaith ceremony. Rabbi Art drove an hour...
out of his way for no extra charge. His energy, passion and open mindedness made our ceremony go better than planned. We got countless feedback from our guests about how special they felt being part of it. We would recommend Rabbi Art to anyone looking for an officiant for their ceremony! Thank you so much Rabbi!
Response from the Vendor on 10/02/2017
Hi folks, Thanks for your kind words What a beautiful wedding. What an honor to celebrate you and your families. Much love, Art
Reviewed On 9/10/2017 by Caitlin R
We were so fortunate to find Rabbi Art. He was wonderful to work with. We were able to arrange an interfaith ceremony- Catholic-Jewish. He was knowledgeable and patient with us and we received so many compliments on our June 2017 wedding. I def...
initely recommend him as an officiant for your wedding, especially if you are looking to plan an interfaith ceremony.
Response from the Vendor on 11/05/2017
Hi, Thanks so much....what a beautiful wedding. Wishing you both only the very best for years and years to come. Rabbi Art
Reviewed On 9/06/2017 by David I
Raquel & David (2016) Our wedding was one full of colors, warmth and love. Being married in a Jewish ceremony as an interfaith and interracial couple was so special for us. The ceremony officiated by rabbi Art Donsky was the perfect spiritual...
bond we were looking to capture our feelings for each other. The text that we carefully selected for our Ketubah says it all: it explains the importance to learn from our heritages and our cultures to seal our love and to prosper as a couple. Few months before our religious ceremony, rabbi Donsky officiated our legal marriage in our home. We really enjoyed it. It felt as a neighborhood-wedding as the rabbi lives just a block away from us so he came walking. Our closest friends and family attended. We are glad that we could tie the knot both ways, without barriers and judgement. My husband is a happy American and I am a happy Mexican. Now we are one. Thank you! / Gracias! / Toda raba!
Reviewed On 9/09/2016 by Ashley S
The ceremony was perfect! We met with Rabbi Art several times leading up to our inter-faith ceremony for him to get to know us, and us him. Each time it was an absolute pleasure. His ceremony was very personable, as if we have known him for yea...
rs. He is clear and concise, and everyone really appreciated him speaking in both Hebrew and English. You can't go wrong with Rabbi Art for your ceremony!
Reviewed On 9/30/2015 by Diana
Rabbi Art made us feel very comfortable and helped us combine different Catholic and Jewish traditions to make a truly special ceremony that was unique to us. We had met a different Rabbi before meeting Rabbi Art but had felt that it was more o...
f a Jewish ceremony with a unity candle (which isn't even a Catholic tradition) instead of a truly interfaith ceremony. It meant a lot to both of our parents that we could find someone that allowed us to truly integrate our traditions and honor both of our faiths in a way that we were both comfortable and proud of. While we decided not to have a priest officiate as well, Rabbi Art has worked with priests for other interfaith weddings and was able to bring this insight during our meetings in addition to insight into the Jewish traditions.
Reviewed On 4/12/2015 by Haley G
Rabbi Art played a huge part in making our wedding day so special. It was difficult for us to find an officiant as an interfaith couple. Rabbi Art created a ceremony that focused more on our love and our relationship while also maintaining Jewi...
sh traditions. It was truly a pleasure to get to know him, become friends with him, and have him marry us.
Reviewed On 3/20/2014 by lindsaymcabat
Rabbi Art officiated my wedding in July, 2013. He took time to get to know me and my husband as a couple throughout our engagement period. He answered all our questions and was very easy to work with. He showed up to our wedding in ample time, ...
helped us sign our kettubah, and married us off in a short but intimate ceremony. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Rabbi Art and would highly recommend him as an officiant for any service!
Reviewed On 3/17/2014 by heatherandjack
Rabbi Donsky, who officiated at our wedding last year, brought a warmth, humor, and intelligence to the service that I think surprised many, and pleased all. During the planning stages, he was very receptive of our vision for the service, and ...
he offered sage advice for making it a more meaningful experience. It was a true pleasure to be ushered into our lives together by this wise and gentle soul.
Reviewed On 3/16/2014 by shelbysilberman1
Rabbi Donsky made our ceremony so warm and meaningful! I am Jewish and my Husband in Catholic. Rabbi Donsky was flexible and did everything he could to make us and our parents comfortable. I can't recommend him highly enough!
Reviewed On 6/25/2012 by Melissa G
While both my husband and I identify as Jewish and wanted a Jewish ceremony, we are not practicing members of any congregation, nor are our parents. Rabbi Donsky was happy to perform our ceremony based on our shared Jewish identity and values....
My husband and I met with Rabbi Donsky twice before the ceremony to go over the details and he was always available via email for questions that came up during the planning. Our ceremony was everything we wanted and we are very grateful to Rabbi Donsky for performing it.

Contact Info for Art Donsky, D.Div., MSW - Rabbi Without Walls

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Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh and Beyond..destination weddings welcome!

Meet the Team

meet the owner
Art Donsky
Owner
Originally from New Jersey, for the past 30 years, I have served the greater Pittsburgh community.  I was ordained as a reform rabbi in 1989 after graduating from Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). In 2014, I received an honorary doctorate of Divinity from HUC-JIR.  In addition, I hold a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Yedidya Institute. In June 2017, I completed a 3-year graduate fellowship at the the University of Pittsburgh with a joint Masters of Social Work and Public Health. Weekdays. Currently, I work as a Mobile Mental Health Therapist.