Born in Jerusalem, Rabbi Gaffney was raised on the Lower East Side in New York City. He attended the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School where he was ordained as a rabbi, the youngest student to be so honored. Rabbi Gaffney received his BA degree from Brooklyn College, with a major in psychology; his MA in Jewish philosophy from Yeshiva University, and was honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

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The rabbi was a student in the Doctoral Program in the Department of Religion at Columbia University when he was invited to assume the pulpit at the Jacksonville Jewish Center in Jacksonville, Florida. In that setting, Rabbi Gaffney was instrumental in creating a full-service congregation that included nursery school, kindergarten, a Solomon Schechter Day School consisting of eight grades, a Hebrew School and a High School. In addition, synagogue activities included extensive youth, adult education and cultural programs.

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Rabbi Gaffney has also served the larger community in a variety of capacities. He was president of the Southeast Region of the Rabbinical Assembly; a member of the Board of The Jewish Federation, a member of the Board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews and its Inter-Faith Committee and a member of the Board of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. He also led in efforts to facilitate the resettlement of Jews from the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Gaffney has also been involved in a variety of organizations committed to the welfare of the State of Israel.

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Rabbi Gaffney served as the rabbi of the Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue for over a decade and continues to bless us with his warmth, wisdom and tremendous learning.