American Jewish University - AJU

05/31/2026

The Jewish Journal highlighted AJU’s Gala honoring Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson and celebrated his extraordinary 25-year legacy at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

The evening brought together our community to honor a visionary teacher, mentor, and leader—while raising more than $1.6 million in support of AJU’s future. We're also proud to announce the naming of the Goldstine Distinguished Scholar position in Rabbi Artson's honor.

Read the full write-up on the Gala below ⬇️

A leading voice in Conservative Judaism, Artson has long shaped Jewish thought and leadership far beyond the walls of AJU.

05/18/2026

Yasher Koach to our ordinands and mazel tov to the recipients of this year’s Ziegler academic awards! 🎉

✨ 2026 Ordinand Brianah Caplan with Dean Rabbi Brad Artson and Vice Dean Cheryl Peretz
🎶 2026 Ordinand Malachi Kanfer
📚 David Lieber Award for Academic Excellence: Savannah Lipner
📖 David Aronson Award for Excellence in Rabbinic Literature: Josh Mendel
✡️ Henry Fisher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Studies: Brianah Caplan
🎖️Abby Spivack Award for Community Service: Malachi Kanfer and Lily Gross
📜 Eliezer Slomovic Award in Talmud: Jake Perl
א Yechiel Goldhaar Memorial Prize for Excellence in Hebrew: Brian Blum and Jacob Martinez Raizman

We're so proud to celebrate the dedication, scholarship, and leadership of our Ziegler students as they complete another year 🔥🙌

05/18/2026

Yasher Koach to our ordinands and mazel tov to the recipients of this year’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies academic awards! 🎉

✨ 2026 Ordinand Brianah Caplan with Dean Rabbi Brad Artson and Vice Dean Cheryl Peretz
🎶 2026 Ordinand Malachi Kanfer
📚 David Lieber Award for Academic Excellence: Savannah Lipner
📖 David Aronson Award for Excellence in Rabbinic Literature: Josh Mendel
✡️ Henry Fisher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Studies: Brianah Caplan
🎖️Abby Spivack Award for Community Service: Malachi Kanfer and Lily Gross
📜 Eliezer Slomovic Award in Talmud: Jake Perl
א Yechiel Goldhaar Memorial Prize for Excellence in Hebrew: Brian Blum and Jacob Martinez Raizman

We're so proud to celebrate the dedication, scholarship, and leadership of our Ziegler students as they complete another year 🔥🙌

05/14/2026

📢 Calling all Alumni — we’re looking for YOU! 🫵
https://r35wq.share.hsforms.com/2X0_FvsyST4SEs2anVMxIGA

We’re building our alumni family and it starts with staying connected. Help us update our alumni network by taking this quick 5-minute survey and making sure we have your latest contact info.

✨ Reconnect with classmates
✨ Stay in the loop on AJU news & events
✨ Be part of our growing alumni community

Please also forward this to fellow alumni—we’d love to reconnect with them too!

Your information will be used solely for AJU communication purposes.

Click the link and help us bring our alumni family back together 💙
🔗 https://r35wq.share.hsforms.com/2X0_FvsyST4SEs2anVMxIGA

05/08/2026

Dear Friends, As I complete my first year as President and CEO of American Jewish University, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to our exceptional staff, lay leaders, alumni, program participants, and donors for their support and leadership.

Today, we’re launching our dynamic, user-friendly website, aju.edu. This is much more than a new website. It is a clear statement of our identity, mission, and impact. We hope you will visit it often and refer it to your friends and family.

We’ve returned to our roots and have refocused our work "singularly focused on the Jewish future."

This year, we’re celebrating two important milestones that demonstrate our impact: the 85th anniversary of the Ziering Brandeis Camp Institute (BCI) and the 40th anniversary of Miller Introduction to Judaism. Thousands of Jewish leaders around the world trace their inspiration and attribute their commitment to the Jewish people to their experiences at BCI. Our Introduction to Judaism program has created thriving Jewish homes and has guided thousands interfaith couples to make meaningful Jewish choices. Stay tuned for opportunities to join us as we reconnect with our alumni and commemorate these milestones.

The website launch also includes the rollout of the 2050 Institute with a podcast, "The Jewish Tomorrow" and a salon series, "The Future of...". The 2050 Institute is a bold and transformative initiative focusing on the next generation of Jewish life in North America.

American Jewish University is reinforcing its founding principles as both a living laboratory and a university of higher learning committed to experiential education that’s deeply rooted in Jewish texts and tradition, rich arts and culture and state-of-the-art innovation. We are strategically connecting our current and planned programs to reinforce our dedication to offering life-long experiences for Jews (and those interested in learning about Judaism and the Jewish people) of all ages and from diverse backgrounds.

Thank you for your continued support,

Jay Sanderson
President & CEO
American Jewish University

05/06/2026

Join us in welcoming Mitch Hamerman as AJU’s new Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer, effective May 11.

With nearly 25 years of experience in Jewish philanthropy and nonprofit strategy—and more than $1 billion in philanthropic support generated for major Los Angeles institutions—Mitch brings extraordinary leadership, vision, and relationship-building expertise to this role.

As AJU continues to shape Jewish future, Mitch will lead our advancement strategy, strengthen donor engagement, expand philanthropic support, and help deepen our impact across the community.

Here’s to new beginnings and meaningful impact—welcome to AJU, Mitch!

Read about his appointment in the Jewish Journal:

Notable people and events in the Jewish LA community.

05/05/2026

We’re proud to honor Elana Zimmerman with an honorary doctorate from AJU’s Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership at our 2026 Commencement Ceremony!

An AJU alumna, longtime Jewish educator, and beloved leader at Valley Beth Shalom, Elana has dedicated decades to strengthening Jewish life through education, community building, and visionary leadership. From shaping synagogue life to helping found de Toledo High School, her impact has touched countless lives across the Jewish community.

We are honored to celebrate her extraordinary career and lasting legacy. Mazal tov, Elana!

04/24/2026

Rabbi Cheryl Peretz has been named Interim Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, effective July 1.

A dedicated leader at Ziegler for 25 years and most recently Vice Dean, Rabbi Peretz brings deep experience in clergy training, leadership development, and student formation.

She will lead the school’s academic enterprise, oversee faculty, curriculum, and student development while guiding key areas of rabbinic formation, including internships, placements, and experiential learning.

Read the full press release for more details 🔗 https://bit.ly/4ct8mMd

04/15/2026

For more than 25 years, Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson has shaped the future of Jewish learning, leadership, and community. 💫 AJU.EDU/GALA

Now, as we prepare to honor him at the American Jewish University Gala, Brad is sharing a personal invitation.

Watch his message and join us for an evening that celebrates his impact—and looks ahead to what comes next.

🎟️ Join us at the AJU Gala on Tuesday, May 19th at 5:30PM: RSVP HERE 🔗 https://e.givesmart.com/events/NwP/?v=845755

04/14/2026

Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is a day when Jews around the world pause to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and to honor the lives, families, and communities that were destroyed.

Remembrance is not only about looking back. It shapes how we show up now. The Holocaust did not begin with violence, but with ideas, othering, and the erosion of human dignity.

In a time when antisemitism continues to surface in both overt and subtle ways, this day calls on us to stay aware, to recognize the signs, to speak out, and to stand with clarity and pride in our Jewish identity.

Memory is an active responsibility. Through education, conversation, and community, we work to ensure that the lessons of the past inform a more thoughtful, compassionate, and resilient future.

May their memory be a blessing—and a responsibility we hold together.