American Jewish University - AJU

06/16/2026

Opening Day is here at Camp Alonim on American Jewish University’s Brandeis-Bardin Campus.

Today, campers arrived with excitement, energy, and the anticipation of everything the summer holds ahead. New friendships, new challenges, moments of growth, and opportunities to discover strengths they didn’t know they had.

As we begin another summer of learning, leadership, and community, we’re reminded of the blessing of this moment:

Shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh — grateful that we have lived, endured, and arrived at this season together.

Here’s to a summer filled with impact, adventure, and memories that will last long after camp ends.

06/16/2026

AJU welcomed our Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership doctoral students to the beautiful Brandeis-Bardin Campus for our annual EdD Intensive.

This immersive experience brought together students from our Year 1 doctoral cohorts for a weekend of learning, collaboration, and community-building. Participants engaged in presentations, workshops, and meaningful discussions while beginning to shape their doctoral dissertation ideas.

Most importantly, the intensive provided an opportunity to connect in person, strengthen professional relationships, and grow alongside a community of passionate educators and leaders committed to advancing the future of Jewish education and early childhood leadership.

Interested in taking the next step in your professional journey? Learn more about AJU's EdD in Early Childhood Education Leadership and EdD in Jewish Education and Communal Leadership programs at AJU.edu/Masor.

06/15/2026

There is still time to join this summer's BCI Fellowship, beginning June 23.

For 18 days, you'll step away from the ordinary and join a community of people in their 20s exploring Jewish identity, creativity, leadership, culture, and connection.

BCI is part fellowship, part retreat, part summer adventure. You'll spend your days learning, creating, questioning, celebrating, and building friendships that often last long after the program ends.

Tuition is just $500, and a limited number of scholarships are still available. Housing, meals, programming, and activities are all included.

📍 Brandeis-Bardin Campus
📅 June 23 – July 12

If you're looking for a summer that challenges you, inspires you, and connects you to something bigger than yourself, there's still time.

Register today at aju.edu/bci

Through Ziering Brandeis Camp Institute (BCI), young adults develop the tools to answer defining questions of your 20s: Who are you? What do you believe? And how will you lead?

06/05/2026

📣🎙️ American Jewish University has launched The Jewish Tomorrow, a new podcast exploring the future of Jewish life in North America and beyond!

Hosted by culture strategist and author Robert Richman, the podcast is the inaugural initiative of AJU's 2050 Institute and features conversations with leaders, innovators, philanthropists, and thinkers who are helping shape the decades ahead.

At a time of rapid social, technological, and communal change, The Jewish Tomorrow asks an essential question:

→How can we build a stronger, more vibrant Jewish future?

Watch to the trailer and click the link below to check out the first three episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQSpWj-yF2RpF9n1iCwJDI0Y1Dp9qwvH

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.