Academy for Jewish Religion

10/27/2026

In this week’s D’var Torah on Parashat Vayeira, Rabbi Scott “Shalom” Klein explores the transformative posture of sitting at the tent’s entrance through the insights of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the Sfat Emet. Reflecting on the four open sides of the chuppah, he argues that genuine resilience and leadership require moving beyond defensive bunkers to build lives that remain porous, hospitable, and anchored in community trust. He concludes with a powerful call to action to step into the heat of the day, lift our gaze past isolation, and bring the Divine Presence into the living world through radical service to others.

🔗 https://ajr.edu/parashat-vayeira-5787/

10/26/2026

🌿 AJR Wellness is in full swing! 🌿

Take a moment to pause, breathe, and reconnect. Join us Tuesday and Thursday mornings for meditation practice and a little time to nurture your mind, body, and spirit. 💙

Keep an eye out for more wellness programs and opportunities to connect with and care for our AJR community.

10/22/2026

I read the words AJR wrote about me for its 70th Anniversary Gala, and my heart is overflowing. I feel seen, loved, and deeply humbled to be honored by a community that has become so precious to me.

There is something almost impossible to describe about being a teacher of rabbis. To sit with people who are offering their lives to the Jewish future. To open an ancient text together and watch a student discover something that neither of us could have found alone. To witness a question becoming Torah, and Torah becoming someone’s courage to care for another human being. What an extraordinary privilege. What a beautiful responsibility.

I love my AJR students. I love their questions, their honesty, their willingness to bring their whole selves into the room. And I love my AJR colleagues, whose scholarship and generosity move me to grow as a teacher, rabbi,and mentch.

And then there is the joy of watching my beloved Neshama pursue her own smicha as an AJR rabbinical student. Watching her fire find this home fills me with wonder and pride.

AJR represents so much of what I cherish in Judaism: serious learning, spiritual courage, love of Am Yisrael, and a pluralism that teaches us to cherish one another. Dr. Ora Horn Prouser and this remarkable community remind me that the Jewish future is being shaped through relationships, one sacred encounter at a time.

To be honored by people I love this much is overwhelming. Thank you to the whole Academy for Jewish Religion family for welcoming our hearts so fully. A special thank you to my beloved friend and colleague, Rabbi Ira Dounn, for his leadership and stewardship of this magical event.

I would be grateful to celebrate with you. You can read the beautiful tribute and find gala information here: https://ajr.edu/70thgala/

With so much love, and a very full heart.

Register or become a sponsor Please click here to view an accessible invitation > Mazal Tov to AJR's Gala Honorees Rabbi Bruce & Terri Alpert AJR Alumnus & Board Chair Emeritus, and Special AJR Supporters They began dating in ninth grade; they fell in love a little

10/22/2026

We at AJR have strongly and proudly affirmed our continuing commitments as a Zionist institution. We believe in Israel as a Jewish state. We celebrate its many achievements, and we advocate for its safety, and future. At the same time, in our deep love for Israel we feel responsible to speak out against unjust and misguided government actions. We thus must object on behalf of those who have stood up to work alongside and protect olive growers in the West Bank. We are horrified by the situation that necessitated these actions and are grateful to those who took this stand. We look to the Israeli government to live up to the ideals espoused by our sacred literature and the Jewish State’s own founding democratic principles, to protect the fruit of the earth even during wartime, to protect those in our midst who are vulnerable, and to treat each person as being created in the image of God.

10/21/2026

In this week's D'var Torah, Rabbi Davey Rosen explores Parashat Lekh Lekha by weaving together Avraham's foundational journey and his own grandfather's immigration story from Poland to America, and the opportunity we have to carry forward the legacy of being a blessing.
🔗https://ajr.edu/dvar-torah-for-parashat-lekh-lekha-5787/

10/20/2026

✨ JUST ONE WEEK AWAY!!✨

Come discover what’s possible at AJR! Join us our Open House on Tuesday, October 27!

💻 Zoom in anytime throughout the day to:
📚 Sit in on sample classes
👋 Meet our students and faculty
🕊️ Experience AJR’s spirituality and pluralism
💬 Ask questions and get a feel for our community
✨ Explore where your Jewish journey might take you

No pressure. No commitment. Just an opportunity to experience AJR and imagine what could be next.

We’d love to welcome you! For registration + information visit: https://ajr.edu/open-house-tuesday-october-27-2026/

📩 Questions? Email [email protected]

10/15/2026

Today we’re celebrating Rabbi Dr. Jill Hammer, AJR’s Director of Spiritual Education! ✨

We are so grateful for the wisdom, creativity, and spiritual depth she brings to our AJR community—and for the many ways she inspires our students to explore Jewish tradition, spirituality, and meaning.

🎈Please join us in wishing 𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗶 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆!
🎈

10/14/2026

In this D'var Torah Rabbi Serebro-Litvak argues that the lesson we derive from the story of Tower of Babel is that learning another language teaches us essential skills for communicating with people even when we already share a language.

🔗https://ajr.edu/parashat-noah-5787/

10/13/2026

✨ TWO WEEKS AWAY!!✨

Come discover what’s possible at AJR. 💙

Join us for the Academy for Jewish Religion Open House on Tuesday, October 27!

💻 Zoom in anytime throughout the day to:
📚 Sit in on sample classes
👋 Meet our students and faculty
🕊️ Experience AJR’s spirituality and pluralism
💬 Ask questions and get a feel for our community
✨ Explore where your Jewish journey might take you

No pressure. No commitment. Just an opportunity to experience AJR and imagine what could be next.

We’d love to welcome you! For registration + information visit: https://ajr.edu/open-house-tuesday-october-27-2026/

📩 Questions? Email [email protected]

10/07/2026

Three years ago, Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel and the Jewish People everywhere, changing the world as we knew it.

Today, we pause to remember that fateful day, to cherish the memories of those who were brutally murdered and to hold close all who continue to carry the immense weight of trauma, physical pain, grief, and loss. We continue to be inspired by renewed life and the work of survivors, and to try to help to bear the weight of so much suffering.

As a 𝗭𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, AJR affirms our deep love for Israel and the enduring importance of our Jewish homeland. Israel is woven into our history, our tradition, our prayers, and our collective identity. Our connection to Israel calls us to stand with its people, continuing to build a Jewish future rooted in Torah, compassion, courage, and resilience, and to work toward peace and security throughout the region.

Even in moments of heartbreak, we hold fast to hope, to community, and to the enduring spirit of Am Yisrael.

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝐲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.🕯️