Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

08/31/2026

Welcome to the beginning of a new academic year at the Ziegler School!

At AJU we're singularly focused on the Jewish future, and the work that you and the Ziegler School are doing lies at the heart of that mission.

Guided by its exceptional faculty, Ziegler brings together two essential dimensions of rabbinic education: the rigor of a formal, for-credit academic program accredited by WSCUC and the spiritual formation, sacred learning, and individualized mentorship of a seminary.

Let me give you an example from my time here. I have experienced this combination through Rabbi Dr. Elliot Dorff. At an AJU faculty research seminar, he led a thoughtful and intellectually rigorous discussion on the profoundly difficult issue of aid in dying. I have also experienced his remarkable attentiveness to others. During the long process of adopting my son, Rabbi Dorff would gently ask how things were progressing and listen closely. When the adoption was finalized, he sent me Brad Paisley's "He Didn't Have to Be"-proof both that he had understood the nuances of my story and, somewhat unexpectedly, that he knows his 1990s country music.

That combination of intellectual seriousness, careful listening, and mentorship is central to what makes rabbinical school so meaningful.

Your work here is both intellectually demanding and deeply formative, preparing you to lead and shape the Jewish future. We are proud that you are part of this community. I wish you a meaningful, enriching, and successful year. Welcome back!

Dr. Robbie Totten
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

08/28/2026

Welcome back to our Ziegler students and faculty! The school year kicked off Tuesday with the Myra and Wally Shapiro Luncheon. The Shapiros’ impact on Jewish life in Los Angeles has been extraordinary, and their legacy continues through their daughter, Ilene Berman, Chair of the Ziegler Advisory Committee.

We are deeply grateful to the Shapiro family and to visionary philanthropists like them who invest in our rabbinic students, strengthen Jewish leadership, and help steward Judaism into the future.

Here’s to a meaningful and inspiring year at Ziegler!

08/24/2026

Mazel tov to Rabbi Aryeh Cohen on being unanimously elected President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission! 🎉

We’re proud to see Rabbi Cohen’s Jewish wisdom and commitment to justice continue to make an impact in Los Angeles and beyond. 🙌

Learn more: https://ethics.lacity.gov/news/aryeh-cohen-and-morenike-irvin-elected-as-ethics-commission-leaders/

08/18/2026

Mazel tov to Ziegler rabbinic student and Camp Alonim Assistant Director Sasha Dominguez on beginning her new role as Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco! 🎉

As we prepare to enter another new year, we are thrilled to introduce a new member of our team: Rabbinic Intern Sasha Dominguez. Sasha brings innovative ideas and practices and a deep love for building relationships and learning through a Jewish lens. She grew up in Tampa, FL and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University. Her passion for Jewish community and education led her to pursue and gain two master’s degrees in Jewish Education and Jewish Nonprofit Management from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Sasha has had experiences across Jewish denominations and within varying organization types and hopes to continue creating inclusive Jewish community that makes our tradition relevant and relatable. In addition to being in her final year of rabbinical school at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Sasha serves as Assistant Director at Camp Alonim. In her spare time, she enjoys spending family time with her spouse Tal and their sweet 1 year old Asaf.

📸: American Jewish University - AJU

08/14/2026

In a new op-ed on eJP, Ziegler alum Rabbi Adir Yolkut marks the beginning of Elul and asks an important question: What would it look like for Jewish wisdom to shape not only what Jewish organizations do, but how they function?

From performance reviews to everyday workplace culture, Rabbi Yolkut is exploring how Jewish values can inform and be a foundation for how we work.

Mark the start of Elul by reading Rabbi Yolkut’s thoughtful reflection below. 👇

Today marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul: the last month of the year before the High Holy Days begin, and one filled with an immense amount of physical, spiritual and emotional preparation for the Jewish New Year. It’s also a season that rabbis over the centuries have loved to get cre...

08/11/2026

When Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg arrived at Hamakom as the West Valley congregation’s new senior rabbi on July 1, he wasn’t simply beginning the next chapter of his rabbinate. He was returning to the city where his vision of Jewish leadership first took shape.

More than two decades after enrolling at AJU’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Burg is back in Los Angeles, leading one of the region’s largest and most dynamic Conservative congregations. His appointment follows the retirement of...

Continue reading on the AJU Newsroom:

“The Ziegler community was great,” he recalled. “The faculty and the students really rallied around me and supported me in the moment.”…

07/28/2026

Where will a Ziegler education take you? Wherever the Jewish community needs thoughtful, compassionate leadership!

We're proud to celebrate the latest career milestones of our alumni (from left to right):

Rabbi Dror Chankin-Gould – Executive Director, UChicago Hillel
Rabbi Hannah Estrin – Interim Rabbi, Tree of Life Synagogue (Pittsburgh)
Rabbi Adir Yolkut – Vice President, Jewish Learning, Leading Edge

Mazal tov to each of these remarkable leaders on their new roles. Everyone at Ziegler is cheering you on! 💙

07/20/2026

Join us in celebrating AJU's Goldstine Distinguished Scholar, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, on receiving the Women's League for Conservative Judaism's prestigious Mathilde Schechter Award!

For decades, Rabbi Artson has inspired generations of students, rabbis, educators, and Jewish leaders through his teaching and commitment to an inclusive view of Judaism. This well-deserved honor recognizes a lifetime of visionary leadership and enduring impact.

Read more about this well deserved recognition and Rabbi Artson's extraordinary contributions to Jewish life at the link below:
https://aju.edu/news/ajus-rabbi-bradley-artson-receives-womens-league-for-conservative-judaisms-prestigious-mathilde-schechter-award/

07/17/2026

As we prepare for Shabbat, we're excited to share a short video d'var Torah from Ziegler student Sarah Klein, who is serving as a rabbinic intern at HaMakom.

In her reflection on this week's Torah portion, Sarah explores the profound impact words can have. Click the link below to watch Sarah's d'var Torah and support her work!

Shabbat shalom 🌅

In this Shabbat video, Rabbinic Intern Sarah Klein tal...

07/16/2026

What does Jewish leadership look like in a time of constant crisis?

In a thoughtful new essay for eJewishPhilanthropy, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies alumnus Rabbi Jay Strear reflects on the challenges facing today's Jewish leaders—from burnout and uncertainty to the need for resilient, values-driven leadership.

His piece is a critical reminder that sustaining our communities requires not only courage, but also the wisdom to lead with candor, courage, accountability and reflection.

Read Rabbi Strear's latest article below and let us know what resonates with you. ⬇️

In Jewish life today, the ground never stops shaking. War, rising antisemitism, campus hostility, political polarization, financial uncertainty: Our organizations have been living in a state of “permanent emergency” for years. Jewish nonprofits are being asked to hold trauma, safety, identity, p...