Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies News and Updates from the Ziegler School! Ours is an era in which Jews are asking "Why be Jewish?" with greater urgency than ever before.

The Ziegler School was conceived to train a new generation of Conservative rabbis to address the spiritual needs of a changing North American Jewry. While previous generations might have committed to Jewish life out of obligation or tradition, we believe that today's and tomorrow's Jews will join our community only if we can show them how Jewish life can enrich their lives and touch their souls. A

s a result, the rabbinic program is dedicated to training Conservative rabbis who are not only deeply versed in Jewish texts and committed to Jewish traditional practice, but who can transmit the beauty and richness of Judaism to others. Offering an academically and spiritually rigorous program of text study and religious practice, students are encouraged to ask questions and challenge themselves. Graduates enter the rabbinate with the vision and ability to energize others religiously, spiritually and intellectually, and to model the ideals of traditional Judaism in the contemporary world. The future of Jewish life requires nothing less.

Ziegler School Alum Rabbi Adam Greenwald was highlighted by the Rabbinical Assembly—check it out! 🙌
03/12/2025

Ziegler School Alum Rabbi Adam Greenwald was highlighted by the Rabbinical Assembly—check it out! 🙌

Our colleague, Rabbi Adam Greenwald began his career at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and today he serves as the rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel (Orange County, CA).

Read Rabbi Greenwald's story here: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/ra-rabbis-are

🌟 Celebrating One Year of Our Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Beverly Hills Campus Today, we celebrate one year of ou...
03/12/2025

🌟 Celebrating One Year of Our Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Beverly Hills Campus

Today, we celebrate one year of our Ziegler School nestled in our Beverly Hills campus. In these 12 months, we have experienced the fullness of transition, of greater day to day conversations and socializing, and of building the Ziegler School’s future growth and renewal.

Time is sacred. Our Jewish calendar invites us to mark moments throughout the year to acknowledge their significance and resonance.

The first commandment given to the Children of Israel on the eve of their exodus from Egypt was to count time: “Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh hodashim – this month will be the beginning of months for you.” The Mishnah tells us that there are actually four new years, each one inviting recognition of unique and vital occasions- trees, animals, human leadership, and creation itself.

Even as we anticipate a better future, it is within our power to sanctify the present, to give meaning and value to our time. We mold our moments into a bridge to tomorrow.

This is the blessing of this anniversary, this new year, for our Ziegler School community. Spontaneous connections between students, faculty, and guests happen each and every day because of the layout of our new home, inspiring deeper connection and renewed community. The location of Ziegler in the heart of Beverly Hills continues to reinvigorate the possibility for even greater growth and renewal.

This is what we all hoped for in the move. This is what your contributions, suggestions, critiques, and voluntarism to these first 12 months is helping to build. Thank you for being a vital participant and leader of this renewal and of the many moments that are yet to come.

May we all continue to sanctify our moments together as we move into the next year in our new school home.

-Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson, Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Dean's Chair, Professor of Philosophy
-Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, Vice Dean
-Rabbi Sammuel Rosenbaum, Assistant Dean

Ordained by Ziegler in 2020, the incredible Rabbi Golden has been featured in the Rabbis of LA series by the Jewish Jour...
03/10/2025

Ordained by Ziegler in 2020, the incredible Rabbi Golden has been featured in the Rabbis of LA series by the Jewish Journal! A cherished member of the Ziegler community, he has gone on to accomplish remarkable things in the rabbinate, including founding Der Nister, the first Yiddish synagogue in Downtown Los Angeles.

Click the link below to read about his inspiring career in the Rabbinate:

He founded Der Nister, the first Yiddish synagogue in Downtown Los Angeles.

Rabbi Sammy Rosenbaum proudly represented the Ziegler School at the Hillel Israel Summit in Chicago this past weekend, j...
03/06/2025

Rabbi Sammy Rosenbaum proudly represented the Ziegler School at the Hillel Israel Summit in Chicago this past weekend, joined by Michelle Brint representing the BCI - Ziering Brandeis Camp Institute! We’re so excited to see people engage with Ziegler and show interest in joining the rabbinate.

So proud of Ziegler alumna, Rabbi Susan Leider!
03/04/2025

So proud of Ziegler alumna, Rabbi Susan Leider!

For Women’s History Month and 40 Years of Women in Our RA, today we’re celebrating…
🎉 Rabbi Susan Leider! 🎉

Rabbi Leider was the first woman to hold a senior rabbi pulpit position in the Conservative/Masorti Movement. Rabbi Leider is an alumna of Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. These days, she runs consulting firm Insyte Partners, which works with nonprofits across the continent on change management.

Read her story here: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/ra-rabbis-are

Please ❤️“love”❤️ and comment to celebrate Rabbi Leider!

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Insyte Partners

📖✨ At Ziegler, learning isn’t always about studying texts—it’s about building community and experiencing Torah with your...
02/27/2025

📖✨ At Ziegler, learning isn’t always about studying texts—it’s about building community and experiencing Torah with your fellow students.

In the "Text as Spiritual Mentors" class, students take turns selecting an opening activity to set the tone for learning. This week, Avi Kushlan sparked creativity and connection by inviting the Ziegler seniors to draw portraits of each other and Rabbi Artson.

This exercise encouraged students to truly see one another, deepening their connection before even opening a book.

Did you know that Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, Vice Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, has been leading powerful co...
02/24/2025

Did you know that Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, Vice Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, has been leading powerful conversations about overcoming bias and harassment?

Inspired by the movement, Rabbi Peretz created a program that has been used in over 60 sessions across communities, clergy search committees, and beyond! She recently led a session for the Women’s League titled “You, Me & We Too: Overcoming Bias and Harassment”, guiding participants through exercises on unconscious bias, personal experiences of feeling different, and the lessons of the Daughters of Zelophehad.

We are grateful to Torah Fund and Women’s League for recognizing this important work and for making the trainings possible through their Creating New Spaces campaign!

Vice Dean, Rabbi Cheryl Peretz and alumn Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz featured as part of this week's Table For Five Torah comme...
02/21/2025

Vice Dean, Rabbi Cheryl Peretz and alumn Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz featured as part of this week's Table For Five Torah commentary in the Los Angeles JEwish Journal.

The Unintentional Killer

🌿🍷 Celebrating Tu Bishvat at Ziegler! 🍇🌳Today, our Ziegler School community came together for a beautiful Tu Bishvat Sed...
02/14/2025

🌿🍷 Celebrating Tu Bishvat at Ziegler! 🍇🌳

Today, our Ziegler School community came together for a beautiful Tu Bishvat Seder, honoring the New Year of the Trees with meaningful Torah teachings and delicious fruits! 🍎🍊

Tu Bishvat reminds us of Judaism's deep connection to the environment. As we enjoyed the bounty of the earth, we reflected on our responsibility to care for creation. 🌍✨

On Thursday, February 20th, Ziegler student Josh Feldman will be speaking at Temple Beth Am at their event, "What in the...
02/06/2025

On Thursday, February 20th, Ziegler student Josh Feldman will be speaking at Temple Beth Am at their event, "What in the H*ll-yWood is Happening" - A dynamic conversation with Jewish film and television creators about the modern entertainment industry.

Join the conversation and show your support for Josh! Click the link below for details and to attend:

“WHAT IN THE H*LL-YWOOD IS HAPPENING?” - A DYNAMIC CONVERSATION WITH JEWISH FILM & TELEVISION CREATORS ABOUT THE MODERN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Temple Beth Am invites you to a rousing roundtable conversation with Jewish creators and talent about their pasts, presents, and futures in the biz. Thur...

Rabbi Cheryl Peretz Promoted to Vice Dean of American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies!As Vice Dea...
01/30/2025

Rabbi Cheryl Peretz Promoted to Vice Dean of American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies!

As Vice Dean, Rabbi Peretz will expand her role in senior-level decisions and continue advancing gender equity and inclusion, developing innovative programming and teaching and mentoring rabbinical students – embodying the Ziegler School’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of Jewish leaders.

“The Ziegler School is a unique place for learning, growth leadership, and community,” said Peretz. “I look forward to pioneering new paths to elevate our future rabbis, partnering with Rabbi Artson and our advisory board in elevating the school in the broader community, and furthering Ziegler’s reputation as an innovative, out-of-the-box leader in rabbinic education.”

Click the link to learn more: https://www.aju.edu/newsroom/rabbi-cheryl-peretz-promoted-vice-dean-american-jewish-universitys-ziegler-school-rabbinic

✨ Welcome back to a new semester, Ziegler students! ✨On Tuesday, the Ziegler School kicked off the semester with an Open...
01/23/2025

✨ Welcome back to a new semester, Ziegler students! ✨

On Tuesday, the Ziegler School kicked off the semester with an Opening Lunch, bringing the rabbinical school community together to reconnect and gear up for a meaningful semester.

It was such a joy to see everyone back, energized, and ready to learn. We’re very excited to witness all that our incredible rabbinical students will accomplish this semester. We know they’re going to achieve amazing things! 💙

✨ Mazal Tov to Ziegler alums Rabbi Emily Holtzman ('22) and Rabbi Marc Kraus ('13) on their engagement! Last week, they ...
01/22/2025

✨ Mazal Tov to Ziegler alums Rabbi Emily Holtzman ('22) and Rabbi Marc Kraus ('13) on their engagement! Last week, they celebrated this beautiful milestone in the new Ziegler Beit Midrash by exchanging their favorite Talmud passages—and, of course, rings!

Wishing you both a lifetime of love, learning, and joy. 💕

Ziegler students can't help but share their appreciation and love for the incredible Rabbi Pat Fenton:✨ "Rabbi Fenton is...
01/16/2025

Ziegler students can't help but share their appreciation and love for the incredible Rabbi Pat Fenton:

✨ "Rabbi Fenton is an absolute gem. Her gentleness, thoughtfulness, and humility before our sacred texts are qualities I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. Ziegler is so lucky to have her."

📖 "Rabbi Fenton, you are a gem, and your laughter gets me through the day."

Rabbi Fenton’s wisdom and kindness leave a lasting impact on everyone she teaches. Ziegler is blessed to have such a compassionate and inspiring educator and librarian. 💙

Drop a comment below to share your favorite Rabbi Fenton moment or a message of gratitude! 🙌

01/13/2025

Dear Friends,

I want to take a moment to reflect on the challenges of this week. The recent fires in our region have reminded us of both the unpredictability of nature and the unwavering resilience of the human spirit.

We are grateful to share that AJU's Brandeis-Bardin and Ziegler campuses, as well as our offices on the Familian campus, remain unharmed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by the fires. We are deeply appreciative of the tireless efforts of first responders and community members in combatting the flames. Their dedication is an inspiration and a powerful reminder of collective responsibility - kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another.

My colleague, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, has offered this prayer during a fire:

Flames scorch our beloved hills,
Devour our homes, incinerating memories
Acquired over lifetimes,
Destroyed in an instant.
Smoke smothers, a deathlike blanket
Blocking the clear California skies,
Swathing our community in a dark, dank blanket of soot.
Normally in motion, the smoke
Looks solid and hides the light.
But not the hope.
Our lives are more than our homes.
Our memories rest in our hearts, not our albums.
Our loves are stronger than these flames,
Unquenchable, life-giving still.
The soul of people are God’s true flames,
And the light breaks through even the thickest smoke.
The sun will again shine. And so will we.

On behalf of all of us at American Jewish University, I wish you a week filled with peace, safety, and connection. May the week to come bring healing to those affected.

Dr. Jeffrey Herbst
President, American Jewish University

In a topsy turvy world, antisemitism has burgeoned, incidents of Jew hatred have exploded over the past two years, and a...
12/20/2024

In a topsy turvy world, antisemitism has burgeoned, incidents of Jew hatred have exploded over the past two years, and a pervasive sense of being threatened, demonized, and caricatured haunts many of us. It is precisely at such times that we resist the temptation to catastrophize. We must mobilize to fight the hate and distortions, yes. But we also would do well to remember the many ways we Jews continue to enjoy a unique and positive role in America, and to use that asset for the benefit of all...

Click the link below to continue reading Rabbi Artson's thought-provoking article, Slightly Odd, Weirdly Magical: The Jews, in the Jewish Journal.

We would do well to remember the many ways we Jews continue to enjoy a unique and positive role in America, and to use that asset for the benefit of all.

Associate Dean, Rabbi Cheryl Peretz writes in this week's Jewish Journal: "In that moment, he (Jacob) understands someth...
12/06/2024

Associate Dean, Rabbi Cheryl Peretz writes in this week's Jewish Journal: "In that moment, he (Jacob) understands something different about the place, about God, about himself and invites us to walk with him through the gates of heaven." Click below to read the entire entry.

Holy Encounter

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