American Jewish University (AJU) announced that fall 2027 admissions are open at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, following a yearlong period of review and planning designed to prepare the next generation of rabbis for the changing demands of Jewish communal leadership.
For 30 years, AJU’s Ziegler School, a Los Angeles-based seminary that ordains rabbis in the Conservative movement, has educated rabbis who have served Jewish communities across the country and beyond. The decision to pause admissions in 2025 was part of an effort to examine the future of rabbinic education and develop a model that responds to the evolving role of the rabbi.
“We are reopening the admissions process for Ziegler because we believe deeply in the importance of exceptional rabbis and in the role they will play in building the Jewish future,” said Jay Sanderson, president and CEO of American Jewish University. “The world has changed, the role of the rabbi has changed and rabbinic education must change with it. Our goal is to reimagine what rabbinic education can be.”
“The reopening of admissions marks an important moment for the Ziegler School and for the future of rabbinic education,” said Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, interim dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. “We remain committed to the deep Jewish learning, spiritual growth, rigorous preparation and individual mentoring that have long defined Ziegler, while ensuring our future rabbis are equipped to meet the evolving needs of Jewish communities. We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of students.”
During the past year, AJU commissioned an independent review examining both the Ziegler School and the broader landscape of rabbinic education. The process included interviews with students, faculty, administrators, alumni, lay leaders and Jewish communal leaders. AJU also engaged with the research of Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation and consulted with stakeholders in rabbinic education, including leaders of the Conservative movement.
The review identified a need for a new approach to rabbinic preparation. Today’s rabbis are expected to be grounded in Jewish text and tradition as teachers and guides while also serving as institution builders, fundraisers, managers, communicators, community organizers and conflict navigators. They are increasingly called upon to lead in a world shaped by rapidly evolving technology and global challenges.
The Ziegler School will remain grounded in deep, Torah-inspired learning and a commitment to the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. At the same time, its curriculum will expand to include preparation in artificial intelligence and technology, business management, financial development, critical thinking, communication and conflict resolution.
“Our responsibility is to educate rabbis for the world as it is and for the Jewish future we want to build,” Sanderson said. “The Jewish community needs leaders with intellectual depth, spiritual seriousness, courage, curiosity and demonstrated leadership potential.”
The school will also take a more selective approach to admissions. Ziegler is seeking candidates with strong academic records, demonstrated leadership potential, intellectual curiosity, integrity and a commitment to building Jewish communities.
The reopening reflects AJU’s broader goal of helping create a sustainable pipeline of future rabbis while supporting the long-term sustainability of rabbinic education and enabling graduates to build sustainable careers in Jewish communal leadership.
“The measure of rabbinic education cannot simply be enrollment numbers,” Sanderson said. “It must be the impact of the rabbis we educate, the communities they build, the people they inspire and the Jewish future they help create.”
Founded in 1996, American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies was the first full-fledged rabbinical school to open west of the Mississippi and has since ordained more than 240 Conservative rabbis.
