This spring, as we have for nearly 20 years, the Academy for Jewish Religion California (AJRCA) will ordain and graduate a group of Jewish leaders who serve as agents of transformation in their communities.
AJRCA was founded in 2000 by three creative, spiritual, activist rabbis – Rabbi Stan Levy, Rabbi Stephen Robbins, and Rabbi Mordecai Finley – who, after being approached by congregants and community members looking to pursue rabbinic or cantorial ordination, recognized the need for a new kind of Jewish spiritual leader: one who could effectively serve the 21st-century American Jewish community in all its diversity. Determined to create the highest caliber institution, representing all of Judaism’s denominations and beyond, the founders recruited an illustrious faculty and administration. A group of dedicated and highly motivated community leaders soon formed the first cohort of students.
Over the years, as the Academy has grown and expanded, our mission has remained the same: to combine immersion in text and tradition with openness to the wisdom of many streams of Jewish thought and practice, giving students both the knowledge and the tools to develop their own personal integration of Judaism. Flexible scheduling and distance learning make it possible for students to engage in advanced study at their own pace. The rich life experience and maturity of our students, together with the diverse expertise of our faculty, and the uniqueness of our curriculum, have created an environment and community that is dynamic and supportive.
It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I, along with the Board of Directors, Faculty, and Administration, congratulate our newest ordinees and graduates: four Rabbis, three Cantors, one Chaplaincy graduate and two Master of Jewish Studies graduates.
Today, AJRCA encompasses a Rabbinical School, a Cantorial School, a Chaplaincy School and a Master’s program with a number of specializations. Our programs are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and our nearly 200 alumni work in both denominational and transdenominational institutions nationwide. Our alumni serve as spiritual leaders in a variety of settings, from leading existing congregations and pioneering new ones, to directing and educating in day schools, religious schools, and universities, to running spiritual care organizations and departments in major hospitals, hospices and prisons.
Which brings me back to the here and now. After years of consciously nurturing and developing each student’s unique attributes and natural gifts to reach this moment, please join me in celebrating and honoring our 2021 ordinees and graduates.
To learn more about AJRCA and our academic and community programs, please visit ajrca.edu, call us at 213-884-4133 or email info@ajrca.edu.
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