AJU Names Rabbi John Carrier Senior Rabbi and Director of Jewish Education for the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys
American Jewish University (AJU) today announced the appointment of Rabbi John Carrier as Senior Rabbi and Director of Jewish Education for the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, bringing to the role an accomplished educator, congregational leader, digital content creator and longtime instructor in AJU’s renowned Miller Introduction to Judaism program.
A 2014 graduate of AJU’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies who converted to Judaism in 2000, Rabbi Carrier returns to AJU after more than a decade of teaching, community building and helping hundreds of students deepen their connection to Jewish life.
He will relocate from Minneapolis to Los Angeles before beginning the role on June 22.
“This is the chance of a lifetime,” Rabbi Carrier said. “As much as a risk as it’s going to be, as much as a dislocation as it’s going to be, I had to go for it. To be selected for this opportunity feels like a validation of all the work I’ve done up to this point. My whole rabbinic career has been arcing toward this role, and while this is a big move that I’m undertaking quickly, it’s well worth it.”
He will work closely with Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, vice president of Jewish engagement and director of the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, AJU’s hub for innovative Jewish learning and engagement, to expand opportunities for people seeking meaningful Jewish experiences and pathways into Jewish life.
“As our new Senior Rabbi and Director of Jewish Education for the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, John brings warmth, humor, wisdom and a genuine commitment to our students. He takes the time to build relationships, offer thoughtful guidance and help people find their place within Jewish life and community,” Rabbi Rabizadeh said. “In many ways, it already feels as though John has long been part of our leadership team. I am excited for this next chapter and confident that, with his partnership, we will continue to deepen our impact and reach even more people on their Jewish journeys.”
Rabbi Carrier’s path to the rabbinate has been anything but straightforward. Raised in East Texas, he grew up in both Lutheran and Methodist churches. His father was a third-generation Southern Baptist minister who later became a history professor. By the time he reached adulthood, Carrier said, he no longer considered himself religious.
Then he encountered Judaism.
“It felt more true for me than anything I’d been familiar with before,” he said. “I loved that it didn’t pretend to give me answers to life’s big questions but had an outstanding vocabulary for asking those questions.”
He converted to Judaism in 2000 at the mikvah of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., while living in Fairfax County, Virginia. What began as a personal spiritual journey ultimately led him to the rabbinate.
“I fell hard for Judaism,” he said with a laugh. “I took it way too far.”
After graduating from Ziegler, Rabbi Carrier served congregations in Southern California, including Burbank Temple Emanu El and Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. Along the way, he discovered a passion for teaching that would become a defining feature of his career.
“When I became a rabbi, I was remembering all the rabbis who held doors open for me,” he said. “I thought I needed to pay it forward and started teaching in the Miller Introduction to Judaism program.”
Since 2014, Carrier has taught hundreds of students through the Miller program, AJU’s flagship course for adults exploring Jewish learning, conversion and community. He has also served as a sponsoring rabbi and member of the beit din for dozens of conversion candidates.
“The Miller curriculum is the best Introduction to Judaism curriculum I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And I’ve seen a few.”
Known for his engaging teaching style, Carrier combines scholarship with accessibility and humor.
“You could say I teach with humor and warmth and bring a certain amount of levity into the classroom,” he said.
That approach may stem in part from an earlier chapter in his life. Before entering the rabbinate, Carrier worked as a financial analyst while also trying his hand at open-mic comedy and improv classes.
“Those experiences helped me tremendously in the rabbinate,” he said. “If you’re onstage as a comedian for five minutes, you have to be funny the entire time. As a rabbi, if you get two laughs during your Yom Kippur sermon, suddenly you’re the ‘funny rabbi.’”
In addition to his classroom and congregational work, Carrier has built a substantial digital presence. He hosts the popular podcast “The Jewcurious Show,” has produced more than 300 Jewish educational videos on YouTube and has spent years teaching Jewish learners online.
“In my time between pulpits at Burbank and Pasadena, I leaned into online teaching,” he said.
A Fellow of Rabbis Without Borders and graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Leadership Program, Carrier is also the author of “The Promised Life: Overcome Your Crisis and Find Your Purpose with Seven Gifts from a Time-Tested Tradition.”
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Carrier enjoys cooking — which he calls “my most absorbing hobby” — entertaining friends, building music playlists and spending time with his 100-pound German shepherd, Cali.
As he prepares to join the AJU team, Carrier said he is energized by what lies ahead.
“I’m excited by the visions Rabbi Tarlan and AJU President Jay Sanderson have for the Maas Center,” he said. “There’s an opportunity here to reach people who are looking for meaning, connection and a Jewish home, whether they’ve been Jewish their entire lives or are just beginning to explore Judaism.”
For Carrier, the appointment represents both a homecoming and the continuation of a journey that began 25 years ago when he first entered the Jewish community. Now, returning to the institution that helped shape him as a rabbi, he will help guide others as they embark on Jewish journeys of their own.