AJU’s Ziegler School Pioneers Dual-Degree Model for Future Rabbis 

American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies is implementing a new dual-degree structure that will award graduates two master’s degrees alongside rabbinic ordination, reflecting the university’s commitment to preparing rabbis with both deep Jewish knowledge and the professional skills needed to lead Jewish communities today.

Under the new structure, which will take effect in fall 2027, students who complete the Ziegler program will earn a Master of Arts in Rabbinics and a Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Leadership (MJCL). Both degrees will be required for rabbinic ordination, and students will be admitted to and enrolled in both degree programs simultaneously.

“We’re doubling down on the education students receive at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies so that, when they’re ordained, they’re prepared to be transformative Jewish leaders and serve as rabbis anywhere,” American Jewish University President Jay Sanderson said. “The depth and breadth of Ziegler’s curriculum will distinguish it from other rabbinic schools at a time when the demands of the rabbinate are evolving.”

The dual-degree model distinguishes between two complementary areas of rabbinic education. The Master of Arts in Rabbinics will focus on rigorous text study, Bible, Jewish law, history, thought and tradition. The Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Leadership will provide professional training in practical rabbinics and areas including organizational management, media and technology, entrepreneurship, understanding and combating antisemitism, relationship building and fundraising.

“This announcement represents an important step in implementing American Jewish University’s vision for reimagining rabbinic education, maintaining Ziegler’s commitment to deep Torah learning while expanding the practical leadership preparation essential for today’s rabbinate,” Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, interim dean at the Ziegler School, said.

The updated curriculum will build on Ziegler’s academic foundation while preparing future rabbis for the increasingly complex responsibilities of communal leadership. Coursework will address the rabbi’s role as a manager, communicator, educator and relationship builder, with opportunities to develop skills in pastoral counseling, homiletics, public communication, entrepreneurship and organizational leadership.

New and revised coursework will also prepare students to navigate emerging challenges and opportunities in Jewish communal life, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence and digital media, responding to antisemitism, building relationships across religious and communal differences, and developing sustainable initiatives that strengthen Jewish institutions.

The dual-degree structure does not represent a wholesale restructuring of the Ziegler program. The school will maintain its overall four-to-five-year educational framework, including its summer Israel intensive and final-year residency, while making targeted curricular changes, adding courses and incorporating the expertise of leading professionals and practitioners.

The approach reflects a central conviction behind the program: that deep Jewish learning and practical professional preparation are complementary and equally essential to educating rabbis equipped to lead the Jewish future.

The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies is American Jewish University’s rabbinical school, committed to educating and ordaining rabbis who draw on the richness of Jewish tradition while engaging the challenges and possibilities of contemporary Judaism.