American Jewish University and Central Conference of Jews in Germany Lead Historic Initiative to Revitalize Jewish Life in Europe

LOS ANGELES — American Jewish University (AJU) and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies announced today the launch of a groundbreaking partnership with the Central Conference of Jews in Germany, the umbrella organization for Jewish life in Germany. With significant support from German state and federal governments, the two organizations will establish a sustainable rabbinic and cantorial education program at the University of Potsdam.

The centerpiece of this endeavor is the newly established Interdenominational Rabbinic Cabinet, a pioneering institution dedicated to interdenominational rabbinic and cantorial education. Ziegler Deans Rabbis Bradley Shavit Artson and Cheryl Peretz will oversee the curriculum and religious standards for the Conservative school, the Abraham Joshua Heschel Seminary, while Rabbi Yehoyada Amir will head the Liberal rabbinic leadership. The College also offers a non-denominational cantorial division.

This new collaboration also marks the conclusion of the Ziegler School’s engagement with the Frankel College in Germany.

“This is a major global initiative,” said Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Dean of AJU’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. “We at American Jewish University are honored to lead in this space, with the mission of elevating Jewish life everywhere through education and leadership.”

This announcement coincides with the official launch of the Nathan Peter Levinson Foundation, a new and vital force in European rabbinic and cantorial education. The foundation aims to ensure transparent, academically rigorous training for Liberal and Conservative rabbis and cantors, which further solidifies the efforts of the Ziegler School and its European partners. The University of Potsdam will recognize the Nathan Peter Levinson Foundation as an affiliated institute.

The collaboration between the Ziegler School and the Central Conference of Jews in Germany comes at a crucial time for Jewish communities in Europe. As these programs expand, they promise to strengthen relationships between government bodies, nonprofit agencies, and Jewish organizations throughout Europe to ensure a thriving Jewish future for generations to come.

“Today is a good day for rabbinical and cantor training in Germany and a good day for the Jewish communities in our country,” said Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the General Conference of Jewish in Germany. “The Levinson Foundation is a center of Jewish religion and thought. The new training for Liberal and Conservative rabbis and cantors in Potsdam embarks on a promising future and opens important international networks within liberal and conservative Judaism.”

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About AJU: American Jewish University (AJU) is a thriving center of Jewish resources and talent that serves the Jewish community of the twenty-first century. A portal for Jewish belonging, AJU equips students, faculty, campers, and learners of all ages with the tools to create the ideas, build the structures, and develop the programs to advance Jewish wisdom and elevate Jewish living. AJU advances and elevates the Jewish journey of individuals, organizations, and our community through excellence in scholarship, teaching, engaged conversation, and outreach. For more information, visit www.aju.edu.