Ziegler School Announces Goldstine Fellowship for New Students

The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies is pleased to announce the establishment of a new fellowship for incoming students, as a result of a generous multi-year gift from long-time supporters and community philanthropists, Roslyn (Roz) and Abner Goldstine. The newly established Goldstine Fellowship will provide eligible rabbinic students with much needed supplemental financial support during their first two years of study at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. The Goldstine Fellowship will be provided to eligible new students beginning in fall 2019.

Specifically, the Goldstine Fellowship will provide new Ziegler students with an annual $10,000 in additional funding to offset living expenses and other costs associated with pursuing full-time rabbinic studies. The goal of this grant is to alleviate some of the affiliated challenges accompanying full-time study, thus freeing students to open their minds and hearts to the texts and traditions of Judiasm, feel the presence of God in their lives, and assume the ever-expanding roles and responsibilities offered to those entering the Conservative rabbinate of the 21st century.

 “Ziegler graduates are known for their modern approach to Conservative Judaism – combining both textual background and the ability to inspire congregants,” said Abner Goldstine. “Our hope with this new grant is that we can support a greater number of rabbinic students interested in studying at Ziegler and in learning under the meaningful guidance of Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson and others within American Jewish University. We sincerely hope this gift will make a difference in the lives of students by providing them with the support they need to sustain themselves.”

Rabbinic training is an enormous commitment for students (and their families) who are called to serve the Jewish community. Rabbinical school, while it can be deeply meaningful and fulfilling, is also often an extraordinary financial commitment. Typically spending over five years in rabbinic study, students pay for their education through financial aid, scholarships, part-time work, family support and student loans.  Often times, this can create financial challenges and additional stress on the student and their family, especially in a city such as Los Angeles with its higher than average cost of living.

“Thanks to the extraordinary vision and generosity of The Goldstines, the Ziegler School can now offer a level of financial support to next year’s incoming class that was never before possible,” said Rabbi Artson, the Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Dean’s Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and Vice President of American Jewish University. “What a wonderful gift to these future rabbis, and what a wonderful gift to the Jewish people.”

“These future leaders of the Jewish people will have access to the best rabbinical education — intellectual, emotional, and spiritual — without the anchor of debt holding them down,” added Roz Goldstine.  “Additionally, Abner and I hope that the community as a whole will be inspired to join us in finding new ways to support and sustain the important future leaders of our Jewish community.”

The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies made history over twenty-two years ago when it opened the first independent rabbinical school on the West Coast. The Ziegler School now focuses on the journey of each rabbinical student to produce extraordinary rabbis to lead the Jewish people in a renaissance of talmud Torah (learning), shmirat mitzvot (observance), and gemillut hesed (acts of social justice and personal compassion).

The first cohort of rabbinic students eligible to receive the Goldstine Fellowship will begin in 2019.  Interested applicants can contact the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at ziegad [at] aju.edu (ziegad[at]aju[dot]edu).  

To learn more about the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, visit us online at www.aju.edu/ziegler.