Academy for Jewish Religion-California

Los Angeles, CA
574 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
213-884-4133

The Academy for Jewish Religion-California is a small, private, not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles. It is one of only two accredited rabbinical and cantorial schools in the Western United States. The Academy's mission is to educate and train men and women as rabbis, cantors, chaplains, and other Jewish communal leaders, and to provide a supportive and stimulating environment for Jewish learning. The Academy is committed to Jewish pluralism and to the inclusion of all streams of Jewish thought and practice.

The Academy was founded in 1947 by Rabbi Max Nussbaum, a German-Jewish refugee who came to the United States in 1939. Rabbi Nussbaum was deeply committed to Jewish education and to the idea of Jewish religious leaders serving the needs of all Jews, regardless of denominational affiliation. The Academy was originally affiliated with the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University), but became independent in 1971.

The Academy offers a four-year program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Jewish Studies, with a concentration in either rabbinical studies or cantorial studies. The Academy's rabbinical program is accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) and its cantorial program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

The Academy's faculty is composed of scholars and practitioners from a wide range of Jewish denominational and theological perspectives. The student body is similarly diverse, with students coming from all over the United States and from a variety of Jewish backgrounds.

The Academy is an active and vibrant community, with a wide range of extracurricular activities and organizations. These include a student-run newspaper, an a cappella group, and a variety of social, cultural, and religious clubs and organizations. The Academy is also home to the Center for Jewish Renewal, which offers a variety of programs and services open to the entire Jewish community.



Quick Facts

Enrollment: 61

Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

Main Website: https://www.ajrca.edu/

Financial Aid: https://ajrca.edu/admissions/financial-aid/