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* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
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* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
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Category Archives: AJU
Decoding The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in Los Angeles
ChatGPT says: Through Alliance Theory, the Ziegler School is best understood as a regional legitimacy-maintenance hub designed to keep Conservative Judaism viable on the West Coast by producing rabbis who can hold communities together after enforcement is gone. It is … Continue reading
Posted in AJU
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Los Angeles Jewish Camp Denies Exposing Children to Radiation
From JTA: The organization that oversees a popular Jewish summer camp near Los Angeles denied reports that it knowingly may have exposed tens of thousands of its campers to radioactive waste and toxic chemicals — calling reports to that effect … Continue reading
Posted in AJU
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American Jewish University Salaries
I went to Guidestar.org and found this 990 form filed for 2013, which listed salaries as follows: * Robert Wexler (president): ~$296,000 * Zofia Yalofsky (VP): ~$151,000 * Gady Levy (VP): ~$130,000 * Brad Artson: ~$145,000 * Jay Strear: ~$163,000 … Continue reading
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When God Called Upon The Jews To Be A Holy People, Did He Mean Tango Classes?
I was just rereading Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book The Prophets: While ancient societies most highly valued wisdom, wealth, and power, to the prophets “such infatuation was ludicrous and idolatrous.” For them, kindness, justice, and righteousness were the highest ideals and … Continue reading
Posted in AJU, Dennis Prager
Tagged abraham joshua heschel, jitterbug dancing, lindy hop, social survival, supreme manifestation, tango classes
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Dancing With The Rabbis
Oh man, I want to go to this so bad. Who wants to buy me a ticket? Mixed-dancing is one of the big no-nos of Orthodox Judaism, but not of Conservative Judaism as this email from AJU (the West Coast … Continue reading
Posted in AJU
Tagged bradley shavit artson, Conservative Judaism, karina smirnoff, louis van amstel, orthodox judaism, rabbi elliot dorff
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They Got Me!
I opened up my email this evening to find one from an “Al Ha-madaf.” Oh, man, I thought. The terrorists have got me. They’re coming to get me. I open it up and find out it is from AJU. Why … Continue reading
Posted in AJU
Tagged jewish community library, judith viorst, miriyam glazer, Naomi Ragen, rabbi harold kushner, rare bible collection
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American Jewish University’s Top Earners
According to its 2008 990 filing: Mark Bookman, COO: $191,000 Robert Wexler, President: $135,000 Zofia Yalovsky, VP: $133,000 Nina S. Lieberman Gilardi: $127,000 Gady Levy: $155,000 According to the 2007 filing: Robert Wexler: $248,000 Mark Bookman: $210,000 Zofia Yalovsky, VP: … Continue reading
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Whatever Happened To Deportment Among Conservative Rabbis?
Last week I wondered why the head of American Jewish University’s rabbinics program publishes photos of himself in jeans and a tye-dye t-shirt. Can you imagine Saul Lieberman doing that? I also wonder the Ziegler School of Rabbinics is run … Continue reading
Posted in AJU, Beth Am, Conservative Judaism, R. Adam Kligfeld
Tagged chewing gum, hunger in the world, rabbi adam, saul lieberman, tye dye, ziegler school
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Inside American Jewish University
Here is their 2006 990 filing for 2005. Highest paid employees of AJU: Robert Wexler: $222,000 Bradley Artson: $177,000 Mark Bookman: $174,600 Gady Levy: $145,000 Zofia Yalovsky: $143,000 Jay Strear: $143,000 Ronald Wolfson: $142,000 Nina Leiberman Giladi: $126,700
Posted in AJU
Tagged american jewish, jewish university
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Jonathan Safran Foer At AJU’s Sunday Book Fair
Here’s an excerpt of my full report: Last discussion of the day is Rabbi Robert Wexler interviewing Jonathan Safran Foer. Joel Stein does the introduction in place of some chick on the side of the stage named Abby. (Listen) We … Continue reading →