Over 85% of AJR, CA students are accomplished, second-career professionals between the ages of 35 to 65. They have achieved success in such fields as Jewish education, medicine, law, performing arts, academia and business. Now, they are pursuing their dream of becoming a rabbi, cantor or chaplain.

In order to accommodate our students’ significant professional and personal responsibilities, the Academy operates on a Sunday to Tuesday schedule of classes. The flexibility of this schedule is also ideal for the approximately 40% of our students who commute from outside of the Greater Los Angeles area. In recent years, students have commuted weekly from Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Northern California and San Diego.

We consider the fact that our student body is comprised of men and women with rich life experience and maturity to be an invaluable asset to our school. As a result, classroom discussions are at the highest intellectual level and the sense of camaraderie and collegiality is obvious. As Rabbi Elijah Schochet, PhD, a world renowned expert on the origins of the Hasidic Movement and an AJR, CA Professor of Talmud notes “The Academy’s student body is rich in both gifts of mind and gifts of heart. They bring to our school remarkable intellectual powers and profound sensitivity.”

Our students benefit from a faculty and curriculum that represent the teachings and traditions of all of Judaism’s denominations. In addition, the emphasis on spirituality and spiritual growth gives them the “tools” and training to be both spiritual leaders and spiritual counselors. As a result of their unique training, our graduates are able to reach out and bring the real beauty of Judaism to Jews of all denominations as well as to those who might otherwise drift away. Well-prepared to work in a variety of settings, they’re being hired by synagogues, day schools, hospitals, universities and other communal organizations across the country.