 |
A Message from
President Dr. Robert Wexler
|
Almost every time I attend a tribute dinner or luncheon sponsored by a Jewish organization someone inevitably remarks, “Bob, you must attend dozens of these every year.” Now I hate to disappoint anyone, but I probably attend fewer than they think.
There is, however, one particular annual event that I make it my business not to miss: the Jewish Educator Awards Luncheon sponsored by the Milken Family Foundation.
So why is this event different from all other events? Simple. Because the four honorees are teachers. Hardworking, devoted, underpaid, underappreciated teachers who symbolically represent hundreds of other hardworking, devoted, underpaid, underappreciated teachers. The Milken Luncheon is perhaps the only moment when the Jewish community says “thank you” to the men and women who educate our children by recognizing the most dedicated and successful.
Long ago the Milken Foundation realized the importance of investing in teachers, but their realization has yet to find true resonance in the broader Jewish community. We continue to have an ambivalent attitude toward those who do the most important work of transmitting Jewish values.
When a young woman (or, dare I suggest, a young man) decides to become a Jewish educator, her decision often meets with resistance in her own family. Let’s face it. We do not consider a career in Jewish education to be sufficiently prestigious for our own children.
At AJU, we have one of the larger Jewish teacher training programs in the country. Nevertheless, our program could be much larger still, if we could find more young men and women prepared to consider Jewish education as a career. The jobs are available, but our communal ambivalence restricts the number of applicants each year.
A change will occur when our community begins to rethink its attitude. Encouraging a career in Jewish education (or in education generally, for that matter) begins with subtle messages received in the home. Enhancing the pay scale for teachers will also help influence the career aspirations of young Jews. Finally, we need to underwrite the training of teachers by providing a high level of scholarship support.
Frankly, we all know what we need to do to remedy the situation. The question that remains is whether we intend to do it.
|
|
Mimi Lembeck to Receive Bachelors
and Masters In Education May 2008
Mimi with her 4th Grade class at Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue
“I became part of a community at American Jewish University,” says Mimi Lembeck, a senior who, in her fifth year at AJU, will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Education. Mimi is one of an elite group of AJU students who earn both their bachelors and masters degrees in an intensive, five-year program.
“I wasn’t sure where I would go to school,” said Mimi, who arrived at her college years, like many young people, quite uncertain of where her future would lead. “I never considered AJU because even though I grew up on the Westside of Los Angeles, I thought it was (only) a rabbinical school. When I learned more about AJU, despite having felt disconnected from the ‘Jewish world’ since my adolescence, it seemed to be the place for me.”
read more
|
|
Tony Blair Recounts the
World’s Six Greatest Challenges
 Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Tony Blair, kicked off AJU’S popular annual Public Lecture Series, on Monday January 14, 2008, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City.
Blair, who currently serves as Middle East Quartet Representative, along with representatives from the U.S., Russia, and the United Nations, warned the audience about six major struggles facing our world, now driven by globalization.
read more
|
|
Annapolis and the
Arab-Israeli “Alliance” Against Iran
Nadav Morag, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Senior Research Associate
– Center for Israel Studies
 The Israeli defense establishment views the Middle East from the perspective of three concentric rings of threats (and opportunities): the innermost circle focuses on the Palestinian arena, the next circle on those countries immediately bordering Israel and the outermost circle on further-afield regional actors such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, etc.
Historically, the primary threats to Israeli security came from the second circle – chiefly from Egypt and Syria with the third circle playing an often significant supporting role. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya and Algeria figured prominently in supporting Palestinian terrorism in the context of the first circle as well as in Europe and elsewhere and some of them played a supporting role (chiefly financial) in Egyptian and Syrian military efforts against Israel.
read more
|
|
AJU Featured on "The Community Review"
This past November, Nina Lieberman, Dean of the Graduate Program in Non-Profit Management, along with student, Fernando Montes Rodriguez, were guests on KHHT-FM radio's "The Community Review", hosted by Josefa Salinas.
The topic was AJU’s Community Partnership Initiative (CPI), a scholarship program for professionals working in the nonprofit sector. CPI supports candidates seeking the Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management by providing financial assistance to a cadre of working professionals serving minority communities.
read more
|
|
AJU's Familian Campus Goes Greener
With the start of the new year, Familian Campus dining is taking a giant step toward “going greener” by replacing all styrofoam products in the cafeteria with new biodegradable products. But, “going green” is not new to "the Berg" (the Familian Campus cafeteria) which has been on-board for quite a while now, providing those lovely brown recycled napkins, as well as recycling cardboard boxes, bottles, cans, and even used grease.
The new biodegradable products are made from bamboo, sugar cane, corn and potato, and are non-toxic because they do not contain the harmful bleaches usually used in the manufacturing of non-biodegradable products. The color of the products is achieved by balancing brown bamboo and white sugar cane. Bamboo is a renewable resource, which will grow back in 6 months, while a tree could take 60 years!
read more
|
|
"Does God
Exist?"
|
University Events
February
02/03: Violinist William Hagen, 2:00pm
02/10: Alonim Open House, 1:00pm
02/10: Show Business Icons EdAsner, Monty Hall, Shirley Jones & Lainie Kazan 2:00pm
02/13: Purim Specialties Cooking with Judy, 10:00am
02/21: Tour of Weisman Museum Collection, 10:30am
02/24: Jewtopia, 7:30pm
02/25: Karl Rove, 7:30pm
02/26: Elliot Dorff, 10:30am
March
03/04: Pianist Cooper Labinger, 11:00am
03/09: Tour of Disney Concert Hall, 10:00am
03/10: Bruce Geller Screenwriting Award Celebration, 7:00pm
03/16: Alonim Open House, 1:00pm
03/24: Ariana Huffington Interview Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson, 7:30
03/26: Passover Desserts Cooking/ Judy, 10:00am
03/28: Ramah’s Women’s Spirituality Weekend
03/30: Nathan Englander, 2:00pm
03/30: Nora Baum, 7:30pm
More Continuing Education events
|
|
 |
|
Support AJU
Annual Dinner
|
|
Platt Gallery Opening
Artist Reception for “Women in Space” at American Jewish University, February 24 to May 16, 2008
|
|
Introduction to Judaism
An educational journey for those interested in learning more about Jewish history, life and culture
|
|