Maas Center at AJU

06/05/2026

Walk into any Miller Intro to Judaism classroom and you'll see something beautiful: no two journeys are exactly alike.

Our students come from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and experiences. Some are Jewish. Some are Jew-ish. Some are exploring conversion. Others are simply curious and looking to learn.

At the Maas Center, we believe Judaism is enriched by that diversity. The tapestry of Jewish life is strongest when it is woven from many different threads, each bringing its own story, perspective, and wisdom.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the many ways people find their way into Jewish community and affirm that everyone deserves a place to learn, belong, and be fully themselves.

Love is love is love.
Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈 ✨

05/05/2026

Introducing the Miller Intro Signature Series—an expanded, all-access way to experience the 18-week journey ➡️ https://bit.ly/4d5M9CK

This is more than a class. It’s a deeper, more immersive way to step into Jewish life—guided by a curated cohort of rabbis, each bringing a distinct voice, perspective, and path into the tradition. Together, they create a dynamic, layered learning experience that goes beyond the fundamentals and invites you into something more meaningful, more personal, and more transformative.

✧ In addition to the core curriculum, the Signature Series includes ✧

→Optional Hebrew decoding - Begin reading and navigating Jewish text with added support throughout the course

→Shabbat experience - Participate in a shared Shabbat dinner as part of your learning journey

→Community exploration - Join curated visits to diverse Jewish communities in Los Angeles, with virtual access available for those joining from elsewhere

→Access and support - Opportunities for deeper engagement, including additional guidance from Program Director Rabbi Tarlan

COURSE BEGINS JUNE 21 | SUNDAYS @ 10:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM ET

EXPLORE THE SIGNATURE SERIES ➡️ https://bit.ly/4d5M9CK

05/04/2026

Lag B’Omer: From Sparks to Flame — By Maas Center Executive Director, Alyssa Craft ⬇️

Today is Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer, the period of counting between Passover and Shavuot. This stretch of time is traditionally more subdued, and Lag B’Omer marks a break in that rhythm. It is a day of joy, when celebrations return. In many traditions, weddings can take place on this day, and it is considered an especially auspicious time.

People often mark the day by gathering around bonfires, spending time outdoors, and coming together in community.

In 2019, I had the opportunity to travel to Mount Meron in Israel for Lag B’Omer, where thousands gather each year around the resting place of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a historic Jewish teacher connected to the roots of Jewish mysticism, and whose life and teachings are traditionally honored on this day.

People from all walks of Jewish life came together, families, seekers, lifelong learners. Bonfires lit the night, music filled the air, and there was a deep sense of connection to tradition, to community, and to something larger than ourselves.

It was not just ritual. It was a felt experience of Jewish joy.

That moment has stayed with me. Each year, as Lag B’Omer returns, I come back to a simple question: how do we take what we inherit and make it our own?

Like the bonfires of Lag B’Omer, we are invited to create light in our own way.

Judaism is not only something we observe. It is something we build. Through learning and shared ritual, each of us shapes a meaningful Jewish life.

Where might you add a little more light, connection, or intention in your life right now?

05/01/2026

Did you know today is Passover Sheni—the “Second Passover?" ➡️ In the Torah, it was created for those who couldn’t participate in the original Passover offering. Rather than being left out, they were given another opportunity—a second chance to show up and be part of the ritual.

That idea carries forward in a powerful way. Jewish tradition makes space for real life. It recognizes that timing doesn’t always align, and that missing something doesn’t mean losing it forever.

Passover Sheni reminds us that it’s not too late—to reconnect, to re-engage, or to begin again.

As we move toward Shabbat, a built-in pause each week, we’re invited into that same mindset: to arrive as we are, without needing to have gotten it right the first time.

Where might you give yourself permission to try again next week?

04/14/2026

Never again. We remember.

Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is a day when Jews around the world pause to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and to honor the lives, families, and communities that were destroyed.

Remembrance is not only about looking back. It shapes how we show up now. The Holocaust did not begin with violence, but with ideas, othering, and the erosion of human dignity.

In a time when antisemitism continues to surface in both overt and subtle ways, this day calls on us to stay aware, to recognize the signs, to speak out, and to stand with clarity and pride in our Jewish identity.

At AJU's Maas Center, we see memory as something we carry forward. Through learning, conversation, and community, we turn remembrance into responsibility.

May their memory be a blessing—and a responsibility we hold together.

03/31/2026

PASSOVER: THE FREEDOM TO ASK 🙋🏽
Passover is a holiday about freedom, but we do not celebrate it by acting free. We step into the experience as slaves. For a week, we eat matzah—food made in haste—the same ingredients as bread, but without the time to rise. As Philo of Alexandria teaches, matzah and bread are made of the same ingredients; only one is puffed up. And that puffiness, he says, is a symbol of ego. It becomes a physical reminder to humble ourselves, to strip things down, and to let go of ego.

In the same spirit, we clean our homes before the holiday, removing the excess and the noise of daily life so we can return to what actually matters.

There is a tradition in the Syrian Jewish community that captures this idea in a powerful way. At the beginning of the Seder, the leader enters with a bag on their back. The children are meant to ask, “Where are you coming from?” “I am coming from Egypt.” “Where are you going?” “To the Promised Land.” And then, “What is in the bag?”

With those questions and answers, the Seder begins...

Click the link to continue Reading Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh's powerful Passover Message 🔗 https://bit.ly/4teD4Ow

03/25/2026

We’re seeking a Senior Rabbi and Director of Jewish Education to help lead AJU's Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, one of the most impactful entry points into Jewish life in North America.

This leadership role will shape the educational vision of the Maas Center, guide individuals exploring Jewish life and conversion, and help grow the reach of the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program through a national network of partners.

If you’re a visionary rabbinic leader passionate about inclusive Jewish education, meaningful engagement, and building pathways into Jewish life, we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/47Wiavl

03/23/2026

🌍✨ Global Passover traditions reflect the rich cultural tapestry of Jewish life

From Morocco to Yemen to Eastern Europe, Jewish communities around the world bring their own flavors, customs, and traditions to the Seder table, while still telling the same powerful story of freedom. The Passover Seder is all about retelling the Exodus, but no two tables look exactly the same.

📰 Read more about how some of these traditions come to life in our feature in the Jewish Journal 👉 https://bit.ly/47cindx

And join us on March 29th for Passover Around the World with Sarah Bunin Benor 🔗 https://bit.ly/4ds1108

An upcoming online event organized by American Jewish University (AJU) will explore diverse traditions and the ways they reflect the rich cultural tapestry of Jewish life.

03/04/2026

The story of Purim unfolds in ancient Persia.
For me, as a Persian rabbi, that connection is personal. Jewish life in Persia, modern day Iran, is one of the longest chapters of our diasporic history, and the story of Queen Esther is intertwined with that world.

This year, as global attention again turns to Iran, the Purim story carries new resonance.

May this Purim bring courage in moments of uncertainty, joy in the face of fear, and hope for a future of dignity and peace for all.
Chag Purim Sameach. 🎭

— Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, Director of Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, AJU

Read Rabbi Tarlan's full Purim message: https://t.e2ma.net/click/hcw3zl/5yd3gtad/hcwf9cb

02/13/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 - From FedPRO to Shabbat, Reflections with Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh

→ When I first wanted to become a rabbi, I was told that as a Persian woman, it would be hard for me to make it. Quietly, almost unconsciously, I told myself: I would put parts of myself away.

That I would teach Judaism the way people already knew it. But I learned something important: by being my whole self, I wasn’t compromising Judaism, I was expanding it.

In the Torah portion we learn this Shabbat we are told that we are not allowed to count people one by one. Instead, each person gives a half-shekel — the rich not more, the poor not less. From that we count how many people there are.

But why a half?

Because no one is complete on their own. Each of us is only half of our full potential. Completion happens only when we join together.

Some of us do this work loudly.
Some of us do it quietly,
behind the scenes.

Some fundraise.
Some enter the data.
Some do the accounting, HR, IT.
Some answer phones.

But without each and every single role—nothing would function. Every act matters. Small and large.

As we enter the Hebrew month of Adar and prepare for Purim, we’re reminded: Joy is born from courage. From showing up as we are. From speaking up. From contributing—each in our own way. Only together—half plus half—do we become whole, and do we count.

When you contribute, you say: I care. I belong.

Happy month of Adar! May this month bring you joy and the courage to share your unique gifts with the world.

✨ 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 🌃