Jeffrey Herbst
President
AJU welcomes Dr. Jeffrey Herbst as the fourth president of American Jewish University. Prior to joining AJU, Dr. Herbst was president and CEO of the Newseum and the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC. From 2010 to 2015, he was president of Colgate University, where among other accomplishments he is credited with helping the university complete its nearly half billion-dollar fundraising campaign, leading the development and initial implementation of a university-wide strategic plan, and increasing the diversity and academic caliber of its educational programming.
Additionally, Dr. Herbst was a Senior Fellow at the Brenthurst Foundation, was a two-time Fulbright Scholar, and is currently a trustee of Freedom House. He has also served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and as professor of political science at Miami University in Ohio, and taught at Princeton University for almost two decades.
Dr. Herbst earned his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Princeton University, and a master’s degree and doctorate in political science from Yale University. He is the author of the award-winning “States and Power in Africa” and, with several co-authors, the just-published “Making Africa Work.” In addition to many books and articles, he has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other digital and print publications around the world.
Zofia Yalovsky
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Administration and Technology
Interim Director of Student Affairs
Zofia Yalovsky earned her B.A. in Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology at Tel Aviv University and acquired her education and experience in information technology in the Israeli Air Force. Ms. Yalovsky also earned her MBA in Nonprofit Management from University of Judaism (now AJU).
When she moved to the United States in 1991, she had more than two decades of experience in senior management, particularly in areas of finance, business HR, administration and technology.
Ms. Yalovsky has been involved with AJU since 1992. In 1997 she accepted the position of Director of Business and Administration, advanced to Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and finally became VP Finance, Administration and Technology, responsible for the university's finance affairs, internal controls and compliance, administration and campus technology.
Ms. Yalovsky teaches from time to time Management, International Business and Leadership in the undergraduate program and Human Resources to MBA students and serves as an advisor to undergraduate students majoring in Business . She mentors MBA students in their internships and assists with their thesis.
Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
Vice President
Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair, Ziegler School
Rabbi Artson graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1981 with a B.A. in History and Literature. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Jewish Studies in 1988, and a Doctor of Hebrew Letters in 2010 from Hebrew Union College, Magnin School of Graduate Studies.
Following ordination in 1988, Rabbi Artson led a congregation in Mission Viejo, which he helped grow from 200 to 600 family units. In 1998 he moved to L.A. as the Executive Vice President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.
In 1999, a year after the Ziegler School was established as an ordaining seminary, the founding dean made aliyah. AJU President at the time, Dr. Robert Wexler, invited Rabbi Artson to breakfast to offer him the position of Dean of the Rabbinical School. The proposition was irresistible, and has allowed Rabbi Artson to serve as one of the leaders of Conservative Judaism, and to show his love for rabbis and rabbinical students.
Artson is the author of seven books. His most recent is The Gift of Soul: Spiritual Resources for Leadership & Mentoring.
Rabbi Gary Ezra Oren
Vice President
Dean, Whizin Center for Continuing Education
Rabbi Gary Oren joined American Jewish University as Vice President and Dean of the Whizin Center for Continuing Education in summer of 2013. Rabbi Oren is an alumnus of California State University, Fullerton where he completed his undergraduate degree, and Tel Aviv University where he studied towards an M.A. of Middle Eastern Studies. In 2008 he received his rabbinical ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. Rabbi Oren brings a wealth of knowledge to AJU including over 5 years experience as the Rabbi of Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills, California.
Sam Levitt
Vice President, Facilities & Auxiliary Services
Sam Levitt joined American Jewish University in January 2009 to oversee operations & auxiliary services. He earned his B.A. in Judaic Studies at University of California, San Diego, with minors in Law & Society and Biology. He earned his MBA in Nonprofit Management from American Jewish University in 2007, receiving the David Lieber School of Graduate Studies Professional Leadership Award. His MBA Capstone was titled “Mergers in the Nonprofit World: Their Impact on the Organizations Involved and the Communities They Serve.”
As Vice President of Facilities & Auxiliary Services at American Jewish University, Sam is responsible for the daily operational aspects of the University at both the Familian and Brandeis-Bardin Campuses. In addition, he oversees the conference, catering and other auxiliary units throughout the Institution.
Joanna Gerber
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
Dean, Undergraduate Admissions
Dr. Joanna Gerber joined AJU in 2014 as the Vice President of Communications & Marketing. Joanna holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) from University of California at Los Angeles, where she completed research on MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), educational disruption and pedagogical innovation. She previously attended Whittier College, and received both her B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Management from Antioch University. Joanna is also a 2011 graduate of the Harvard Management Development Program.
As Vice President of Communications & Marketing, Joanna is responsible for the university marketing, communications, branding, social/new media, public relations and university websites. As Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, she oversees recruitment and enrollment management for the College of Arts & Sciences, and the Office of Financial Aid.