Jay Sanderson

President

Jay Sanderson has been selected as the President of American Jewish University. He is the CEO of the 2050 Institute at American Jewish University (AJU), leading a groundbreaking initiative to reimagine and shape the future of Jewish life in North America. A bold thinker and visionary leader, Sanderson is bringing together influential voices—leaders, creators, practitioners, and philanthropists—to develop actionable strategies for a thriving Jewish future. Previously, Sanderson served as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, where he spearheaded high-impact initiatives, including one of North America’s first community security programs and a comprehensive social services network. His leadership helped redefine the Federation’s role in strengthening Jewish life in Southern California and across the Jewish world.

Sanderson has long been a force in Jewish media and thought leadership.  He created and led the Jewish Television Network Productions, producing groundbreaking content that brought Jewish stories to audiences worldwide. His credits include executive producer and creator of the award-winning PBS series "The Jewish Americans", "Worse Than War", and the James Beard Award-nominated "New Jewish Cuisine". He has hosted "The Jay Sanderson Show" on KABC Radio and the podcast "Jay’s Four Questions", engaging in thought-provoking conversations on Jewish life and culture. He has been named on the Forward 50 and received numerous awards and recognitions during his storied career including the American Jewish Committee Media Award and the Israel Film Festival Community Service Award and was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to the Los Angeles Human Relations Committee. A sought-after speaker with a reputation as a disruptor and fearless leader, Sanderson continues to push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and inspire a new era of Jewish innovation.

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 Congregation Eilat in Mission Viejo, California, 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 of Rabbinic Studies was established as an ordaining seminary, the founding dean made Aliyah. The 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 position has allowed Rabbi Artson to serve as one of the formost leaders of the Masorti/Conservative Judaism Movement, 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.

Suzy Bookbinder

Vice President for Advancement
Chief Development Officer

Suzy has been an accomplished philanthropy professional for more than 30 years. She is a leader and colleague who fosters inclusiveness based on trust, compassion, and respect. She is passionate about making a difference and thrives on learning by listening, continually uncovering insights, and building strategies. She is a problem solver who sets and achieves goals. A Los Angeles native and a UCLA graduate, Suzy left Los Angeles to attend Yeshiva University in New York, where she earned her master`s degree in Social Work from the Wurzweiler School. She has also worked in both New York and Los Angeles as a national staff member for the United Jewish Appeal, the Western Regional Director for the Israel Tennis Centers Association, the Western Regional Major Gifts Director for National Hadassah and the Capital/Endowment Campaign Consultant for Hillel at UCLA.  Over the past 15 years she has professionally managed campaigns raising more than $300,000,000.   

She has worked as the Director of Donor Relations-West Coast, for Hillel International. Prior to Hillel Suzy was the Chief Advancement Officer at de Toledo High School in West Hills, California. dTHS is the second largest community Jewish High School in the country. She served for 6 years as the founding Director of Advancement from 2003 – 2009 and she returned to the school from 2013-2021 as the Chief Advancement Officer. New Community Jewish High School/de Toledo High School has raised over $36,000,000 in Capital & Endowment gifts and the Annual Campaign raises approximately $1,700,000 per year. Suzy supervised a team of 8.  She worked closely with the Board of Directors, donors, and Foundations. 

From 2009-2013 Suzy was the Chief Development Officer for Jewish Family Service, the first and one of the largest Social Service agencies in Los Angeles. In this position, she supervised 6 staff members, managed an annual campaign of $7,500,000 and implemented the first phase of a $36,000,000 Capital/Endowment campaign securing approximately $14,000,000 in lead gifts. She was also a member of the American Jewish University MBA faculty, where she taught fundraising and marketing for 11 years. 

Adrian Breitfeld

Vice President of Finance and Administration 
Chief Financial Officer

Adrian Breitfeld leads the university’s accounting and finance operations and brings to AJU more than a decade of finance and accounting experience within the non-profit and Jewish communal sector.  Mr. Breitfeld has an extensive background in accounting, financial planning, management, and strategy in changing landscapes.

Mr. Breitfeld was previously the Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco where he worked to align financial resources to strategic priorities while leading and developing a tactical response to guiding the organization through its goals. He is also a graduate of the Marshall School of Business of the University of Southern California, holding an MBA as well as an M.A. in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

Aaron Goldberg

Vice President
Director of Camp Alonim

Aaron has been with Camp Alonim since 2014, first as an Assistant Director in charge of teen and community programs and then as the Associate Director in charge of managing day-to-day camp operations, specialty programming, and the staff experience. In February 2020, Aaron became the Camp Director and has been thrilled and humbled to continue to be part of the Camp Alonim community and family in this capacity. Jewish Summer Camp is a core piece of Aaron’s background and identity and has fueled his passion for helping campers and staff create their own unique connections to one another and to Judaism through experiential education.

Aaron grew up in Southern California, and starting at the ripe age of two spent over 20 summers at Gindling Hilltop Camp in Malibu as a camper, CIT, Counselor, and Head Counselor. Aaron received a B.A. in Anthropology with a Minor in Education from UC Berkeley and recently received his Master’s in Education from American Jewish University. In addition to spending most of his summers at camp, Aaron spent some time working for Disney Cruises as a youth counselor, group supervisor, and children’s entertainment host in which he created and acted out scripted programs as one of over twenty different characters, such as a mad scientist, chef, magician, pirate, and detective. After spending time at sea and missing the land, Aaron returned to his summer camp roots. 

Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh

Vice President
Director of the Maas Center and Miller Introduction to Judaism

Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh is Vice President, Director of the Maas Center and Miller Introduction to Judaism at American Jewish University, where she directs the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, Miller Introduction to Judaism Program, and supervises BCI - Brandeis Camp Institute, AJU Community Mikvah, and Marriage for Life and Opening Doors courses. Ordained at Hebrew Union College-JIR, Rabbi Rabizadeh is thrilled to contribute her culture-merging sensibility towards creating meaningful and inclusive Jewish experiences at American Jewish University. 

She previously served as director of student life at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Hillel and the Simha and Sara Lainer Senior Jewish Educator, and was also a Jewish Emergent Network Fellow at The Kitchen in San Francisco, as well as a Milken Community High School faculty member. 

Rabbi Rabizadeh holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in Hebrew from Boston University, and a master’s degree in Jewish education and Hebrew literature from HUC-JIR.

Michelle Starkman

Vice President of Communications

Michelle Starkman was appointed AJU's Vice President of Communications in March 2020. In this role, she not only leads the university's internal and external communications strategies, including media relations, but also plays a pivotal role in the marketing and implementation of university programming. Michelle is deeply committed to Jewish education and actively promotes the values and mission of AJU through her work.

Michelle's extensive experience in communications and marketing spans beyond her time at AJU. Prior to joining the university in 2017, she served as the Admissions and Marketing Director at a local Jewish day school, where she excelled in strategic planning and outreach efforts, making a tangible impact on the institution's growth. Before that, Michelle held the position of Director of Marketing and Communications at a local management consulting firm, where she gained valuable expertise in crafting effective messaging and executing comprehensive marketing campaigns. Earlier in her career, she also held an administrative role at Cal State Northridge, where she first developed a strong appreciation and affinity for higher education.

Complementing her practical experience, Michelle holds an MBA from Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business, equipping her with a strong foundation in business strategy and leadership. Furthermore, she earned an M.A. and B.A. in Political Science from Cal State Northridge, with a minor in Judaic Studies, demonstrating her dedication to deepening her understanding of Jewish culture and history.

Dr. Robbie Totten

Provost

Dr. Robbie Totten serves as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at American Jewish University (AJU). Since 2018, he has held the role of Chief Academic Officer, working closely with deans, faculty, academic administrators, and staff to guide the development and operations of AJU’s for-credit and degree-granting academic programs. These include offerings within the Jewish Learning Experience, the Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership, and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.
 
In recent years, Dr. Totten has played a pivotal role in launching a rapidly expanding portfolio of online academic programs at AJU, making the university’s distinctive Jewish-themed offerings accessible nationwide, and in reestablishing doctoral-level studies, the university’s first such offerings since the 1970s. He has also helped lead a reimagining of AJU’s undergraduate programs, focusing on unique Jewish-centered pathways, including a B.A. completion track in Jewish Early Childhood Education and online, for-credit college courses for high school students delivered through synagogue-based cohorts. Under his leadership, the Office of Academic Affairs has prioritized student-centered innovation and the development of future educators, leaders, and professionals in the Jewish community.
 
He also serves as AJU’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) to the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and led the University through its comprehensive reaffirmation of accreditation review in 2023–2024, which resulted in AJU receiving an eight-year reaffirmation of accreditation.
 
Dr. Totten joined AJU in 2014 as Chair and Assistant Professor of the then Politics & Global Studies Department and currently holds the rank of Associate Professor. Before AJU, he held academic appointments as a Visiting Assistant Professor of International Relations at UC Santa Barbara, a Lecturer in Political Science at UCLA, and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego.
 
His research has been published in academic journals and public policy edited volumes, with areas of expertise including higher education administration, international relations and security, U.S. immigration policy, and the American Founding. Most recently, he authored an article for AJU’s The Project on Allyship to Combat Antisemitism, drawing on the history of Jewish immigration advocacy to offer insights for today’s Jewish leaders on navigating allyship with other identity groups.
 
Dr. Totten earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his master’s and Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA. He was selected as a 2023–2024 ACE Fellow by the American Council on Education.