Staff & Leadership

Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh is Vice President for Jewish Engagement at American Jewish University, where she directs the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, Miller Introduction to Judaism Program, and supervises BCI – Brandeis Collegiate 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. Please feel free to connect with Rabbi Rabizadeh about any questions you may have at RabbiTarlan@aju.edu.

Rabbi Myra Meskin is the Associate Director of the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys at the AJU, where she’s honored to walk with those engaging in meaningful identity formation through the Ziering BCI Program, the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program, Marriage for Life and the AJU Community Mikveh. A graduate of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University, she holds a Masters in Experiential Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and studied in the Pardes Experiential Educators Program. Rabbi Myra doesn’t drink coffee, but loves coffee flavored everything (Greek yogurt, ice cream, blended mocha drinks, etc.). She loves yoga, hiking, and singing – whether alone in the car (preferably with country radio turned up and the windows down) or with friends around a Shabbat table, though her singing highlight of the year is in the BCI rotunda. She recently moved back to Los Angeles, her favorite blended landscape of ocean and mountains, with her husband Rabbi Ben Gurin and their daughters Eleanor and Jaynie.

Meet Benjamin Wright, Associate Director of the Miller Intro to Judaism Program. Whether you’re a current student, an affiliate or you are just interested in starting your Jewish journey or becoming a Miller Intro partner, Ben is your go-to person. He is happy to walk all students through the process, provide class information, and guidance when it comes to materials, payment, or anything else, and is also here to help program affiliates with any of their questions and needs.  Never hesitate to email Ben directly at intro@aju.edu. He is here to make your experience as seamless as possible.

Stepping into the role of Mikvah Manager, Rachel Marcus is a recent and vital addition to our team. She brings an enthusiasm for guiding individuals through holy transitional moments and developing engaging mikvah programs. A native Angeleno and alumna of BCI, Rachel’s roots in LA as well as her experience at New Jew (De Toledo) give her a deep understanding of the community.

Janet Djalilmand is the Maas Manager and helps ensure that all of the Maas Center programs and events run smoothly. Prior to this, Janet was part of the Valley Beth Shalom clergy team for many years. Whether you are looking to schedule your Mikvah appointment, enroll in a class or program, get class materials, or anything else Janet is happy to guide you and help you get the answers you need to your questions. If you have any program inquiries, you can reach her at maascenter@aju.edu.

Rabbi Deborah Silver serves IKAR, Los Angeles, as an Associate Rabbi and teaches at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where she was ordained in 2010. Rabbi Silver attended Cambridge University, England, then worked as an attorney at Mishcon de Reya and at BPP Law School as an assistant professor in London. She has completed CLAL’s Clergy Leadership Incubator and the Institute of Jewish Spirituality’s clergy training and, for five years, sat on the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards for the Conservative Movement. She creates entrances to Jewish wisdom through text, music, and personal physical and spiritual practice so that it continues to speak to our hearts, souls, and daily lives. She is especially drawn to bringing this wisdom to enrich and honor the journey of conscious aging.

Rabbi Patricia Fenton is a lecturer at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and the School for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is also the Director of the Ostrow Academic and Sperber Community Libraries and the Beit Midrash. She truly loves teaching the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program. Rabbi Fenton earned an M.A. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, a B.A. from the University of Judaism, a B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.A. in Teaching Candidate from the Graduate Center for Jewish Education at the American Jewish University.

Rabbi John Carrier is an educator and community rabbi in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rabbi Carrier has taught the Miller Intro to Judaism class for over ten years. After ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in 2014, he served as Rabbi of Burbank Temple Emanu El and Senior Rabbi of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. In 2023, Rabbi Carrier moved to Minnesota to be closer to family, and there, he teaches Hebrew and Judaics to elementary and high school students, as well as adult education classes on various Jewish subjects. He continues creating content for his popular “Rabbi John Carrier” YouTube channel and podcast, The Jewcurious Show.

Rabbi Herschel “Brodie” Aberson graduated from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where he developed a passion for text, teaching, and human relationships. He has served as a congregational rabbi in Phoenix, AZ, and has been teaching at the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program since 2022. When not teaching, he studies vocal performance at LA Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA, and tends to the demands of his three beloved cats.

Daniel Mehlman is the rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Downey, CA. He is also a prison chaplain and counsels inmates for the state of California at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was heavily influenced by his mentor, the late Rabbi Marshall Meyer, a disciple of Heschel. Rabbi Meyer changed the face of Judaism across all of Latin America. Rabbi Mehlman studied at the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, founded and led by Rabbi Meyer, and after one year, he moved to Israel, where he lived for 13 years. He met his wife there, with whom he moved to the United States. Rabbi Mehlman returned to rabbinical school in 1996 and completed his S’micha in 2000 at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. He has held pulpits in Reno, Nevada; Jacksonville, Florida; Ojai, Studio City; and Downey, California.

Michelle spends a lot of time asking questions. It’s not really driven by a desire to receive answers (read: ‘the answer’), but rather by the sense of wonder that bubbles up when someone chooses to respond. Briefly, the invisible inter-workings of another’s mind become tangible. For the same reason she loves creating with others. Michelle has spent the last couple of years living in Jerusalem, making experimental art, enjoying being outside, enjoying being inside, learning about and loving those in her community, and pouring effort into developing a strong sense of self that is not contingent upon work done for money.

Joey loves singing, davening, meditating and hiking, and is quite happy combining these together, think: meditative singing. He lives in Chicago, where he can be found leading song circles and working as a lawyer. Last summer, he participated in BCI and last fall, he lived on a Jewish farm called Adamah. A few years ago, he studied at Pardes. Each of these experiences has deeply impacted his life. Joey is incredibly excited to be back at BCI for Summer 2023 and he will almost surely try and recruit you (hopefully successfully) to join for a game of frisbee.

Adira Rosen (she/her) is a third-generation BCI’er! She was born and raised in San Diego but has found homes in Pittsburgh, New York City, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and most importantly Peppertree Lane. Her mother and father worked at BCI and Camp Alonim throughout Adira’s childhood, so summers and weekends often smelled of pepper trees and Miguel’s chicken soup. Some of Adira’s earliest memories are of toddling around the Brandeis Bardin Campus. Ask her where she learned how to ride her bike! (Hint: it’s near the BCI pool!) Adira’s love of Judaism and the arts was born on Peppertree Lane. Adira has loved theatre since she was a kid and went on to study theatrical directing at Carnegie Mellon University. She caught the Jewish learning bug as a BCI’er in 2021 and followed that bug all the way to Pardes in Jerusalem. Adira just finished a year of study in the Pardes Experiential Educators Program where she began developing a documentary theatre piece called The Shabbat Project. This fall Adira will begin her studies at Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Boston where she hopes to keep making Jewish spaces more theatrical and theatrical spaces more Jewish.

Hi there! I’m Moe. (No, it’s not short for anything.) In my former life, I taught math to teenagers; now, I’m a student in my third year at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies … and still figuring out how I got here. Born and raised in and around LA, I’d be glad to you tips on things to do and sights to see after BCI. Until then, let’s learn mussar, talk big ideas, and crochet kippot—I’ll teach you how!

Leila Gordon is the Assistant Director of Religious Education at Washington Hebrew Congregation, a Reform synagogue in DC. Prior to moving there last summer, she attended grad school at Brandeis University, where she received an MA/MEd in Jewish Professional and Educational Leadership. She is thrilled to be serving as a Program Fellow for the second time at BCI this summer! Leila was a BCI participant in the summer of 2019, and is looking forward to helping foster the completely inclusive, welcoming, and spiritual space that makes BCI so magical. Leila is passionate about working with young Jewish adults and helping them to discover their personal Jewish identities in whatever way feels authentic to them. She is looking forward to meeting all of the unique and amazing participants this summer! Leila is from a suburb of Philadelphia, is a big Phillies fan, and enjoys running and exercise. She hopes to run/walk/explore the beautiful BCI campus in the mornings (before it gets too hot), so feel free to join her and get some steps or a quick workout in!

Born in Kibbutz Yagur in Israel, Josefa was a soloist in Israel’s famed Bat Sheva Dance Company.  In New York, she worked as a danced with Merce Cunningham and Maggie Black, and an assistant choreographer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  She also danced in the movie, Jesus Christ Superstar.  Josefa now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she leads workshops for dancers and non-dancers on a journey into “experiential Judaism”- Kavanah through prayers, guided meditation, dance and movement.  Josefa also teaches Biblical Hebrew at UNC-Asheville and Hebrew prayers/ BM prep in her synagogue. This is Josefa’s 20^th year at BCI!

Ilana is so excited to be back for another summer at BCI. A participant in 2013 (with Myra!) and then staff for summers 2015, 2016, and 2022, BCI has a very special place in Ilana’s heart. Ilana lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, son, and dog. She has worked in Jewish Experiential Education for over ten years and is currently a facilitator for the Jewish Studio Project. Ilana is also the founder of The Mothers’ Studio, a creative community for mothers of all ages and stages. Ilana’s hobbies include: creating, reading, observing, listening, and bringing people together. She loves animals, flowers, book stores, and honest conversation.

Jared is a composer, song-leader, music educator and professional musician. Originally from the Washington DC area, Jared has infused the LA Jewish community with his intentional approach to prayer leading and song. Jared strives to bring people together with music as the primary language whether it’s through his work as a music educator at deToledo High School and BCI (Brandeis Collegiate Institute) or through a Havdallah concert with his talented wife Jamie. Playing music makes Jared feel greater than just himself and allows him to read between the lines of life. He has played and recorded with many notable artists, including Nashuva, Theodore Bikel, Peter Yarrow, Nava Tehila, Moshav, Distant Cousins, and Craig Taubman.

Rabbi Joel Goldstein (he/him) is an engineer turned Rabbi who loves learning. He has taught high school Talmud, worked as a synagogue Rabbi on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and as the Campus Rabbi at Syracuse Hillel. He currently serves as a faculty member for Yashrut where he teaches Talmud and halakha, as well as the Based-In Rabbi in Ann Arbor. Rabbi Joel received ordination from Yashrut and from Hebrew College. A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Joel spent his undergraduate years in Berkeley, CA and holds a Master’s in Physics from the University of Washington. When not studying or teaching Torah, Rabbi Joel enjoys spending time with his spouse and his children, hiking, obsessing about the Dodgers, and practicing Shotokan Karate.

This is Liana’s second summer at BCI but it already feels like home. She’s so excited to be back this year running the 10 day program and teaching in the Beit Midrash! Liana is the founder and executive director of The Torah Studio, which is a Jewish learning space that wants to make the skills and practice of Torah Study as accessible and fulfilling as possible. Getting a masters in educational leadership from HUC taught her that creating supportive learning spaces is just as important as the content being learned. She is an external processor who loves talking about almost anything as long as you find it interesting because she believes all knowledge is connected and elevating somehow. When she’s trying to rest, she loves making art for herself and her friends, especially using yarn or clay. She cannot wait to learn with and from you all this summer.

Aki came to Brandeis-Bardin 22 years ago to work at Camp Alonim and fell in love with the land, the people, and the educational philosophy of the place. She is excited to spend her fifth summer as a faculty member at BCI, singing, dancing, and learning with new friends and old. When she is not at BCI, she lives in Cambridge, MA where she enjoys bird-watching, nature-walking, and coffee-drinking. Ask her about the time she got lost on a mountain with a group of kids and two counselors from Israel.

Sam Langstein cares a lot about mental health, experiential education, and creativity. Last year he was a Dorot Fellow, where among other projects he created a performance art piece about mental health based on the 1937 Yiddish film The Dybbuk. Before that, he was the Director of the Helpline at the National Alliance on Mental Illness in New York City, where he oversaw a team of responders and managed their call line run and staffed entirely by people with a lived experience of mental illness. He has taught and led workshops on peer-based mental health for the FBI, the Pratt Institute, Stony Brook University’s School of Social Work, and TEDx. In 2015, Sam was a corps member of Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps. For the next three years he worked at Footsteps, an organization which supports and affirms those transitioning out of the ultra-Orthodox world. Sam received his BA in psychology from CUNY Hunter College and his MSW from the University of Michigan’s Jewish Communal Leadership Program. He’s also been a freelance graphic designer, assisted in psycholinguistic research at Yale University, and has been fired from a job at a falafel shop.

As an alumna myself (2007 Aliyah), I know firsthand how impactful and meaningful this summer can be, especially when you allow yourself to experience this journey with an open heart! My journey started down the road, at Camp Alonim, where my love of Judaism and Jewish life developed, which kept me yearning for deeper and richer Jewish experiences. So, I’ve worked at camp, did BCI, lived in Israel, met my husband (the incomparable Jared Stein) at Santa Barbara Hillel, then got an MBA in Nonprofit Management and a Masters in Jewish Communal Studies from the AJU. Now, I work at de Toledo High School, a Jewish high school not too far from here, and I have my own event planning business helping people plan their simchas (joyous occasions)! Now, we have 4 beautiful children who live and breathe Judaism through a unique Jewish lens: Jack (10.5), Jade (9), Jayla (6) and Jazz (2.5). I look forward to this summer together, living in community and finding new and unique ways to celebrate life!

Jordan is thrilled to be returning to BCI and the chance to be with the Divine in ways that only a group of Katantan kiddos can gift. Some of her favorite ways of relating to the world have come through her time as both a birth doula and working in end of life spaces- she welcomes conversations on birth, grief, and everything in between with an open heart and two eager listening ears. When she’s not dancing with life’s big questions she’s likely plotting ways to organize friends together for an open mic or find a way to enjoy a nice living room dance party.