On August 24, 2011, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles announced that ithad awarded a total of $1.2 million in Cutting Edge Grants to seven local nonprofit organizations whose programs seek to address social issues, Jewish education for special needs students and Jewish continuity. It is with tremendous pride that we note that the Academy for Jewish Religion, California was one of the awardees. "The recipients of the 2011 Cutting Edge Grants represent some of the most ground-breaking and thoughtful approaches to the area of social and human services in Greater Los Angeles," said Foundation President and CEO Marvin I. Schotland.  "We look forward with great anticipation to watching these important programs roll out over the next two to three years for the benefit of the Jewish community." The Academy's "Inter-Religious Studies Project," was awarded $100,000, over a three-year period. This will enable seven faculty members from AJRCA, Claremont School of Theology and the Islamic Center of Southern California to receive the training necessary to implement a new Inter-Religious Studies Concentration at our respective institutions in order to produce a generation of clergy knowledgeable about Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  As a result, future clergy and religious leaders will develop the tools and skills necessary to promote trust, dialogue and collaboration across religious boundaries. The Inter-Religious Studies Concentration will be implemented through the Academy's groundbreaking collaboration with Claremont School of Theology and the Islamic Center of Southern California which, in 2011, led to the establishment of Claremont Lincoln University (CLU) as an interreligious institution of graduate studies. Commenting on the award, AJRCA President Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, PhD said, "By building the kind of partnerships that have resulted in (and will result from) the groundbreaking Claremont Lincoln University, the Academy's hope is that people will come to see how religion can elevate rather than divide the world. It is tremendously gratifying to know that the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles shares that vision and we will work very hard to justify this great honor."   

On July 14^th, J., the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, ran the lengthy article, "Bay Area Jewish day school teacher and teens help Missouri tornado victims," detailing the work of AJRCA third year Rabbinic student, Batshir Torchio and her students in assisting residents of Joplin, Missouri whose homes had been destroyed by the May 22nd tornado. Watching news accounts of the devastation, Batshir was moved to act. "The aftermath was just staggering, and I immediately thought, 'Well, I've got to go down there and help out,' " she said. "There was no question. How often in life are we presented with the opportunity to put our convictions into action?" A seventh and eighth grade Judaic Studies teacher at Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco, Batshir presented some information about the tornado to two groups of teen girls, former students at Brandeis Hillel. As a result, 10 girls, ages 14 through 16, accompanied her to Joplin. There, they spent four days helping "to pick through debris, clean out houses, sort donated clothing and distribute food to victims of the disaster and the scores of other volunteer relief workers." Batshir plans to go back to Joplin over the Thanksgiving weekend and will be providing spiritual counseling to residents as part of Americorps, the national volunteer organization.

This past summer has been quite productive for Rabbi Randall Brown, '10, the Assistant Director, Interreligious & Intergroup Relations of the American Jewish Committee's Los Angeles office. Rabbi Brown was one of 30 North American rabbis chosen to participate in a week long mission with the Israeli Foreign Ministry entitled "Rabbis Engaging with Israel." In addition, he was appointed to the Advisory Board of Loyola Marymount University's Center for Religion and Spirituality. And, on Sunday, July 24^th, Rabbi Brown gave the Benediction at the NAACP's National Convention Prayer Breakfast.

Rabbi Janet Madden, PhD '11 gave the invocation and benediction at the City of Palos Verde's 50^th Annual July 4^th Celebration. On July 22^nd, the article, "Havurat Emet's Madden receives rabbinical ordination" ran in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. The piece detailed Rabbi Madden's many accomplishments and noted that she is now serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Havurat Emet in Chandler, AZ as well as a rabbi for Skirball Hospice, a program of the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging. On another note, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California invited Rabbi Madden to lead a prayer at their "High Holy Days Seminar" held on August 16^th.