American Jewish University (AJU) announced on Thursday that it is going to sell its Los Angeles campus in order to fund a range of strategic investments, including future digital and in-person offerings and community programs.
According to AJU, the sale of the Sunny & Isadore Familian Campus in Bel Air “will generate significant endowment funds that will be utilized to make investments in a range of academic offerings and community programs that are tailored to our world – and the Jewish community’s needs – today and tomorrow.”
The sale will allow the university to allocate resources into their “evolving mission to elevate the Jewish journeys of individuals, organizations, and the Jewish community” and will provide added flexibility “as the Jewish community and world at large have changed significantly.”
AJU’s Brandeis Bardin Campus in Simi Valley, California – home of the Brandeis Collegiate Institute and Camp Alonim – is not part of the sale.
“Over the last eight decades, American Jewish University has evolved to meet the needs of the Jewish community. In that tradition, the board of directors has made the bold, strategic decision to initiate the sale of our Bel Air campus, allowing us to better direct our resources to fulfilling our mission today and in the future,” AJU President Jeffrey Herbst said.
In recent years, AJU has become increasingly digital, with a strong online presence in addition to in-person education, including online events platform Maven.
“We look forward to continuing our work to advance the Jewish journeys of individuals and organizations and elevate Jewish life across North America, through both robust online and in-person offerings,” Herbst added.
AJU had initially attempted to work out a deal to share the Familian Campus, announcing on March 25, 2021 that it was seeking a “compatible” partner to occupy underused portions of its 35-acre ridgetop campus in the ritzy neighborhood of Bel Air overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains.
The university had envisioned sharing the campus with a “strategic partner,” such as another university, school or nonprofit organization, “that aligns with AJU in mission and values.”