Faculty

Rabbis Ben Zion Bergman, Bradley Shavit Artson and Scott Rosenberg will present on the laws governing mikveh design, construction, and maintenance.
Rabbi Ben Zion Bergman designed the mikveh at the American Jewish University in 1981. He drew on his rabbinic, engineering, and legal backgrounds to design a kosher mikveh that would be open to the full diversity of the Jewish community. Since then, Rabbi Bergman has become a nationally respected rabbinic authority on all matters related to the design and construction of mikvaot. Rabbi Bergman has traveled all over the country, consulting to mikvaot such Mayyim Hayyim in Newton, Massachusetts, The Jill and Jay Stein Mikveh in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Charlotte Goldberg Mikveh in Cleveland, Ohio.

Previously a member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinic Assembly, Rabbi Bergman is the David and Celia Familia Adjunct Professor of Rabbinic Literature at the American Jewish University. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, earned a bachelors degree in civil engineering from the City University of New York, and a J.D. from the University of the San Fernando Valley.


Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, is also Vice President of American Jewish University, and teaches courses in Ancient & Medieval Jewish Philosophy, Modern & Contemporary Jewish Theology, as well as Homiletics. A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Rabbi Artson was ordained with honors at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1988. He recently received his Doctorate in Philosophy and Theology from Hebrew Union College/Institute of Religion, focusing on the integration of science and religion advocating Process Theology.


He served as the rabbi of Congregation Eilat in Mission Viejo, CA, until becoming the Dean of the Ziegler Rabbinical School at American Jewish University in 1999.  Rabbi Artson is the author of seven books and over 180 published articles.  Rabbi Artson now writes "Today's Torah," a weekly Torah commentary with over 12,000 internet subscribers.  He is a member of the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the Wexner Graduate Fellowship program.  He served on the Professional Advisory Committee of the Jewish National Fund Department of Education.  Rabbi Artson was the Founding Chair of the Special Publications Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly.


Rabbi Scott Rosenberg is the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Ottowa, Canada where he has been since August 2010. Prior to this, Rabbi Rosenberg was the spiritual leader of Temple Reyim in Newton, Massachusetts from 1988-2010. During his time at Temple Reyim, Rabbi Rosenberg served as the Rav Hamachshir for Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Paula Brody and Family Education Center.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Rabbi Rosenberg earned Bachelor's degrees from both Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1980. In 1983 he earned his Master's of Arts degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Seminary in 1984. While serving his first congregation in Houston, Texas, Rabbi Rosenberg continued his rabbinic studies and in November 1988 was certified as a Mesader Gitten (specialist in Jewish divorce law) by the Joint Bet Din (Rabbinic Court) of the Rabbinical Assembly. He served as the head of the Rabbinical Assembly of New England's Rabbinic Court for matters pertaining to Jewish family law. In 2003 he was appointed to serve as a member of the Joint Bet Din of the Conservative Movement.


Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Jewish Law.  Along with his academic teaching he gives an early morning class in Halakhah that is recorded for Jewish learners worldwide. Rabbi Alexander also contributes to Today's Torah, the Ziegler School's weekly Parsha commentary.

Rabbi Alexander teaches Talmud and Rabbinical Literature throughout Los Angeles to students of all ages and all walks of life. He was a founding staff member at Camp Ramah Darom in 1997, where he worked 10 summers and served on the Board of Directors.  Rabbi Alexander is also one of the founders of Ma'or , an open and innovative Bet Midrash serving the Los Angeles Jewish Community. He is a certified mashgiach (kosher supervisor) by the the Conservative Movement's Rav Hamachshir program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards.

Carrie Bornstein, Mayyim Hayyim Acting Director, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work, and studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Carrie has worked with children, teens, and adults from the entire Jewish denominational spectrum; prior to joining the staff, she was trained as a volunteer Mikveh Guide and Mikveh Educator. Her responsibilities now include ensuring the highest quality of service for all those who visit Mayyim Hayyim's mikveh. She helps train and supervises volunteer Mikveh Guides, serves as liaison to area clergy regarding conversions, and assists people planning to immerse at Mayyim Hayyim.  Carrie helps ensure the kashrut of Mayyim Hayyim, serving as liaison to the Rav HaMachshir.  She also oversees Mayyim Hayyim's communications and social media; follow her on twitter @carolinering.