Jewish Studies Alumni Careers

Caren Schuldenfrei Oberg, Jewish Studies Minor, class of '97, Principal and Owner of Oberg Research - an audience research firm working with museums to better understand ways in which visitors use museums to add value to their lives.

American University's Jewish Studies Program prepares students for careers in the Jewish community and Jewish education. The Jewish Studies Program emphasizes the skills acquired in a liberal arts education-research, writing, and effective communication. Students find that these skills, combined with their internships in Jewish communal work, have prepared them to enter a range of professional fields, or to further their educations in graduate degree programs.

The following are just some of the diverse accomplishments of Jewish Studies alumni:

  • Associate in the Finance Resource Development Department of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
  • Elementary school teacher at a Jewish day school
  • Program specialist for B'nai B'rith Youth Organizations
  • Jewish Service Corp volunteer
  • Assistant principal of a congregation Hebrew school
  • Work for the Foundation for Jewish Camping
  • Member of the United Jewish Communities National Young Leadership Cabinet
  • Director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia
  • Great Lakes regional director of the American Associate of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • Work with the American Society for Technion- Israel Institute of Technology
  • Work with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
  • Assistant Director for the Center for Human Rights and Public Policy at B'nai B'rith International
  • U.S. Representative to the Young Jewish Leadership Diplomatic Seminar
  • Ordained Rabbi
  • Work with the Union for Reform Judaism
  • Vice president of the Chicago Jewish Federation
  • Work with the Initiative for Israel on Illinois Campuses

American University Career Center

Alumni News

Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny

Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny (née Blank), Jewish Studies Major, Class of 2008, at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS). Hillary is the first concurrent graduate of the JTS rabbinical and cantorial programs. Starting this fall she will serve as the new assistant clergy for Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, CA, a 980-family Conservative synagogue.