Brandeis-Bardin Institute

The Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University is a Jewish retreat located in Simi Valley, California, USA. Formerly known as the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, it is used for nondenominational summer programs for children, teens and young adults.HistoryThe Brandeis-Bardin Institute was founded by Shlomo Bardin, inspired by the ideals of the early Zionist movement and the ideas and financial support of Justice Louis Brandeis. In the 1950s, BBI was known as Brandeis Camp Institute (BCI), with Shlomo Bardin was the Director. The institute branched out into a program for college-aged Jews, now called Brandeis Collegiate Institute, and a summer and winter camp called Alonim.Many greats got their starts at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute including Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi the founder of Renewal Judaism, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and served as the springboard for the American Israeli Folk Dance movement started by Dani Dassa and continued by his son David Dassa. Before becoming director of Camp Ramah in California and rabbi at Sinai Temple, Rabbi Zvi Dershowitz directed the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in the early 1960's. In the 1970s Rabbis Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mordecai Kaplan frequented the institute. Later on Rabbi Joseph Telushkin would lead a weekly Torah discussion at the House of the Book at the Brandeis Bardin Institute and Dennis Prager would be among the many leaders of the Institute.