Jewish Studies Program
The Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University is an interdisciplinary program serving the students of SDSU as well as the greater San Diego Community. We offer a major in Modern Jewish Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies and are dedicated to teaching a broad range of topics related to Jewish history, religion and culture from the biblical through the modern period. Courses offered through our program are open to all SDSU students. In addition, our faculty are actively engaged in teaching to the broader San Diego community. The program also houses the Lipinsky Institute, which supports our community outreach and annual visiting Israeli professorships.
Give a Gift to Jewish Studies
By supporting Jewish Studies, you are helping to ensure that we remain able to develop new courses, pursue original research, and provide thought-provoking public lectures, programs and outreach to the community.
Visiting Professors and Artists
Each year Jewish Studies hosts visiting Israeli scholars and artists to teach contemporary Israel Studies for students of all backgrounds. The program is supported by the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative, which seeks to strategically promote, support and catalyze knowledge discourse and interaction on the modern state of Israel through scholarship, engagement and collaboration.
Meet Our Visiting Israeli Scholars for Fall 2025:
HISTORY
Erez Ben-Yosef, Ph.D.
Teaching:
HIST 442: People from the Past
History’s “dark matter”: The unexplored role of nomads in ancient times
HIST 500: Biblical Archeology and the Origins of Ancient Israel
HISTORY
Tal Elmaliach, Ph.D.
Teaching:
HIST 488: Modern Jewish History
From the Jewish Question to the Zionist Answer
HIST 582: Homeland and Diaspora
The State of Israel and the Jewish People
JOURNALISM AND MEDIA STUDIES
Roni Kuban
Teaching:
JMS 527: Advanced Topics in Journalism
Storytelling and the Art of the Interview
JMS 552: Media and Culture in Israel and the Middle East
ENGLISH AND COMPARATIVE LIT.
Dekel Shay Schory, Ph.D.
Teaching:
ECL 527: Graphic Narrative
The Rapid Rise of the Israeli Graphic Novel
ECL 564: World Literatures
Trends in Contemporary Israeli Literature
Hillel College Guide
San Diego State University is listed among the top 60 public universities in North
America where Jewish students choose to attend according to the latest Hillel College Guide.
Resources for Faculty
The Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative seeks to strategically promote, support and catalyze knowledge discourse and interaction
on the modern state of Israel through scholarship, engagement and collaboration.