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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.

For the third year in a row, we are ranked #28 in the country in public universities Jewish students choose to attend with the largest Jewish student population in San Diego, the fourth largest in California. See the results from the survey in Reform Judaism Magazine: Insider's Guide to College Schools (.pdf).

Faculty in the News

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

A new exhibition, "Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times," will open in New York on October 28th. The exhibit will be curated by Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Department and Director of the Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University. The exhibit will feature over 500 ancient artifacts from Israel, including 20 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, four of which have never been made available for public viewing. Read the articles in the New York Times and PRNewswire...

Crowning the 'King of Klezmer'

Klezmer legend clarinetist David Tarras will be center stage for the first time in decades on May 5, thanks to the efforts of klezmer violinist and ethnographic field researcher Yale Strom. Strom and his band, Hot Pstromi, will be giving a special performance of Tarras’s music — including some pieces that have never been published or recorded — at the Brooklyn Public Library. For Strom, it will be a chance to showcase the talents of the musician known as “The King of Klezmer.” Read the full article on The Arty Semite Blog...

Contact Us

Jewish Studies Program
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8148
(619) 594-5327
jsprogram@projects.sdsu.edu