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.
In Memory and Solidarity: Honoring Those Affected
The Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University is in mourning with the families, loved ones, and global Jewish community after the antisemitic attacks of December 13, 2025 at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia. We also grieve with the community in Providence, Rhode Island at Brown University. We weep with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. We stand in solidarity and grief with all of those still fighting for their lives in hospital. We mourn with the Jewish community in Sydney, and around the world, who are fearful for the future. We hold in deep care the souls that are hurt and traumatized by antisemitic violence, gun violence, and violence based in any kind of hatred.
We encourage our SDSU family, especially students, to seek out support, community, and help if you need it. SDSU Counseling Services are available, as are resources through the Campus Assistance, Response, Evaluation and Support Team (CARE). We denounce all forms of violence, whether driven by antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia, or any other form of bigotry.
We honour the courage of Ahmed al Ahmed, a bystander who risked his life to protect those under attack: our safety is bound up together. We call for the recognition of the sanctity of all life, and call for gun law reform in the United States to create the conditions for accountability and change for future generations. We stand with all those who are in pain in these days.
In this time of Hannukah, a time of celebrating light and hope, we stand fast in the dedication to light in times of darkness.
In the Spotlight
Research discoveries ignite conversation in CAL religion courses
Ishai Mishory, assistant professor in the Department for the Study of Religion asks students to meditate on Judaism, sustainability and spirituality.
When students in San Diego State University’s study of religion courses gather in Assistant Professor Ishai Mishory’s classes, they don’t simply discuss religion — they unravel centuries-old treasures linking art, identity, and spirituality. From the printing presses of Renaissance Italy to the sustainability challenges of the modern world, Mishory’s research sparks lively conversation about what it means to live thoughtfully in relation to religion, history, and society.
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.