Jewish Life at UC San Diego
UC San Diego celebrates our Jewish community, and promotes a sense of belonging by taking steps to improve understanding and mutual respect.
As part of our efforts to promote inclusion and address Antisemitism, UC San Diego launched our Tritons Belong initiative. This includes partnerships with Hillel of San Diego and ADL San Diego to provide educational seminars and publicly available resources for students, faculty and staff. Additionally, our Tritons Together initiative offers opportunities for students to learn more about themselves and others. In addition, student leaders gain skills to uphold our Principles of Community through a required workshop focused on inclusive communication.
Launched in Spring 2025, Dialogue for Peace: Building Compassion and Understanding Across Difference is a program which encompasses several learning opportunities, including a professional development training fellowship to empower student employees, faculty, and professional emplyees to become compassionate listeners and conflict resolution facilitators through Peacemaking and Restorative Justice-based curriculum. Over five weeks, participants engage in discussions, group activities and role-playing exercises to become effective community dialogue facilitators.
Supporting Jewish Community Members
We actively work to ensure that our Jewish community members feel accepted, connected, and supported. Through our campus and community partnerships, we foster a welcoming and inclusive environment that celebrates the rich Jewish heritage and traditions.
We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Hillel of San Diego. Their state-of-the-art facility opened in 2023 adjacent to the UC San Diego campus and serves as the headquarters for UC San Diego’s numerous Jewish student organizations.
Multiple officially recognized student organizations, such as Chabad and Tritons For Israel, foster fellowship, awareness, connection and belonging among our Jewish students and advocates. They are supported by UC San Diego’s Center for Student Involvement. Jewish faculty and staff members find community and support with our Jewish Staff and Faculty Triton Association.
Each May, UC San Diego honors the profound contributions of Jewish Americans through Jewish American Heritage Month, a federally recognized observance. Established at UC San Diego in 2025, the celebration features numerous free programs and events.
All UC San Diego students can enjoy a kosher and halal-friendly Mediterranean-inspired menu at the University’s certified kosher kitchen, Spice. Located at Thurgood Marshall College, Spice was the culmination of a joint effort by the UC San Diego Union of Jewish Students and the UC San Diego Muslim Student Association.
Jewish Education at UC San Diego
For over 50 years, UC San Diego has been committed to Jewish education through programs that explore Jewish history, language, culture, and Hebrew language courses.
Jewish Studies at UC San Diego is an interdisciplinary program that offers courses across multiple departments, a major, two minors, mentorship, events, and funding opportunities to support undergraduate and graduate students. With Geisel Library, the program hosts the Holocaust Living History Workshop, which aims to preserve the memory of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. The Jewish Studies Program’s roots are over 50 years old, highlighting the University’s continued commitment to Jewish education.
UC San Diego has several partnerships with Israel. Our students are invited to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program, which includes various Israeli universities and Global Seminars. We also encourage students to investigate other options through the Opportunities Abroad Program.
The U.S.-Israel Center on Innovation and Economic Sustainability empowers entrepreneurs in San Diego and Israel to jointly examine and address factors in the success of startup companies, innovation, and sustainability. Additional examples include the partnerships with Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) and the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative.
Reporting Antisemitism
Antisemitism and other forms of discrimination have no place at UC San Diego. Our values are made clear through our systemwide Principles Against Intolerance. We actively challenge Antisemitism and other forms of discrimination whenever and wherever they emerge within the University community.
Acts of Antisemitism should be reported to our Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.
Antisemitism Workgroup
Chancellor Khosla established an Antisemitism Workgroup, charged with reviewing Antisemitism concerns at UC San Diego with the aim of fostering a safer, more inclusive, and equitable environment for our Jewish students, faculty, staff, and patients.
Guidance for Holiday Best Practices
UC San Diego encourages our campus community to utilize inclusive best practices to ensure that all members of our university are considered and represented when professional or academic events are scheduled. This electronic multicultural calendar is provided as a tool for community members to learn about the different celebrations, holidays, and events in which our staff, students, and faculty may actively participate.
Antisemitism
Antisemitism is discrimination or harassment based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity. Some of these forms of Discrimination or Harassment may also represent Prohibited Conduct based on other Protected Categories covered by this Policy, including based on religion (p. 20. #3).