College of Arts and Letters
Jewish Studies Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, The Jewish Studies Program supported four Jewish Studies majors through the Guffan Family Endowed Scholarship and the Rabbi Aaron and Jeanne Gold Scholarship. Support from the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies fund also enabled the program to offer courses in Judaism, modern Jewish history, the Holocaust, biblical archaeology, Jewish culture, and Israeli literature and film. These courses serve students across disciplines, providing valuable education in Jewish history, culture, and religion. This work strengthens the curriculum while helping combat antisemitism through education and dialogue. The Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies fund also supported a public speaker series featuring Dr. Rabbi Paul Nahme of Brown University and Dr. Miriam Schulz-Chorley of the University of Oregon. Their talks on Jewish identity, history, and language attracted students, faculty, and community members, enriching engagement with contemporary Jewish Studies scholarship.
Rebecca Bartel, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Guffan Family Endowed Scholarship The Guffan Family Endowed Scholarship was divided among four very promising students and provided each with generous funding to support their studies as majors and minors in Jewish Studies. Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies The Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies Fund supported a speaker series on contemporary Jewish Studies in Spring 2026. One of the lectures was “Racial Affect & the Specter of Jewishness” by Professor Paul E. Nahme, in which he discussed his latest book, Ghost People: Race, Religion, and the Affective Sources of Jewish Identity. This lecture expanded understanding of the complex intersections of race, religion, and Jewish identity by introducing audiences to innovative scholarship on affect, racialization, and belonging. Participants engaged with critical questions about how race is experienced, perceived, and constructed within historical and contemporary contexts. The event fostered meaningful interdisciplinary dialogue among students, faculty, and community members, strengthening the Jewish Studies Program’s commitment to exploring diverse perspectives and advancing informed conversations on identity, culture, and social justice.
Dr. Paul Nahme “Racial Affect and the Specter of Jewishness” Flyer
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Ishai Mishory, Ph.D. Title: Assistant Professor, Jewish Studies and Sustainability College: College of Arts and Letters Achievement: Professor Mishory completed his first year in the Jewish Studies Program and Department for the Study of Religion. His research examines early modern Jewish and non-Jewish printing, exploring how books shaped ideas of religion, community, communication, and identity.
“
Professor Mishory marked an exciting first year in the Jewish Studies Program and Department for the Study of Religion, enriching both communities with his presence.
”
Thank you for your generous support.
University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-8045 sdsu.edu | give.sdsu.edu