DON’T IGNORE ANTISEMITISM AT LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
Antisemitism is on the rise nationwide — in particular, on college campuses. The Anti-Defamation League’s most recent annual audit of antisemitic incidents — issued in the spring of 2022 for the 2021 calendar year — revealed antisemitic incidents on college campuses have risen a dramatic 21 percent from 2020 to 2021. Hostile acts, such as on-campus vandalism, threats and slurs toward Jewish students, increased to 155 reported incidents in 2021 from just 47 in 2014.
Locally, Jewish students at UC San Diego have felt threatened following several recent incidents on campus, including a swastika found in the library bathroom and defacement of a positive Jewish art piece last year in May. At San Diego State University, the Chabad was vandalized multiple times and a swastika was found on the exterior wall of a campus residence in 2021. In all these incidents, the universities acted swiftly and in partnership with our organization Hillel San Diego — but each is a stark reminder that antisemitism is still a significant problem.
These are all serious and ugly hate crimes that directly impact the entire university. Students deserve safe spaces for learning and connecting.
This is why both the mission of Hillel of San Diego — to enrich the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world — and last month’s long-anticipated grand opening of The Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center at UC San Diego are so vital.
Hillel of San Diego annually serves over 2,000 students across four San Diego universities: UC San Diego, SDSU, California State University San Marcos and University of San Diego. As an organization we welcome all students regardless of religious affiliation and bring the community together to foster mutual appreciation.
Our new center on La Jolla Scenic Drive will further our goals of building an inclusive community and connecting the next generation to Jewish life, learning and Israel.
Facing multiple obstacles since it was initially proposed nearly 23 years ago, the opening of the new Glickman Hillel Center is a testament to our community’s resilience and fortitude — and a beacon of hope for the future.
Situated on just under 1 acre, the facility now serves as a foothold for UC San Diego students, hosting Jewish holiday experiences, learning and community activities — with flexible spaces designed for student programs, meetings and religious services.
Encompassing two singlestory buildings and one twostory structure — all designed to meld with the surrounding neighborhood — the new Hillel Center is an example of Hillel’s focus on connection and inclusivity.
By empowering young people to speak out against hate, Hillel of San Diego plays a critical role in fighting antisemitism on our local college campuses, working to achieve a secure environment for all students through a variety of initiatives and programs. At the new Glickman Hillel Center, young people of all backgrounds can connect and learn from each other. After the Melvin Garb Hillel Center opened adjacent to SDSU in 2014, the facility evolved into a hub of student activity — and we saw a decrease in bias incidents against Jewish students on that campus.
Many young people will come to Hillel of San Diego’s new Glickman Hillel Center to enjoy a home away from home as well as a place to study and spend time with friends. They can enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner or a movie night. Students can prepare food in the center’s kosher kitchen and participate in meetings for cultural and educational activities, such as Challah for Hunger, a program where students bake challah together, sell it on campus and use the proceeds to support organizations that fight hunger locally.
Hillel also offers international travel experiences for Jewish and non-Jewish students, student-led social action clubs, internships, mentorship opportunities and more.
These immersive and open experiences support mutual understanding and serve to humanize the Jewish community — a community often ignored by those who simply do not know or understand us. With a focus on unity, the new Glickman Hillel Center will build bridges across campus communities to bring people together. A reflection of the deep love we have for the future and our commitment to Jewish continuity in San Diego, the new center is a hub of Jewish life today and for many years to come.
Through the continued support and involvement of the Hillel programs at four San Diego campuses, we can ensure welcoming, safe, equitable and respectful spaces for students.
Immersive and open experiences support mutual understanding and serve to humanize the Jewish community.