The University of San Francisco Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice
My dear brother,
Aaron Hahn Tapper —
impact on students…
Judaism. Social justice.
The first department in the nation.
Of course, it’s redundant; prophetic Judaism is a struggle for social justice.
But people need to be reminded.
– Dr. Cornel West • February 22, 2022 • University of San Francisco
Program History
1977
Melvin M. Swig & friends establish Swig Program in Judaic Studies
2008
Re-established as Swig Program in Jewish Studies & Social Justice (JSSJ)
2019
Appointed first Rabbi-in-Residence in USF history
2022
Established Mapping Jewish San Francisco (mappingjewishsf.com), an Ongoing Digital Humanities Project
2023
Relaunching our Summer study abroad program Beyond Bridges: Israel-Palestine
Re-establish as Swig Center for Jewish Studies & Social Justice
USF Student Body
10,000 Students
10% Jewish
20%+ Identify as Queer
Ranked #1 – Most Diverse in Race & Ethnicity by Us News and World Report, 2022
1/3rd – First in family to attend college
900+ USF Students take JSSJ courses annually
10+ In-Person/Online annual learning opportunities – free and open to the public!
At JSSJ, we believe that education is fundamental to making our world better.
