UC-Berkeley Starting Jewish Studies Center

The University of California, Berkeley is launching a Center for Jewish Studies.

The university made the announcement of the center, for which it allotted $1 million, on Wednesday. The center will be inaugurated Oct. 30.

“The center will expand the breadth of Jewish studies scholarship here, connect more students to the wealth of Jewish studies resources across the campus, and enrich the university’s engagement with the Jewish community in the [San Francisco] Bay Area and beyond,” Chancellor Nicholas Dirks said.

The center will serve as the focal point for faculty and courses from various disciplines and departments, ranging from comparative literature and law to theater and dance.

Its addition enhances California’s reputation as a magnet for scholars and students in the field of Jewish studies. Stanford and UCLA also have major Jewish studies centers.