In recent years, UC Berkeley has taken a concerted effort to support the university’s Jewish students, faculty and staff. The goals have been:
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To maintain the strength and unity of our campus Jewish community;
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To promote Jewish belonging and inclusion on campus;
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To provide educational content and discussion forums to process and learn about developments in Israel and the surrounding region.
Trainings and Consultations
We provide cultural competency education on antisemitism, Judaism, Jewish culture, and Israel for university administrators, staff, faculty, and students. We prioritize interventions grounded in the day-to-day campus experiences of students and faculty as well as cutting-edge academic scholarship on antisemitism, hate, and bias. We tailor our trainings for specific audiences (ex: at universities, we can focus the training for DEI staff, student affairs staff, faculty, students, etc.). We also offer consultations to campus stakeholders attempting to navigate concerns around antisemitism. For more information, please click here.
Coordination of Campus Efforts
Faculty and staff from the Center for Jewish Studies (CJS), the Antisemitism Education Initiative (AEI), and the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies (HDI), along with the leadership of Chabad and Berkeley Hillel, engage in regular meetings with student leaders and senior campus officials (including leadership of the Division of Equity & Inclusion, the Division of Student Affairs, the head of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, the Provost, and the Chancellor) to share information, strategize responses to incidents, and to ensure coordination around campus security measures. Representatives from throughout the campus and the broader community participate in meetings and communications via the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Jewish Student Life and Campus Climate (CACJSLCC), which informs campus stakeholders of the concerns and needs of Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
Collaboration with Student-Facing Offices
We work regularly with staff and leadership in Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion (E&I), Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD), and Division of Student Affairs (SA), to make sure antisemitism is included in the ongoing, regular work of these units.
Staff and Faculty Mental Health Support
Be Well at Work – Employee Assistance provides free, confidential counseling and referrals for staff. To schedule an appointment with an Employee Assistance counselor, please contact (510) 643-7754 or email employeeassistance@berkeley.edu
