Jewish American Heritage Month: San Diego’s Jewish community reflects city’s diversity in culture and faith

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – San Diego is home to 100,000 people who identify as Jewish, making up about 2% of the city’s population — and the data and the people behind it reveal a community as diverse as the city itself.

The Jewish Federation’s most recent survey found that 18% of San Diego’s Jewish community identifies as Hispanic or as a person of color. Nearly a quarter — 23% — regularly speak a language other than English at home, and 17% of Jewish households include someone born outside the United States, including the USSR, Israel, Latin America, Europe, South Africa, and Mexico.

Heidi Gantwerk, the President and CEO of the Jewish Federation, said the community’s diversity is reflected in everything from food to faith.

“It’s wonderful. The foods are different, and the way they say the prayers is different. The way they think about the holidays is different.”

“And they all bring their own rich cultural traditions and history with them, which makes for a really exciting blend of different practices – cultural and religious both,” Gantwerk said.

Half of San Diego’s Jewish community does not identify with any specific denomination. More than half — 51% — of Jewish couples are in interfaith relationships.

“If you ask people what Judaism is, what being Jewish means to them, religion is not the first thing many people will say,” Gantwerk explains.

“We have an expression we talk about – Jewish peoplehood; to be part of the Jewish people. That has historical implications. Cultural implications. Religious implications. Genealogical implications. And there are a lot of people in SD who feel very strongly that they are part of what we call K’lal Yisroel, part of the Jewish people, but they’re not religious.”

Sixteen percent identify as LGBTQ+, and 30% have lived in San Diego for less than a decade. The Jewish population also skews slightly older than San Diego overall, with 27% above the age of 65.

Beyond the numbers, individual congregations reflect that diversity firsthand. Ohr Shalom Synagogue, located in Bankers Hill, recently celebrated 100 years in its historic building. The congregation draws members from around the world, including some who cross the border to attend services.

One member said the congregation’s diversity is what makes it feel like home.

“The fact that we’re able to hold a multitude of being, ways of expressing, and ways of really holding each other, is amazing! And I really think that goes to the heart of what the US is traditionally about,” said Alex Van Frank, whose family has roots in Mexico and Europe.

“It’s really a coming together of a lot of different things to make this really sweet, I dunno, melody of friendships that you wouldn’t otherwise find,” she said.

Gantwerk adds that a look at some other numbers breaks the stereotypes commonly associated with Judaism.

“People have the impression that all Jews are wealthy,” she says. “That’s a trope, and it’s false. We are just as economically diverse as every other community. 15% of our Jewish community is struggling every day to make ends meet.”

Van Frank says that rich diversity gives the Jewish community a lot to share with San Diego at large.

“We are open to sharing some of our values, like education and taking care of community, family, and friends. I think these are the types of things that permeate living in society. And all of our collective responsibility to each other to be in community…

“We practice by living. And living our Jewishness means we are out in the community with everyone else as well. And we are helping to improve the world – Tikkun Olam. I think that’s a very important thing. I know a lot of people outside the (Jewish) community also try to make the world a better place. For us that’s a driving force.

This reporting is part of coverage of San Diego’s Jewish community during Jewish American Heritage Month. It grew out of ABC 10News Anchor Jared Aarons’ participation in the Karsh Fellowship — the nation’s first and only fellowship dedicated to journalism about Jewish topics. The fellowship included three weekends of learning in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., focused on covering issues from antisemitism to religion with greater depth and nuance.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.