San Diego Jewish Academy
San Diego Jewish Academy sits in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego, California. In 2009, its team, the Lions, became the first-ever Jewish football team in the United States. That single season raises more questions than it answers. How did a school that started in rented rooms turn into a campus spanning dozens of acres? What does it mean for a Jewish day school to call itself pluralistic rather than aligned with one synagogue or movement? And which of its graduates carried the school's name into national careers, from professional football to soccer to activism? The rest of this documentary follows those threads.
In 1979, San Diego Jewish Academy began as a small neighborhood school renting facilities on the property of Congregation Tifereth Israel. Two decades later, in 1999, the school built a 40-acre campus in Carmel Valley. The school still stands on that same property, later renamed the Jaffe Campus after the Jaffe family gave a $7 million donation. By 2013, the campus had grown to 56 acres. That growing footprint eventually made room for three separate schools under one roof, each serving a different age group.
Golda Meir Lower School teaches kindergarten through grade five, one of three schools that make up San Diego Jewish Academy today. Maimonides Upper School continues that education for grades 6-12. A third branch, the SDJA Early Childhood Center, rounds out the three schools. The campus is also home to Camp Carmel Creek, a K-5 summer camp open to the entire community. San Diego Jewish Academy describes itself as pluralistic, meaning it is not tied to any single synagogue or movement of Judaism. Instead, the school holds what it calls compacts with several synagogues across San Diego. That same expanding campus also became host to a football program that made history in ways few Jewish day schools can claim.
Eleven players made up the original Lions roster, a team that went on to finish 25th in its league and reach the CIF playoffs. By 2018, the Lions had advanced to the Finals of the CIF championship. The next year, in 2019, the team won its first league championship in school history and returned to the CIF Finals for a second consecutive season. In 2021, the Lions finished undefeated, claiming both the league championship and the CIF division championship. That unbeaten season sits alongside a list of graduates who carried football, soccer, and activism into careers far from Carmel Valley.
Jacob Frank, an SDJA graduate, went on to hold leadership roles at the National Football League. Ari Seth Cohen, another alum, built a career as a photographer and fashion blogger. Drew Ferris, born in 1992, plays football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Lily Greenberg Call became a political activist and a former public servant. David Schipper, born in 1991, plays soccer for Southland United in the New Zealand Football Championship. His path leads from a Carmel Valley classroom to a professional pitch on the other side of the world. It stands as the furthest a Lion has traveled to keep playing the game.
Common questions
Where is San Diego Jewish Academy located?
San Diego Jewish Academy is located in the Carmel Valley community of San Diego, California, on a 56-acre campus known as the Jaffe Campus.
When was San Diego Jewish Academy founded?
San Diego Jewish Academy began in 1979 as a small neighborhood school renting facilities on the property of Congregation Tifereth Israel.
What grade levels does San Diego Jewish Academy serve?
San Diego Jewish Academy serves students across three schools: the SDJA Early Childhood Center, Golda Meir Lower School for grades K-5, and Maimonides Upper School for grades 6-12. It also runs Camp Carmel Creek, a K-5 summer camp open to the entire community.
Is San Diego Jewish Academy affiliated with a specific synagogue?
No, San Diego Jewish Academy is a pluralistic Jewish day school that is not affiliated with any one synagogue or movement of Judaism, though it holds compacts with several San Diego synagogues.
What did the San Diego Jewish Academy Lions football team achieve?
The San Diego Jewish Academy Lions became the first-ever Jewish football team in the United States in 2009. They reached the CIF Finals in 2018 and 2019, won their first league championship in 2019, and went undefeated while winning both league and CIF division championships in 2021.
Who are notable alumni of San Diego Jewish Academy?
Notable alumni of San Diego Jewish Academy include Jacob Frank, who has held leadership roles at the National Football League; Ari Seth Cohen, a photographer and fashion blogger; Drew Ferris, an NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Lily Greenberg Call, a political activist and former public servant; and David Schipper, a soccer player for Southland United in the New Zealand Football Championship.
All sources
8 references cited across the entry
- 6NewsJewish Academy's football team sets a precedentMichael Gehlken — 2009-10-29
- 7American Studies Major Directs NFL Health and Safety PoliciesSusanne Rockwell — 2017-08-03