Susan and Henry Samueli, longtime donors and supporters of the University of California, Irvine, have pledged $4 million in matching funds to UCI’s Center for Jewish Studies, an action that UCI said will position the university as a leader in the field.
That means for each dollar donated to the center, the Samuelis will match it, up to $4 million.
The center, launched in 2017 and administered by UCI’s School of Humanities, is led by historian Matthias Lehmann, who holds the role of Teller Family Chair in Jewish History at the school.
This was the center’s first endowed chair after funding was provided in 1991 and established Jewish studies as a permanent part of UCI’s curriculum. The school has since taken an active role in the study of anti-Semitism….