By Shor M. Masori in Del Mar, California
American Friends of Tel Aviv University held its first San Diego gathering at Monarch Ocean Bar in Del Mar, bringing together TAU alumni for what organizers hope will become a regular local community gathering.
For full disclosure: I attended wearing two hats, as a reporter and as a Tel Aviv University masteris program alum, so I may have some bias toward the event.
The first thing I encountered after walking up to the reserved area was a name tag and a small card imploring me to introduce myself to three people and write their names down. The icebreaker provided a convenient reason to talk, as few people knew each other beforehand.
The event was held in a private reserved space and was not publicly announced. There was no security, something that has become a regular feature of many Jewish events nowadays. The space felt full, with alumni spanning several generations. The oldest couple I spoke with had attended TAU in the early 1980s. Among the youngest was Qualcomm engineer Amogh Panchagatti, who graduated from TAU in 2022 after studying electrical engineering. He moved to San Diego for its connections to wireless communications and the Navy.
The crowd skewed older, but what people had studied and where their lives had taken them was all over the map. I met people working in security, AI, technology, education and scientific research. Most came from the United States and Israel, but others hailed from around the world, including Hungary and India.
Using my icebreaker card, I wound up meeting:
— An occasional editorial contributor to SDJW, Sam Litvin.
–The CSO of Hemotech Innovation, Peter Friedman, a Hungarian immigrant who has taught chemistry at another alma mater of mine, Grossmont College, where I earned an associate-of-arts degrees prior to earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Berkeley.
–Scripps Institution of Oceanography postdoctoral researcher Netanel Kramer.
— Victor Matthias, a security and public safety analyst at San Diego International Airport.
The free drink ticket was a nice touch. I went for an Oaxacan Sunburn (mezcal, sweet vermouth, Aperol, lemon, orange and egg whites.) The free food was unexpectedly good, which made this forgetful eater very happy. We had all sorts of things, like mushroom-burrata flatbread and a full charcuterie spread.
Shay Bar, AFTAU’s National Director of Alumni Affairs, is leading the organization’s work to connect TAU alumni and friends through communities like the one beginning to form in San Diego.
“San Diego is home to a growing community of Tel Aviv University alumni and friends, and it was exciting to see the energy and connections in the room,” Bar said. “For me, this is about much more than one event. I believe the most meaningful thing AFTAU can do is connect people to people.”
That was largely how the evening felt. Conversations wandered from people’s years at TAU to Israel’s role in the world today and its prospects for the future. There was plenty of affection and reminiscing, along with real trepidation about that country’s future.
The recent San Diego focus stems in part from Maya Ruttenberg, AFTAU’s newly appointed Associate Vice President for the Western Region and its West Coast representative. Based in San Diego, Ruttenberg brings over two decades of experience in philanthropy and Jewish nonprofit leadership, including work with the Israeli-American Council and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Ruttenberg said San Diego already has a strong Jewish community with deep ties to Israel, along with a concentration of high-tech, biotech and medical research that has natural connections to work happening at TAU.
“The turnout and energy told the story,” she said of the first gathering.
She saw TAU alumni working across medicine, technology, biotech and startups, evidence of a local network AFTAU now hopes to connect. Ruttenberg said AFTAU is also bringing TAU professors and speakers to communities around the country for programs on subjects including AI, scientific breakthroughs, economics and medical innovation, with San Diego included in those plans.
By the time Monarch was closing, I was still there with a group of about six people. We were talking about Israel, how the university has changed, international companies, schools, security, and whatever else came up.
It was a great Jewish shmooze to end the night.
Eventually we were nudged toward the door, carrying AFTAU goodie bags complete with branded socks. For an organization trying to build a San Diego community, having people still talking while the restaurant closed seems like a decent place to start.
To support Tel Aviv University through AFTAU, including scholarships, research and student programs, please click here.
Those interested in becoming involved with AFTAU in San Diego can contact Maya Ruttenberg at mruttenberg@aftau.org.