Jewish National Fund Hosts Conference in Chula Vista
The four-day Global Conference for Israel at the Gaylord Pacific Resort draws about 3,000 attendees amid planned protests.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Judaism
The Jewish National Fund-USA is hosting its Global Conference for Israel at the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center in Chula Vista, running Thursday through Sunday. The conference is sold out, with approximately 3,000 people attending, and a significant security presence was visible around the venue on Thursday.
Why it matters
The event is the first held in San Diego County in the organization's 125-year history, bringing a large international-focused gathering to Chula Vista. Opponents have called for its cancellation, reflecting an ongoing local debate over the organization's land acquisition and use of charitable tax status.
The conference is sold out, with approximately 3,000 attendees over four days at the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center. The organization's stated goal is relocating 500,000 people to the Negev, a region making up 60% of Israel's land area but about 10% of its population; the source does not report how close the effort is to that target.
The players
Jewish National Fund-USA
The American arm of the Jewish National Fund, an organization founded in 1901 that has long focused on land acquisition and development in Israel.
Jewish Voice for Peace San Diego
The local chapter of a national progressive Jewish advocacy group that opposes certain Israeli policies and organized opposition to the conference.
Gaylord Pacific Resort
A convention resort on the San Diego Bay waterfront in Chula Vista that hosts large conferences and events.
The details
The conference is described on the organization's website as four days of speakers, gatherings and an Israel Expo, and includes mayors from Israeli communities and hundreds of local residents. Jewish Voice for Peace San Diego called for its cancellation, and a small crowd protested at the Interstate 5 overpass near the convention center on Thursday.
Timeline
Thursday, November 12, 2026: Conference begins amid a significant security presence and a small protest at the Interstate 5 overpass.
Friday, November 13, 2026: Jewish Voice for Peace San Diego plans a shabbat service outside the hotel.
Saturday, November 14, 2026: Protest organizers plan a rally and vigil.
Sunday, November 15, 2026: Conference is scheduled to conclude.
Cultural Context
The conference extends the Jewish National Fund's long-running Negev settlement program, which has been central to its fundraising since the organization's founding, into a new venue in San Diego County. Its opponents' objections center on the same land-acquisition question that has defined the organization's public debate for decades.
Residents near the Gaylord Pacific Resort in Chula Vista may see increased security presence and traffic disruption through Sunday, as the conference and planned protests run across the weekend. Attendees and those following the event should expect the planned Friday and Saturday demonstrations to draw additional crowds.
The takeaway
The conference and the protests surrounding it show how a single event can carry both community-building and contested political meaning for the same region. Readers following the story can watch for updates from the organizers and protest groups over the weekend.
What happens next
Protest organizers have scheduled a shabbat service outside the hotel on Friday night and a rally and vigil on Saturday, with the conference set to conclude Sunday.
Further reading
Explore more coverage of Judaism and the community events shaping the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KPBS.
