Union of Jewish Students

The peer-led voice of 9000 Jewish students across the UK and Ireland. We lead, defend and enrich Jewish life on campus and support over 75 JSocs. Est 1919 ✡️

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

Today the Union of Jewish Students has published Time for Change, a landmark report into campus antisemitism.

Our report, based on new polling and Jewish students’ testimonies, diagnoses the problems on campus and makes urgent recommendations for change.

https://t.co/QMvfuxLAMg

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

A brilliant set of sessions followed, from a panel of Jewish student leaders to the launch of our new Best Practice Guidance for institutions.

We look forward to working closely with universities to improve the support available for Jewish students nationwide.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

Last week, UJS hosted our inaugural Vice Chancellors Conference. We brought together over 80 university leaders to discuss further action to combat campus antisemitism.

Education Secretary @bphillipsonMP opened, calling on leaders to “drive out” antisemitism from campus. ⬇️

[Board of Deputies of British Jews @BoardofDeputies]

We welcome the publication of UJS's Best Practice Guidance for institutions to support and safeguard Jewish student life. We call on institutions to study and implement the guidance, and will continue to back @UJS_UK in promoting this guidance both with institutions and government.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

The Best Practice Guidance offers universities and students’ unions a framework of practical recommendations to support Jewish student life and to tackle antisemitism.

It brings together examples of best practice from institutions around the country.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

UJS has published our Best Practice Guidance to support Jewish students and tackle antisemitism

The guidance can be found here:

https://t.co/nQXeDonEjH

[Wes Streeting @wesstreeting]

Even by @UJS_UK’s standard of producing outstanding leaders, @UJS_PRES stands out - holding a mirror up to leaders across society who need to show the same courage and moral clarity in the face of antisemitic hatred and prejudice.

[Ridge & Frost @RidgeandFrost]

'Where is the outrage? Where has anti-racist civil society gone?'

President of the Union of Jewish Students, Louis Danker, talks to @WilfredFrost and warns of the 'stunning silence' on antisemitism. ⬇️

[Deborah E. Lipstadt @deborahlipstadt]

@UJS_PRES delivers an excellent oration & call to action. Pious words & sincere regrets are useless. Call out those responsible. Ensure there are consequences. Support those who acknowledge there is a problem. It may start with the Jews but it will not end there.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

Watch @UJS_PRES Louis Danker’s full speech here:

https://t.co/VxNEKjGQ8N

[Jewish News @JewishNewsUK]

FULL SPEECH of stunning speech delivered by @UJS_UK president Louis Danker to the Prime Minister, ministers, business, police and other leaders at Downing Street:

Britain has an antisemitism crisis. It is a crisis that everyone in this room is accountable for solving. The Jewish community needs you to meet this moment.

I need you all to understand how British Jews feel.

Like many of us, I spend a lot of time in Golders Green. I get my lunch at the kosher supermarket. I pick up challah bread for my family at the Jewish bakery. I saw them both behind a police cordon last week. I couldn’t bring myself to stand at a bus stop, because I’d just seen footage of a Jewish man violently stabbed at one.

I was lucky to have supportive non-Jewish friends at university. I say lucky, because the Union of Jewish Students’ recent report found that 1 in 5 students are reluctant or unwilling to share a house with a Jew. Old-fashioned prejudice is becoming entrenched in the next generation.

I spend my life travelling across the country, working with brilliant Jewish young people who live proud Jewish lives on campus. They want to be leaders of British society in the years to come.

But many young Jews now despair for our future. We look to the workplace, the arts, the media, healthcare, trade unions, candidates for local government — and we see a frightening direction of travel: a minority emboldened to be hateful, and others who know it is wrong but haven’t found the clarity to condemn it.

Because the nagging question these past weeks has been this: where is the outrage? Where has anti-racist civil society gone? We know mass solidarity is possible — the Me Too movement, Black Lives Matter, the Together Alliance who stood against the far right just this March. We need that spirit now.

Instead, we see whataboutery. When Jews cry “antisemitism”, we’re asked why we haven’t condemned Israel. We’re told that Israel’s actions excuse an angry backlash against us. But no one asked the victims of last week’s stabbings for their views on Israeli policy.

All the while, violent language has been normalised: “Globalize the intifada”, “Death to the IDF”, “Put the Zios in the ground”. And violent language breeds violent acts. Jihad al-Shamie, while attacking Heaton Park Synagogue and murdering British Jews, shouted “this is what you get for killing our children”.

On campus, Jewish students have been stalked home, chased with glass bottles, and beaten up in nightclubs — because of the skullcap on their heads and the Star of David around their necks.

There is legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, and then there is hateful incitement towards Israelis, Zionists, and Jews here in Britain.

Britain has a long history of fighting racism. This is no position for a proud liberal democracy, a proud multicultural society, to find itself in. We need to meet this moment with a full crisis response.

So I thank the Prime Minister and his team for convening this crucial gathering, and the government ministers and advisers who have done important work so far.

We now need to build on it, accelerate action, and pull every lever we have as a country to respond.
The Jewish community cares deeply about Britain. We are proud to be British and proud to be Jewish.

We want to be outward-facing, build bridges, and participate fully in multicultural modern Britain. But we need to feel like we belong here.

More money for security is crucial, and we’re grateful for it.

A counter-extremism strategy is imperative, and we need to implement it.

Stronger regulation across sectors is necessary, and we need to accelerate it.

But what really makes Jews feel like we belong in this country is the allyship of non-Jewish people.

I’ve been reassured this past week by the non-Jewish family friend who asked how he could do a CST security shift, by the online influencers eating at Jewish-run restaurants in Golders Green, and by the university leaders asking what more they can do to support their students. These small acts need to be scaled up.

What we need is leaders of our institutions publicly standing by us, committing to tangible action, turning permissive environments into zero tolerance for hate, and showing real bravery with the full force of government behind them.

For Jews, antisemitism has become suffocating. It is making us shrink inwards. Every one of your Jewish staff, clients, customers, friends — whatever sector you’re in — is going through this. We all make calculations about hiding our Jewishness because it might literally save our lives.

And so it’s brilliant that you’re all here today. We need your allyship — in this room and beyond. You are here because you can help ensure Jews continue to feel like we belong in Britain. Together, we can turn a corner.

It is now my honour to introduce the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

UJS welcomes new measures announced by the Prime Minister this morning to combat antisemitism on campus, following the recommendations made in our ‘Time For Change’ report.

The measures are designed to hold universities to account for how they deal with hate crimes. ⬇️

[Jewish Leadership Council @JLC_uk]

We've been heartened by the messages of support we've received in the last few days from members of the public appalled by antisemitic violence. But the time for words is over. Here's what you can do to support the Jewish community right now:

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

We are horrified by the stabbing which took place in Golders Green Road earlier today. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the wider Jewish community at this distressing time.

[Yom HaShoah UK @yomhashoahuk]

@UJS_PRES Louis Danker, President of the Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK, pays tribute to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, honouring both remembrance and Jewish heroism. Watch live: https://t.co/FGAN3qsRYn

#YomHaShoah #NeverForget

[Ben Bloch @realBenBloch]

PM Sir Keir Starmer joined @UJS_UK for a mock Seder dinner ahead of Passover, which starts tonight.

The below is from his official Instagram account. He recounts a brief anecdote from his family’s Seder and a rather unique hiding place for the afikomen…

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

We discussed the Pesach story and our thriving campus Jewish communities, and shared the challenges Jewish students face and the need for urgent action, as set out in our Time for Change report.

Chag Sameach!

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

We were honoured to host the Prime Minister at a Union of Jewish Students mock Seder. ⬇️

https://t.co/CdNZFKMmS6

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

Today @UJS_PRES Louis joined the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers in 10 Downing St following the antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green.

UJS and our partners will continue to work at the highest level to defend Jewish life.

📷 Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street

[Hatzola @Hatzola]

We are deeply saddened and shocked by the senseless attack in the early hours of this morning at the Hatzola Northwest ambulance base.

Hatzola NW, along with all Hatzola organisations, provides life-saving services without discrimination, regardless of faith or background. It is extremely distressing and difficult to comprehend that such a vital service could be targeted and attacked in such a way.

We are working closely with the police and relevant support agencies to ensure the safety and security of our premises and resources, so that we can continue to respond swiftly to emergencies.

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

Read the full #TimeforChange report here: https://t.co/UBOWwC5DWy

[Union of Jewish Students @UJS_UK]

✍️ “Antisemitic abuse and intimidation has no place on our university campuses.”

Education Secretary @bphillipsonMP writing in @JewishChron following UJS’s Time for Change report.

https://t.co/uNquuApI5R