It’s been a tough start to the new academic year for Jewish students. Events in the Middle East continue to reverberate on our campuses, and protests too often veer into antisemitic tropes and intimidatory slogans. Though many encampments have dispersed, the anniversary of October 7th saw shameful glorification of terror.
At my university, in Edinburgh, posters calling for intifada and graffitied red triangles, symbolic of support for Hamas, regularly crop up on my walk from library to lecture. The ‘Palestine Action’ group have shifted their attention to sites on campuses, sparking fears of such extremism spreading further.
It is clear we have an institutional antisemitism problem on our campuses, and institutional solutions are necessary. UJS and CST continue to provide the inspiring communal leadership and guidance we need in the face of this long-term challenge. But, here and now, at Jewish Societies (JSocs) nationwide, students are not cowed by the hatred on campus.
Quite the contrary; with every passing day, we are reclaiming our Jewish pride. Each bagel eaten, pub quiz hosted, and student minyan attended may seem inconsequential in the face of heavy challenges ahead – but every single diverse Jewish act on our campuses is another footstep in the march against hatred.
Louis Danker, former president Edinburgh JSoc. Pic: UJS
How can this be? I firmly believe we can recapture our Jewish pride through embracing and enriching our campus communities. Hundreds of first-year students have injected new energy into their JSocs. In fact, new JSocs continue to be established, from the University of West England to University College Dublin. Far from fading, Jewish campus life shines brighter than ever and is breaking new ground.
Jewish students continue to lead the fight for social justice, looking beyond our own community. With Mitzvah Day around the corner, many JSocs are planning to put our Jewish values into practice through volunteering and fundraising. Here in Edinburgh, we welcomed Rabbi David Mason to share the work of HIAS+JCORE in advocating for refugee rights. We’re collaborating with Student Action for Refugees to package Christmas gifts for young refugee children in our city. That’s certainly been fuelling my Jewish pride this week.
Far from home, we continue to be proud of our religious values. In Leeds alone, thriving Orthodox and egalitarian student-led services are more popular than ever. We share in our Jewish culture, planning ‘bring a friend’ interfaith Friday Night Dinners from Oxford to St Andrews. And we’re having Jewish fun, too. UJS has just launched nationwide football and netball tournaments, and a thousand Jewish students will soon descend on Nottingham for the landmark ‘Booze 4 Jews’ night out.
So when I say that we’re fighting antisemitism with Jewish pride, what do I mean? Well, the symmetry is striking. Attacks on Jewish football fans? We launch men’s and women’s JSoc football teams. Defacement of Jewish charity buildings? We redouble our Mitzvah Day volunteering. Hateful and divisive rhetoric at protests? We invite our flatmates to interfaith Friday Nights. Jewish students are reaching out across the country, building bonds and breaking boundaries – small acts of Jewish pride that, in sum, amount to Jewish students fighting back in the best possible way.
Our Jewish pride transcends our politics, backgrounds and identities. Yes, we are a diverse community, but let’s not mistake that for division. It is truly our strength. And by showing pride in our Jewish diversity, we are able to stand united against the challenges we face, on campus and beyond. As Rabbi Sacks so aptly put it, “Non-Jews respect Jews who respect their Judaism”. So, let’s continue to fight antisemitism with our Jewish pride, one bagel lunch and big ‘FND’ at a time…
- Louis Danker, final year student and former president of Edinburgh JSoc
