Union of Jewish Students

JEWISH STUDENTS TAKE BACK THEIR UNIONS

Student Unions across the country have held elections over the past few weeks and Jewish students have been elected to key positions in many of the major unions. UJS activists have won impressive election results and taken on senior roles in the running of the unions.

The most impressive results have been in Manchester, a union recently dogged by the extremist left, which was taken completely by the UJS/Labour Students/Lib Dem slate. Elsewhere UJS activists played crucial roles in the victories at Birmingham, Nottingham, Cambridge, Kings College London, LSE and Bristol. Even at Reading, a university with a small Jewish society, the former Chair of Jsoc Rachel Reid was elected as Vice President Student Rights and Diversity.

Jewish students are also increasingly well represented at the National Union of Students and within the democratic structures of their unions. This all goes hand in hand with the thriving Jewish student life at so many of the UK’s top universities.

UJS Chair Jessica Truman said;

“I am delighted to see the next generation of Jewish leadership taking prominent positions in their student unions. They are occupying positions of authority and responsibility where they will no doubt be an asset to the whole student body. UJS is delighted that the support, training and expertise we have given our members has materialised into something concrete.”

UJS Campaigns Organiser Yair Zivan said:

“The election results across the country show a shift away from the radical politics we have seen in the last few years. The polarisation and alienation within the student body on many campuses disproportionately affected Jewish students. With the new crop of leadership compromised of moderates with the genuine interests of students at heart, we see a possibility for real change. I’m personally delighted for those students elected to sabbatical positions and we will do everything we can to support them during their year in office.”