Hustings at UJS Summit with our three Presidential candidates

Somehow term is already drawing to a close, and there are only six months left until a new President takes the reins!

In the last blog, you heard about Bridges not Boycotts Conference, The EUJS Board Meeting in Budapest, the opening of nominations for UJS President, our National Council Meeting, the representation of Jewish students in Balfour 100 and at a meeting with Netanyahu, and our support for Friday Night Dinner on over 25 campuses.

This past month has been about representation. From Summit to Conference and the presidential election, Jewish students have had their say! So here are some of the highlights… 

 Where are your Chanukah treats coming from this year?

As Jewish students, we have a duty to acknowledge modern slavery and work on diminishing it. The slavery of our ancestors and the privileged position we are now in mean we must not stand and allow individuals to be oppressed for our benefit.  

Casting a ballot. Unionising. Having representation to all levels of government. These basic rights are enjoyed in their entirety by under a third of the world’s population. In the UK and Ireland, we are privileged enough to have this right, to be able to vote freely - without restriction or prejudice. And now the time has once again come for you to use this right, and have your say, to decide who will next lead your national union. 

It felt like a cliché when people told me I’d leave Poland with more questions than when I came. After all, I embarked on March of the Living UK with nothing but questions. I wondered how I would react in places that were witness to the worst cruelty ever perpetrated by man. I wondered how it would affect my identity as a Jew. And then, of course, I wondered how any of it happened. I wondered how the Nazis and all their accomplices could commit such horrendous crimes, and how the world stayed silent.

Now that the journey has come to a close, I have a few answers. 

Inbar with the Freshers Israel Experience group at Netiv Ha'asara

The Freshers Israel Experience was an eye-opening trip that gave me new insight and knowledge about Israel. The jam packed five days we had in Israel were full of expanding and inspiring educational visits, and talks through the whole of Israel, from Tzfat down to Sderot and Netiv Haasara.

We tackled issues that mattered to us and faced difficult debates with speakers and participants within the group. Being with such a diverse and large group indicated that we all had different opinions and thoughts on different matters. This meant that we encountered others’ views and took them on, helping to enrich our knowledge of strenuous dilemmas involving Israel. 

Two months into the new term, and the exciting projects we have been planning are finally here!

In the last blog, you heard about our freshers’ visits, the Home and Abroad Network launch, our Succot homelessness project and the release of our J-Soc committee handbook. The past month of term has been jam-packed with events, so here’s some highlights from UJS this last month…

Kathryn with the other seminar participants in Budapest 

Two weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to participate in a week-long study session in Budapest about combatting online hate speech, focusing on antisemitism and antigypsyism. Run by EUJS, Phiren Amenca and the Council of Europe, it brought together young Jewish and Roma adults from all over Europe. We covered a variety of topics, including the history of antisemitism and antigypsyism, different forms of online hate speech, and how to combat them and protect ourselves. 

Raffles with the group from Freshers Israel Experience 2017 at a viewpoint in the north of Israel

This summer I was privileged to be accepted on the Freshers Israel Experience trip, run by UJS and a few other organisations. It was designed to teach us about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by allowing us to see and hear all the narratives from various sides, and more importantly from the decision makers themselves. It was by the far the most informative trip I have ever been on.

J-Soc Officer Grace, left, visited Goldsmiths J-Soc at their Freshers Fair this month

A month into the new term, and the exciting projects we have been planning to deliver are now just around the corner!

In the last blog, you heard about our rebrand, the launch of our new website, our representation of students to government and in EUJS, as well as the relaunch of our Women’s Network and trips to Israel. This month of freshers has been all about supporting local J-Socs as they go into the new year, with a few new and exciting opportunities from the voice of Jewish students along the way.

So here’s some highlights from UJS this last month…

It’s World Mental Health Day 2017 and the conversation around mental health at university has shifted over the past year. It’s no longer about recognising that mental health is just as important as physical health, but about improving university facilities, tackling the effect of stress on students and the looming prospect of debt and seeking post-graduation employment.