Last month I had the privilege of touring Israel with UJS, alongside four universities from the North. It required preparation: we were told to expect early mornings, fluctuating weather, and even the occasional brewery. What none of us could have prepared for, however, were the transformative accounts of those who lived the conflict between Israel and Palestine - and the common hope they shared for the future.

It is a sorry state of affairs that the all-student meeting at UCLSU has voted against the IHRA definition of antisemitism. 

Tu B’Shvat celebrates the New Year of the trees and traditionally marks the date on which farmers began calculating the tithing of their fruit crops. Today we celebrate Tu B’Shvat through eating 15 fruits and the Kabbalistic custom of Tu B’Shvat sedarim is becoming popular. However, it can also serve as an important reminder of our Jewish duty to care for the natural world.

At UJS Conference 2018, Jewish students voted to support the campaign for another referendum on Brexit

You can’t not go! When you go somewhere people always ask ‘how was it?’ And words can never express the intensity of what you’ve experienced.

Please send in your nominations here by 19th March.

The annual UJS Student Awards is the opportunity to recognise everyone who has contributed and dedicated themselves to Jewish life on campus. It’s a time for students from all over the country to come together and celebrate their work and their achievements. 

We give awards for a host of different activities, from one-off events to extended projects, as well as a J-Soc’s overall contribution to Jewish life over the year. Awards aren’t just given for the event with the most attendees, the biggest J-Soc, or the campaign with the most social media likes. It’s given to students who have made a tangible difference to their campus. That might be a Friday night dinner for less than 10 people, or it might be a ball for 200. Now is the time to celebrate the students who work tirelessly and voluntary for their peers.

Any activity that has taken place since March 2018 whcih has not been nominated last year is valid for nomination. You can nominate your own event/project, or a friend’s. If you have any questions, please contact Louise.

If after my A-level results you said to me “you are going to go to Israel for the first time, become J-Soc president and work in the Jewish community” I would have laughed at and probably with you.

We are extremely pleased to note that the Office for Students, the independent regulator of Higher Education, has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. This definition has been endorsed by the vast majority of the Jewish community including by UJS, the representative body of Jewish students.

We are pleased to announce the results of our National Council and Board of Deputies elections. The election was run by Russell Langer, UJS Returning Officer 2018, and counted through a single transferable vote (STV) system.

Shakira Martin, President of the National Union of Jewish Students, joined us at Conference to reinforce her commitment to combat anitsemitism through her platform within the NUS.