Mazal Tov! Our President Josh just returned from Summer U, a five-day programme run by the European Union of Jewish Students. As well as participating in panels, leading and attending seminars and workshops and getting to know fellow Jewish students and student leaders from across the continent, Josh was elected to sit on the EUJS Board (pictured.)

We've come a long way since we were founded in 1919, with four pioneering Jewish Societies forming our Union. We've been through depressions, recessions and the founding of the NHS, the Second World War and the horrors of the Shoah, celebrated the building and founding of the State of Israel, seen 23 British Prime Ministers, and nurtured hundreds of leaders, inspiring impact within and beyond the Jewish community.

People often ask me how I got into the Fashion Industry, but the truth is I'm not sure I ever really had a choice in the matter. Having come from and been inspired by a line of tailors and dressmakers, 'shmutah producers' and fashion entrepreneurs, I've always felt as though it was honestly just in my blood.

UJS welcomes the release of NUS’ Race Equity Plan to Tackle Institutional Racism, which looks at a five-year approach to tackling institutional racism experienced by Black, Muslim and Jewish staff, officers and volunteers.

The UJS team spent three weeks in a training period called Chazon, with one week spent in Israel to develop our knowledge of Israel Engagement, one of our core values. We did this through a number of different tracks, including social action, cultural, political, interfaith and Holocaust education.  

New year, new team, and we can’t wait to start delivering for Jewish students across the UK and Ireland!

It is really important to us that you, the students, know what we are getting up to and that we are fulfilling our commitment to represent Jewish students on campus. Over the next 12 months you can expect to see monthly ‘what have we done’ blogs from me, your President, to keep you updated on everything we’ve been up to.

So here’s a rundown of what’s gone on at UJS so far…

Chazon is the name given to the first three weeks of July in the UJS calendar, when the sabbatical team get started. 

The CST Antisemitic Incidents Report for the first half of 2017 indicates a disturbing increase in abuse and attacks targeted at Jewish people in the UK, with 767 incidents that constitute a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2016.

Last week, a group of ten British students and UJS team members returned from a week-long trip to Israel and Palestine.Highlights of the trip included meeting Tal Shalev, a journalist who has been writing about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for many years;

Following revelations in the Mancunion that the recently elected Manchester Metropolitan Co-Chair of Manchester Labour Students, Tayyib Nawaz, has resigned after posting antisemitic and homophobic tweets, Campaigns Director Josh Nagli said: