Yesterday UJS (the Union of Jewish Students) hosted its annual training seminar for students heading to campus in the coming weeks. 40 students from 19 campuses across England and Wales gathered to attend Time to Lead in London, where they attended sessions to prepare them for the new academic year.

Having just completed a month of training, the UJS team are back in the office and preparing to meet everyone on campus in September. Whilst we get ready for that, here’s a look back at what we did during our month of preparation…

This week, on the closing day of their Chazon training programme, the new UJS team members met with Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism and Rabbi Danny Rich, Senior Rabbi of Liberal Judaism.

We welcome Baroness Royall's decision to release her report into antisemitism within the Oxford University Labour Club (OULC). Despite the clear acknowledgement of antisemitic incidents occurring within OULC, it remains a concern that they haven't been appropriately addressed as part of the Labour Party's disciplinary procedures. 

Emanuele Boccia, our Israel Engagement Officer, looks back on a week's staff training in Israel

I finally fell in love with Israel again.

On Tuesday, as part of their Chazon training programme, the new UJS team members met with the Orthodox Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Mirvis, and with Rabbi Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism.

Whilst we welcome the fact that only Jewish members of NUS NEC will elect the Jewish ARAF representative, there are still issues following the clarification of the ARAF policy. The 8,500 Jewish students in the UK will continue to have no say on their sole representative within NUS' structures, meaning that once again, Jewish students are not being listened to.

Here is the UJS statement in light of Jewish students at Oxford writing an open letter to Jeremy Corbyn MP calling for the immediate and full publishing of Jan Royall’s inquiry into antisemitism in the Oxford University Labour Club (OULC):

Following the publishing of the Chakrabarti Inquiry into antisemitism in the Labour Party, it is evident that the Labour Party have swept the issue of alleged antisemitism within Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) under the carpet.

We welcome the completion of Shami Chakrabarti’s inquiry into antisemitism and all other forms of racism in the Labour Party and look forward to the swift implementation of the recommendations listed.