With Jewish Students from Day One
Dear Friend,
Shana Tova! As the Jewish year starts anew, so too does the new academic year, when university campuses across the UK start to fill up with students. For Jewish Freshers, this moment can be both exciting and daunting. Freshers’ Week gives students the opportunity to gently ease themselves into university life, joining groups and societies that reflect their individual interests - and University Jewish Chaplaincy is there loud and proud at Freshers’ Fairs offering overt support for Jewish students from day one.
Whilst our Chaplains would love to only offer activities and events that inspire and delight students - such as the many students they have already hosted for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - they also have to deal with issues of religious freedom and affronts to Jewish life on campus; and sadly, Chaplains have already had to deal with such issues.
In one case, the Chaplains had to liaise firmly with one institution who promised a group of students a kosher flat in university accommodation which did not materialise. Due to the persistent, attentive and diligent work of the Chaplains, this situation was resolved in record time - and the affected students were able to move into a kosher flat together before Yom Kippur. In another case hundreds of miles away, Jewish students were horrified and distressed to be given flyers at their Freshers’ Fair calling for a “Zionist free campus” and the creation of ‘anti-Zionist spaces’ within societies on campus. Rest assured, working together with JSCS, UJS and CST, the Chaplains have raised this issue and investigations will continue until this has been resolved.
On a more positive note, our Chaplains have already hit the ground running, with Chaplains to the Nottingham region, Rabbi Aviad and Tehila Raviv, hosting 220 students at their welcome barbecue and new Scottish Chaplains, Rabbi Joey and Gilia Sacharow welcoming 40 students at their inaugural Friday night dinner in Edinburgh plus over 85 at their first bagel lunch! In Leeds Rabbi Yisroel Meir and Mindi Zobin hosted over 30 students before the fast and supported over 60 students for Yom Kippur services. In addition, the festival of Sukkot is only a few days away and we are humbled and proud that students have been helping their Chaplains build and decorate their sukkahs in preparation. Chaplains are hosting loads of events throughout the week and you can see some of the highlights below. Students can click the flyers below to reserve their place, or contact their Chaplains by phone, email or social media for more information.
We hope to share more coverage of our Freshers’ activity and Sukkot celebrations with you in our next newsletter, but in the meantime, I want to wish you all Chag Sameach for the rest of the festival season. May this new year be a sweet one of joy and peace for each and every one of us.
With very best wishes,
Sophie Dunoff,
Chief Executive Officer
