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Aish UK brings influencers Adriana Rosie and Rudy Rochman to 500 students
A week-long tour of university campuses including London, Cambridge, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, finishing with a sell-out Jewish Futures’ women's event
Aish UK, part of Jewish Futures, last week opened its campus year by bringing two highly popular social media Jewish voices on a tour of universities across the country.
From 12 to 16 October, five hundred Jewish students across campuses in London, Cambridge, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds came to hear Rudy Rochman and Adriana Rosie speak about Jewish identity, pride, resilience and belonging. The two also spoke to pupils at King David School in Manchester.
Adriana Rosie, known on social media as “the Now-Jewish Nanny”, was not raised Jewish and had no Jewish friends growing up. Whilst studying opera at college she took babysitting work, and the first family to book her happened to be Jewish. She went on to work in observant Jewish homes and found a large following online by sharing kosher recipes, the festivals and everyday Jewish family life.
With the support of a local rabbi and rebbetzin, she studied for conversion and went before a Beit Din. She took the Hebrew name Adina Shoshana, and her online name changed with her: the Non-Jewish Nanny became the Now-Jewish Nanny and she now has 111k followers.
Rudy Rochman was born in Paris and grew up in Israel and the United States. He has said that his commitment to defending Jewish people began when he was seven years old, when he was removed from a bus in London for being Jewish.
He served in the Israel Defense Forces’ Paratroopers Brigade. At Columbia University he founded and led the campus chapter of Students Supporting Israel; he also co-created We Were Never Lost, a documentary series about lesser-known Jewish communities around the world.
Today he speaks to students and communities internationally, and hundreds of thousands of people follow him on social media.
Rosie told students how she came to Judaism and spoke frankly about what it means to choose a Jewish identity, whilst Rochman challenged students to take ownership of their Jewish story, both on campus and online, saying: “If we don’t drive our own narrative, we can’t complain when others hijack it.”
Yoni Abadi, director of Aish Young Professionals, said: “By doing this nationwide tour, Aish UK is inspiring young Jews to stand proud in their identity and reconnect with the mission and purpose of being Jewish.”
The week ended on Saturday evening, 17 October, when Adriana spoke at a Jewish Futures event at the Hub where more than 120 women and girls came to hear her story.
Rabbi Gideon Goldwater, managing director of Aish UK, said: “Both Rudy and Adriana embody with tremendous clarity and force the message of Jewish pride, which blends strength, gratitude and resilience. Bringing their stories to Jewish students left a palpable surge of energy and happiness in that which unites us and made for an amazing and inspiring launch to the Aish on Campus year.”
The tour is part of Aish UK’s work to connect young Jews with Jewish life and strengthen Jewish identity and engagement among students and young professionals.
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