Community leaders hold third meeting with Universities Minister in eight months

Jewish community and student representatives this week held their third meeting with a new Universities Minister in the space of eight months.

The meeting with Michelle Donelan MP in London comes just four weeks after she replaced Chris Skidmore MP in the reshuffle on 13 February. A day earlier, he had met the same Jewish representatives on 12 February.

Only six months before that meeting, the same Jewish representatives met Skidmore’s predecessor – Jo Johnson MP.

Donelan met Board of Deputies’ vice-president Amanda Bowman, Union of Jewish Students’ campaign organiser Daniel Kosky, plus representatives from the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), the Community Security Trust (CST) and University Jewish Chaplaincy.

The Minister was briefed on issues facing Jewish students and academics on campus, including the mixed voluntary adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, as well as extra security costs for student societies and religious freedoms.

Bowman said: “We were delighted to welcome [Donelan] into her role and introduce her to the key issues that face Jewish students and academics on campus. Her commitment on the IHRA definition and in addressing the issue of additional security costs for Jewish Society events will be reassuring to the community.”

Kosky said: “We have worked closely with Universities Ministers over the years and we are grateful that Minister Donelan chose to meet us so soon after her appointment. We appreciate her commitment.”