Edward Isaacs is new UJS president elect
Ex-Bristol Jewish Society president Isaacs will succeed current UJS head Joel Rosen when his term of office ends later this year
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Bristol University politics student Edward Isaacs is the new Union of Jewish Students president elect.
Isaacs, a former Jewish Society president, beat off the challenge of two other candidates – Ábel Keszler, a final-year psychology student at Glasgow and Gavriel Solomons, an Orthodox rabbi’s son studying at Hertfordshire – in a vote announced at UJS conference on Sunday.
Isaacs will take up the post once current UJS president Joel Rosen’s term in office comes to an end later this year.
The winner tweeted after the result was annouced:”I can’t quite believe it.
“UJS UK has been a huge part of my life over the last three years and it’s such an honour to now have the opportunity to lead an organisation that means so much to so many.
“All I can say is thank you.”
Isaacs had previously been at the centre of the campaign by Jewish students at Bristol for action to be taken over now sacked professor David Miller.
During his UJS campaign Isaacs suggested a “progressive prayer space on campus” and mental health first aid training amongst his list of goals.
UJS conference took place just weeks after the landmark report by independent KC Rebecca Tuck into allegations of antisemitism with the National Union of Students (NUS).
It concluded there were serious issues and made 1111 recommendations, including regular antisemitism training for union staff and providing educational materials on antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response, Warwick Student Union (SU) voted to disaffiliate from the NUS in protest at the report – with Oxford SU promising to hold a similar vote.
In his speech to UJS conference Rosen said:”We are all here united by our belief in our movement and in what we can collectively achieve as people.
“I’m so proud if what we’ve achieved together and how we build on our previous inheritance.”
Close to 1,000 Jewish students across the UK and Ireland voted in this year’s UJS Presidential election
After just one round of voting, Isaacs was announced as the winner.
The election took place over two weeks of campaigning by the three dedicated candidates. Hustings were held in both Cambridge and Leeds.
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