Hannah Rose wins Union of Jewish Students presidential election

A student leader from Bristol University has been unanimously elected as the next president of the Union of Jewish Students.

Hannah Rose won 519 of 936 votes as she was unveiled as the new head of the umbrella organisation at its conference on Sunday.

Rose, whose sister Ella is director of Jewish Labour Movement and a former UJS president, won the three-horse race against Lawrence Rosenberg, who received 333 votes, and outsider Annie Cohen, who received 80.

Fourth year Spanish and Portuguese student Hannah paid tribute “to the work that Lawrence and Annie have done. They’ve both brought in new voices and experiences, and I hope that UJS can take forwards the lessons of this diverse campaign.”

She added: “My campaign wasn’t about me or my politics, and my presidency won’t be either. It’ll be about all 8,500 Jewish students and what we can achieve when we are united. I know that there are challenges ahead, but I look forward to representing our vibrant, democratic and diverse Union to the best of my ability”.

Outgoing UJS president Josh Holt congratulated his successor, saying: “I have no doubt that she will lead UJS into its 100th year with passion, dedication and a significant vision for the future of our union.

“I would also like to congratulate all three candidates, their teams and the wider Jewish student population on conducting themselves maturely and respectfully throughout this election, engaging with ideas that challenge their own.”

Before the election, speaking to Jewish News, Rose described herself as a Zionist and a feminist. She set up Bristol’s Israel-Palestine discussion group, and promised to continue reaching out to “all Jews” if she were. She said she would “deliver thriving, empowering, peer-led networks”.

Following her election, Ella Rose, who led the organisation between 2014-2015 tweeted: “I am the proudest sister in the world.”