Meet the UJS officer running to unite Europe’s Jewish student voice

When Matty Fisher talks about his campaign for Vice President of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), one phrase comes up again and again: “Matty makes it happen.”

It’s more than a slogan for the 22-year-old former UJS officer – it’s how he’s defined his student leadership career, from championing Jewish student life on campus during a year of crisis to representing the UK on the international stage.

“I want to build a more connected, representative, and inclusive EUJS,” he tells Jewish News, ahead of elections on 15 August in Bulgaria. “That means making sure every one of our 36 member unions – large or small, well-funded or not – has the tools, support and voice they need.”

Fisher is one of the nine candidates running for seven board seats. While formally titled board members, all successful candidates except the treasurer are given the title of Vice President. And despite the voluntary nature of the role, the competition is serious – the board helps shape EUJS strategy across Europe, from campaigning and coalition-building to wellbeing and diplomacy.

Fisher’s track record is one of broad experience and deep engagement. A University of Leeds graduate, he first joined the JSoc committee as a fresher, before taking on national responsibilities with UJS. His most high-profile role to date was serving as UJS’s Digital Engagement, Apprenticeships and Careers Officer during the 2023-24 academic year – a role transformed overnight by the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

“Everything we’d planned was torn up,” he recalls. “I spent the year travelling to over 20 campuses, meeting vice-chancellors, dealing with media, helping students who were being harassed or intimidated, and trying to make sure Jewish life didn’t just survive – but kept thriving.”

Just two months after the attacks, Fisher helped coordinate a landmark JSoc club night in London, bringing students together in defiance of fear. Under his leadership, UJS also held its largest-ever national convention, three months after the attacks. “It was a statement,” he says. “That we’re still here, we’re still proud, and we’re not going anywhere.”

His digital campaigning also made waves. In spring 2024, he co-produced We’ve Had Enough, a bold online campaign that documented Jewish students’ post- 7 October experiences. The campaign amassed over 3,500 signatures, drew national press attention, and was named EUJS Campaign of the Year.

Now he wants to bring that energy to the European stage. His platform rests on three key pillars: overhauling EUJS’s digital strategy, strengthening grassroots leadership and careers support, and expanding health and wellbeing initiatives.

We may have left the EU, but we never left EUJS.

“EUJS has the reach. It’s got more than 10,000 Instagram followers,” he says. “But we need to do more than share announcements – we need to use that reach to educate, empower, and amplify Jewish voices, from Shabbat traditions to mental health and antisemitism. Digital is how we reach students and young professionals where they are.”

He proposes launching a monthly leadership webinar series open to all unions – particularly smaller ones with limited resources – and rolling out a Europe-wide alumni mentorship network. “Most unions don’t even have paid presidents. This is about access. I want every student leader, from London to Luxembourg, to feel they’ve got backup.”

Fisher’s third priority is deeply personal. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his teens, he founded Jews with IBD, a project raising awareness around inflammatory bowel disease in Jewish spaces. As a World Jewish Congress Lauder Fellow, he expanded it globally under the name Jews of IBD and now wants to see EUJS adopt it at the continental level.

“For a long time, I didn’t talk about it,” he says. “Now it’s part of who I am. We know Ashkenazi Jews are four times more likely to develop IBD – so it’s time we stopped pretending these things don’t affect our communities.”

On mental health, he’s just as vocal. “The UJS Jewish Student Survey found 74 percent of students reported facing mental health struggles in one year. That’s huge. I want to see EUJS helping unions develop resources, peer networks, and campaigns that meet those challenges head on.”

Despite the UK’s departure from the EU, Fisher says Britain’s role in EUJS has only grown stronger. “We may have left the EU, but we never left EUJS,” he says. “There’s so much we can learn from each other. Ten of the 36 EUJS member unions aren’t even in the European Union. This is about more than Brussels politics. It’s about building Jewish life together.

We need to stand together – across countries, backgrounds, and challenges. Because if we don’t no one else will.

Fisher recently completed his time as a WJC Lauder Fellow and is set to begin a new role in marketing this autumn. But he insists the board position will remain a top priority. “I’ve always juggled different roles – I’ll make it work. This isn’t just something on the side. It matters.”

His optimism is undimmed even after experiencing antisemitism firsthand at university. In one seminar, a student scrawled “Death to Israel” on a whiteboard. “The university acted quickly, but it shocked me less than it would have a year earlier,” he admits. “That’s worrying. I think we’re all becoming desensitised.”

Still, he draws strength from community. “Every Friday night, more than 200 of us came together for dinner at Leeds. It’s a space where you see friends you haven’t spoken to all week. That’s Jewish life. That’s what I want to protect.”

Asked what sets him apart from other candidates, Fisher points to his blend of media expertise, international diplomacy and hands-on organising.

“I’m not just running because I care – everyone running cares. I’m running because I’ve already been doing the work. I’ve seen how change happens, and I know how to make it happen across borders.”

If elected, he says, his focus will be unity. “We need to stand together – across countries, backgrounds, and challenges. Because if we don’t no one else will.”

And if he doesn’t make the board? “I’ll still be involved. I’ll aways find a way to help strengthen the Jewish student world.”

When asked to sum up EUJS in a single word, his answer is immediate: “Impactful.”

Follow Matty Fisher’s campaign on Instagram: @matty4eujs