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Almost nine in 10 Jewish students have faced antisemitism since 7/10, says report
Jewish students describe a toxic climate in University Jewish chaplaincy report
Nearly nine in ten Jewish students have faced antisemitism at UK universities since the Hamas massacre on 7 October 2023, according to a new report.
The University Jewish Chaplaincy (UJC) survey of 401 students across 100+ universities found 81% say their Jewish life has changed, with reports of verbal abuse, intimidation, and physical attacks – and universities failing to offer adequate support.
Jewish students describe a toxic climate:
• One Edinburgh student was called a “Yid”
• Others report enduring daily hostile stares and swastika graffiti on Jewish spaces
• Students have been trapped in libraries by aggressive protesters
• Some professors have allegedly described Jewish and Israeli culture as ‘homicidal and evil’
• A Scottish student recounted how a man tried to rip her Star of David necklace from her neck. Elsewhere, students have faced chants of “death to Zionists” and calls to “globalise the intifada”
At Oxford, one student said: “If you stay silent, you avoid antisemitism. If you speak up, you face it. Staying silent is not a solution.”
Despite charging students £9,250 a year, universities are outsourcing their duty of care to chaplaincies, said UJC’s chief executive Sophie Dunoff. “Students are afraid to wear religious symbols, attend lectures, or even identify as Jewish on campus,” she warned.
Rabbi Dr. Harvey Belovski, UJC’s chief strategist, added: “We’ve gone from offering welfare and religious support to acting as mental health first-aiders and human rights advocates. Universities are failing to address complaints swiftly or comprehensively.”
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