Rosen ‘humbled’ after being elected new UJS president

Joel Rosen – a third-year student at Cambridge University – has been voted president elect of the Union of Jewish Students.

The former Hasmonean school pupil secured 59.7 per cent of votes in the first round of Sunday elections – a victory margin far greater than in other recent UJS elections.

As the first round results were counted at UJS conference it emerged that Rosen had secured 547 votes, Joel Azulay 300 and Daniel Burns 56 – a majority large enough to ensure there was no need for a second or even a third election round

Rosen, a member of Ner synagogue in Hendon, now becomes UJS president for the 2022-23 student year.

As the first openly LGBT+president of UJS,City of London sixth-form attendee Rosen had run on a campaign to both unify and defend Jewish students.

He also called for improvements to systems to tackle antisemitism and for a more pluralistic approach to religious observance within Jewish societies.

Rosen told Jewish News:”I’m delighted to have been elected to represent a bold, ambitious generation of Jewish students.

“I’ll bring fresh ideas and a great deal of energy to the role.”

“I’m humbled to have been the first openly LGBT+ president elected – it’s a sign of how far the community has come.

“I hope it encourages more people to put themselves forwards in the future.”

Amongst those to congratulate Rosen on his victory was the former deputy leader of the Labour party Tom Watson,who wrote“mazal tov” on Twitter.

Former UJS president, Ella Rose,said Rosen’s victory “made her proud to see an openly LGBT+ President.”

The Jewish Labour Movement’s Adam Langleben said Rosen’s victory served as an example of young Jewish leaders “battle hardened” by the experience of fighting antisemitism within the Labour party.

Rosen’s boyfriend Jack Lubner, wrote that he “couldn’t give a bigger Mazal tov” to the new president elect.

Lubner – like Rosen, an active member of the Jewish Labour Movement – joked:”My role as First Lady of UJS starts soon!”

In Easter term 2021, Rosen achieved widespread praise after confronting Jeremy Corbyn at a Cambridge Union debate he chaired on the former leader’s record on antisemitism.

Rosen said the UJS election campaign had not been a “partisan” affair but he admitted he “did run on a platform of progressive change.”

He added:”In campuses up and down the country we spoke about the challenges and opportunities that unite us.

“This campaign was about building bridges and celebrating the diversity of Jewish student life.”

He also said UJS had “led communal discourse in the past and I hope it will continue to do so.”