Standing Jewish, standing proud: eighty-seven years after Kristallnacht

This year we mark 87 years since Kristallnacht – the pogrom against Jewish people and property in November 1938, following a centuries‑old tradition of anti‑Jewish violence. Glass shattered across Europe, as hatred turned physical. That night of terror marked a turning point in the persecution of Jews in mid‑century Europe – when words of hate became violent deeds.

I wish I could write about an upward path of 87 years of diminishing antisemitism. But reality is painfully different. We are seeing Jews murdered in Manchester and beaten in Amsterdam, banned from football stadiums, and even arrested for wearing a Magen David. Most disturbingly, I hear our youth – students – calling for renewed violence on university campuses.

Students have often been at the forefront of social movements, fighting for what they believe is right. Yet on my own campus, the University of Exeter, I see what I call ‘Modern Intolerance’.

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It has become “cool” and “progressive” to oppose Israel, and, by unconscious extension, to oppose Jewish life itself, even here in the UK. I have heard fellow students say, “If I were Palestinian, I would join Hamas,” or chant, “Yemen, Yemen, make us proud – turn another ship around,” alongside the now‑familiar, “Globalise the Intifada.”

A modern bureaucratic system of destruction, such as Hamas’s, cannot function alone. A sprawling apparatus sustains it, and some Western students have become part of that machinery, sometimes without understanding it. Others reveal an antisemitism as old as hatred itself.

In my three years at Exeter, I have heard these chants, been accused of abhorrent crimes, and been stared down or shouted at for simply upholding Jewish life on campus. A Jewish Society welcome stall draws suspicion and political interrogation. A display for the return of hostages invites accusations of “How dare you?” and “This is in bad taste.” Every public act of Jewish identity can feel like walking through a minefield.

If I had to sum up my university experience in one word, it would be isolating. I have often felt deeply alone in simply being who I am – Jewish. I find myself constantly calculating: Do they recognise me from the 7 October stall? Will I be labelled “the girl from the Friday Night Dinner ad”? Is it safe to wear my Magen David today?

It’s important, though disappointing, to remember that antisemitism and anti‑Israel rhetoric are not new; they are part of a long, recurring story. So what do we do if this hatred is always with us? Do we simply carry on? I believe the answer is yes, we carry on.

As Louis Danker, president of the Union of Jewish Students, put it: “We have the biggest Friday night dinners we’ve ever seen, with the most security we’ve ever needed.” Our focus should be on the first part. Jewish life continues to thrive, despite the hurdles. We continue to thrive.

It feels like my duty and my privilege to uphold Jewish life wherever I can. I find strength in the stories of our community, in our collective resilience, and in our shared will to survive. This spirit was solidified for me on March of the Living last spring. Listening to Holocaust survivors, hearing their stories of endurance and renewal, reminded me that Jewish survival is not only about living through tragedy; it is about choosing life after it.

Together, we marched. We did not stroll or wander; we marched – a statement of righteous survival and defiant continuity.

Looking ahead, I see love stronger than hate, kindness over cruelty, spirit over destruction. Peace may feel distant, but it is not out of reach – and a strong, proud Jewish community will help lead us there.

• Molly Phillips is a student at the University of Exeter