New UJS trustee chair targets ‘acute’ campus antisemitism among priorities

The son of a leading philanthropist has been appointed to a key role in the Jewish student community.

Following two rounds of interviews, conducted by multiple trustees with the CEO as an observer, Daniel Dangoor was appointed as the new chair of trustees for the Union of Jewish Students (UJS).

The representative body is responsible for being the voice of over 8,500 Jewish students, spanning 69 Jewish societies (J-Socs) on campuses across the UK and Ireland.

Prior to his appointment, he had already been a trustee for a few years and part of the strategic planning for the organisation. Led by current and outgoing chair, Paul Summerfield, Dangoor tells Jewish News they’ve “made good headway in setting out and beginning to tackle how, as a trustee board, we can work alongside the student leadership to support the organisation to develop.”

Dangoor is keen to see that strategic plan through, motivating the board to continue the work already begun in supporting the organisation to grow and develop: “UJS is a pillar organisation of the Jewish community, a cornerstone of Jewish life, and I am excited to be able to lead the trustees on behalf of the entire Jewish community, to ensure that we continue to propel Jewish students to the forefront and accelerate the leadership journey for the future of our exceptional Jewish community.”

He feels UJS’s student leadership does a ‘fantastic’ job of countering the “acute” issue of antisemitism on campus.

He wants to create an environment that not only supports “this vital work” directly, but also “fosters exciting Jewish life, alongside the necessary Jewish defence”

Dangoor’s aim is to “ensure that UJS has a sustainable and exciting future, educationally, programmatically, and through the ongoing and increasing generous philanthropy from across the Jewish community.

“We will support the student leadership to be able to robustly fight antisemitism on campus and deliver excellent programming and opportunities for Jewish students to congregate, enjoy themselves and thrive, in whatever way they choose to live their Jewish lives.”