Anthony Julius chairs new group tackling campus antisemitism
Intra-Communal Professorial Group (ICPG) made up of 25 academics from universities including Cambridge, Oxford, the London School of Economics and Reading
One of the UK’s most senior lawyers is chairing a new organisation established to record and analyse the experiences of Jewish students, academics and other staff on university campuses.
Launched on Wednesday, Professor Anthony Julius, from the Faculty of Law at University College London, will head up the Intra-Communal Professorial Group (The ICPG) amid a huge increase in antisemitism since 7 October.
The ICPG will also make recommendations to UK universities and stakeholders about how to improve the experience of Jewish students and staff.
Julius is joined by deputy Chair, Professor Daniel Hochhauser and Kathleen Ferrier, Chair of Medical Oncology, University College London.
The growing organisation will be led by director Odeliya Lanir Zafir and currently comprises over 25 academics from numerous British universities including the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, London School of Economics, King’s College London, SOAS University of London, University of Kent, University of Hull, and University of Reading.
The Group is set to expand upon the existing reporting, research, and publication efforts of Jewish community organizations, aiming to combat the spread and normalisation of antisemitic hostility in academia and on campuses.
Research is getting started and will scale up with the new academic year in September, with initial findings and recommendations expected by the end of the year.
Anthony Julius said: “We have formed the ICPG in response to the increasing levels of hostility and fear to which Jewish students and staff have been subjected in recent months at universities across the UK. We are dedicated to researching and understanding the presence and impact of antisemitism on university campuses.
“Our goal is to devise actionable, effective strategies to enable a safe and secure environment for all students and staff. We will work with university leaders to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against antisemitism on campus.”
The ICPG has formed several working groups which are focused on research and data collection, creating standards and recommendations, advising on free speech issues, and documenting challenges faced by Jewish students and academics.
Dr Dave Rich, director of policy at Community Security Trust (CST), the charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats, said: “We have seen a dramatic and concerning increase in reported incidents of antisemitism at UK universities since 7 October.
“CST is working hard to keep our whole community safe during this extremely difficult time and we see the ICPG as an important and welcome initiative for understanding and tackling university-related antisemitism, to help ensure that this hatred is no longer tolerated. We look forward to working with the ICPG team to make sure that our universities are a safe place for Jewish students and staff.”
Arieh Miller, chief executive of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said: “Since October 7th, we have seen the biggest antisemitism crisis on campus in a generation. It has not only impacted Jewish students, but Jewish faculty, and administrators too. We are looking forward to partnering with the ICPG to ensure the experience of all Jewish people on campus is continually recorded and presented to university senior management to ensure all Jewish voices on campus are heard.”
The initiative has also been welcomed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC).
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
