Prime Minister visits Jewish students in Birmingham for mock Seder and roundtable

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, joined the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Jewish student leaders for a mock Seder and roundtable.

The Seder is a fifteen-step meal that is traditionally held on the first two nights of Passover with mock Seders being used as a rehearsal for the sacred event.

This UJS mock Seder, which was filmed for social media, saw students lead different steps of the meal and speak about their family traditions.

The video begins with the voice of Ruben Persey, former president at the University of Warwick’s Jewish Society (JSoc).

Persey explained the importance of eating matzah, the traditional unleavened bread, before Starmer revealed a story from one of his own family Seders.

Following the mock Seder, Starmer engaged in a roundtable with the present Jewish students, who shared their experiences of antisemitism on university campuses and their wider fears of extremism in student spaces.

The UJS’s Time For Change report, which was released on 16 March, was also discussed. The report revealed student attitudes towards Jewish people and found that antisemitism has become “normalised”.

We need the full weight of government to implement in full the recommendations in our Time for Change report, and we were grateful to put this case to the Prime Minister this week

Louis Danker

 

It also suggested that a focus on university campuses would help to combat extremism across the UK, and recommended that there needs to be more accountability when universities deal with hate crime.

The President of the UJS, Louis Danker, emphasised to the Prime Minister how Jewish students can simultaneously feel pride, and face significant challenges, while on campus. He said that “we need the full weight of government to implement in full the recommendations in our Time for Change report, and we were grateful to put this case to the Prime Minister this week”.

“I told the Prime Minister how aware I have become of ‘looking Jewish’ around campus, even thinking twice before sharing that I’m Jewish”, said Miriam Krygier, Birmingham Jsoc’s President who was present at the event.

In response to her comments, Starmer agreed that “students should never have to be hesitant to be outwardly proud of their identity at university” with Krygier saying that it is “reassuring” that her “voice as a Jewish student is being listened to”.

Also present at the event was Raphi Leon, another former Warwick JSoc President who is also the incoming UJS President.