Jewish students at UK universities: ‘Antisemitism felt relentless’

Jewish students across UK universities say they are concealing their identity, avoiding certain campus spaces, and living with a persistent fear of abuse that has made their academic lives almost unrecognisable since October 2023.

Hiding in plain sight

Maya, a second-year student at a Russell Group university in London, removed her Star of David necklace in November 2023 and hasn’t worn it on campus since. ‘It sounds small,’ she said. ‘But I’d worn that necklace every day since I was 16. Taking it off felt like a defeat.’ She’s not alone. A Community Security Trust report recorded 1,978 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of 2024, a record for any six-month period. Students say campuses have become a concentrated version of that wider problem.

Daniel, studying politics at a northern university, described walking past a pro-Palestine encampment last spring and being called a ‘Zionist scum’ by someone who had never spoken to him before. He reported it. Nothing happened. ‘After a while you stop reporting because you don’t believe anyone’s actually listening,’ he said.

The numbers behind the anxiety

The Union of Jewish Students surveyed more than 700 Jewish students in late 2024 and found that 54% had experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus in the previous academic year. Around a third said they had hidden their Jewish identity to avoid confrontation. These aren’t abstract statistics. They are students skipping lectures, avoiding certain common rooms, and quietly dropping societies they once loved.

It’s worth saying that not every Jewish student describes the same experience. Some report supportive friends, responsive university welfare teams, and a campus life that still feels manageable. But the consistency of the darker accounts is striking.

Universities under pressure

A spokesperson for Universities UK said institutions ‘take all reports of antisemitism seriously and are committed to ensuring Jewish students feel safe and supported on campus.’ But students like Maya say the gap between official statements and daily reality remains wide. Several described a bureaucratic process that was slow, opaque, and rarely resulted in visible consequences for those accused.

The government’s adviser on antisemitism has called on universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism in full — something a significant number of institutions have still not formally done.

What comes next

There are some signs of movement. A handful of universities have appointed dedicated Jewish student liaison officers this year. Student unions in Leeds and Manchester have launched structured dialogue programmes, though uptake has been mixed. And the Office for Students has indicated it will scrutinise campus antisemitism more closely in its next regulatory cycle.

Still, for students like Daniel, systemic change feels distant. ‘I’ve got one more year,’ he said. ‘I just want to get through it.’ That sentiment — resilient but exhausted — keeps coming up. Jewish students aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking to feel ordinary.