Seventy per cent of Jewish students feel ‘uncomfortable’ revealing their faith

Seven in 10 Jewish students feel uncomfortable revealing their faith to university peers in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, a survey has found.

In the first report of its kind since it was established earlier this year, a poll by the Intra-Communal Professorial Group (ICPG) found that 22 per cent of Jewish students are comfortable being open about their religion.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent said they were “somewhat uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” revealing their Jewish faith. The same survey suggested that as many as 79 per cent of Jewish students were at ease about disclosing their faith prior to the Oct 7 attacks.

The ICPG formed earlier this year “in response to a significant rise of anti-Semitism across academia globally and in UK higher education”. It is made up of Jewish academics and chaired by Professor Anthony Julius, chairman of law and the arts at University College London and deputy chairman of law firm Mishcon de Reya.

The group surveyed 500 Jewish students between May 29 and July 3, at the end of the last academic year. The ICPG said that while the poll was “not a formal statistical sample of the population”, making up about one in 18 of the 9,000 Jewish students in the UK, it claimed it was “broadly representative” of their experiences.

The report suggested there has been a surge in anti-Semitic abuse at British universities over the past year, with many Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe walking past pro-Palestian encampments.

Almost two-thirds – or 63 per cent – said they had witnessed fellow Jewish students being harassed because of their faith, including on social media and across campus. Fewer than three in 10 said they witnessed this prior to the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.

In total, 41 per cent said they had personally been subjected to such behaviour over the past year – almost double the 21 per cent who said they had experienced anti-Semitic abuse on campus in previous years.

The report also found that “small, but concerning numbers” of Jewish students said they had been physically attacked because of their religion since Oct 7, with 5.2 per cent of those surveyed reporting this had happened to them.

Respondents also described details of anti-Semitic abuse they have experienced, including verbal insults, harassment, and the use of Nazi imagery.

One female master’s student said she was “spat at” for wearing “a JSoc [Jewish Society] jumper on campus”, the report said.

A second-year undergraduate also claimed it was “made abundantly clear every single day that as a Jewish person who supports Israel’s right to exist, I am not welcome on campus”.

“Since Oct 7, it has been exhausting to be Jewish on campus, to feel like I can only express my identity to other Jews, to have to keep silent in all my classes about my identity, and to feel like I have to hide,” she added.

Other students reported being “chased by a man with a large glass bottle”, having rubbish thrown at them, being pelted by eggs after hearing the Chief Rabbi speak on campus, and having their Star of David necklaces grabbed from around their necks.

The report also found that Jewish students were less likely to feel comfortable revealing their faith in universities with low numbers of Jewish students, with some hiding their kippahs and tzitzit – religious skullcaps and fringes on clothing worn by Jewish men.

‘Surge in anti-Semitism over past year’

The ICPG said the survey results were “unsurprising in that they confirm what many people in higher education have reported having witnessed or experienced as occurring within UK universities”.

“The data demonstrates the scale of the problem, underscoring the pressing need to combat the surge in anti-Semitism over the past year across UK universities,” the group added.

It called on the Government to launch a special task force focused on combating anti-Semitism in UK universities, and for a systemic measure of the progress being made.

Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced in July that she had pulled the plug on a new free speech law designed to protect academics over fears it could provide a platform for anti-Semitism on campus.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, a flagship Tory policy, was set to require universities, colleges and student unions to actively promote free speech on campus.

But Ms Phillipson said the legislation “could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses”, and that she will now consider repealing it.

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said that “while well-intentioned, [it] risked enabling anti-Semitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence”.

It comes amid fears that the return to university next month could see a resurgence in protests to coincide with the anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks.

Most encampments that were set up on British campuses last year demanding divestment from Israel-linked companies have now wound down, with a handful staying put over the summer.