A Very Jewish Email
What Universities Need to Hear by Eli Laifer
This week, my university sent me an email checking in regarding the terrorist attack in Golders Green. The message was short, kind, but also mechanical. I can’t imagine they have a copy-paste to hand for when a terror attack happens, but they gave me clear guides where I should go should I need help.
“Go to the Wellbeing Team, get their wellbeing app, drink some wellbeing wine from the wellbeing well and, well, just be well.”
I debated whether to respond for a few days - eventually I did. Trying to contain my frustration with the state of the education system in general, I submitted the following response:
Dear University Wellbeing,
Thank you for your kind words. I would be lying if I said that the situation in London over the past year has not taken its toll on both my personal life and my academic experience. But despite what has been said here today, I cannot help but feel there is far more university can do to support students like me, who feel that university can at times be a hostile place which allows certain harmful rhetoric to exist under the surface. As you said, this may be “particularly distressing” to me. I would argue it goes beyond that.
Being a Jewish student at university, I am aware that I am part of a very small minority within the university. I know this because I’ve had the privilege of meeting other Jewish students across different courses, largely through Jewish Society and the strong sense of community within our culture. That has given me a social life here that I am incredibly grateful for. However, when it comes to my course, I still feel somewhat isolated.
Before coming to university, people in my community often spoke about antisemitic incidents on campuses, particularly across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Some of these have been widely reported over the years, and they shape how you arrive in these spaces. Since being here, what I have experienced has been different. It is not always overt. It is quieter, more subtle, and constant enough that it becomes part of daily life.
Every morning, I walk past posters around Campus with slogans like “stop the billionaires” and “join the revolution,” alongside imagery tied to ongoing geopolitical conflict. I understand that these are political messages. But in the context of a long history of associating Jewish people with wealth, power, and control, it is difficult to experience them as neutral. Whether intended or not, they contribute to an atmosphere that I, and others, find uncomfortable to exist within.
On my course, I have heard comments like:
“Chalamet got nominated for best costume because he’s wearing a Star of David”
“Oh, you’re Jewish… do you, like, love Israel or something”
These might seem like throwaway remarks, but they rely on stereotypes or assumptions. They reduce Jewish identity to something political, or something to be questioned.
Individually, they are easy to dismiss. Collectively, they are not.
They are why I find myself checking that my necklace is hidden.
They are why I think twice before speaking openly.
They are why I have not shown my film this term, as it contains elements of my great-grandfather’s Jewish history, and I am unsure how that will be received.
Being Jewish is not something that can simply be switched off. It takes a certain level of awareness to carry that identity in public, especially in environments where you are unsure how it will be perceived. Antisemitism is not something that has simply faded with time, and while it may look different today, it still exists in ways that affect people’s everyday lives.
There are, however, clear steps institutions can take to improve the experience for Jewish students.
1. Campus posters and messaging
Under the Equality Act 2010, religion is a protected characteristic. Section 26 defines harassment as conduct related to that characteristic which has the purpose or effect of creating a hostile or degrading environment. This includes considering context and whether it is reasonable for that effect to occur.
Given the historical context surrounding antisemitic tropes about wealth and power, it is important that universities are mindful of how certain messaging may be received, even when framed as political expression.
This is reinforced by the Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the same Act, which requires universities to have due regard to preventing discrimination and fostering good relations between groups. That includes considering likely impact, not just reacting after harm has occurred.
2. Creating a place of trust and support
While I am aware that pastoral support exists, there is still a lack of confidence, at least from my perspective, that concerns like these would be meaningfully addressed. That is not necessarily due to a lack of infrastructure, but a lack of trust.
More proactive outreach to minority students, including Jewish students, would make a significant difference. Simply knowing that there is someone actively checking in, and that concerns will be taken seriously, would go a long way.
3. Creating a genuinely inclusive environment
University should be a place where students of all religions, backgrounds, and beliefs feel able to participate fully in university life. Not just to get through it, but to feel comfortable being themselves within it.
I want to be clear that I am not writing this because I am unable to cope, nor because I am not enjoying my experience here. I am a well-adjusted student. But I have become used to things that I should not have to get used to.
I am writing this in the hope that changes can be made so that future Jewish students do not feel the need to minimise or hide parts of who they are in order to feel comfortable at university.
Thank you for your time in reading this and thank you for checking in regarding the incident in London. My family and I are safe.
Kind regards,
Eli Laifer
Not bad for a film student – right? What did they respond? We’ll have to wait and see.
07.05.2026
