Stormont hosts anti-racist forum

Marcus Dysch — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:00:49 +0100

Political leaders joined a reception at the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly to discuss combating antisemitism.

The Stormont event was organised by the Westminster-based All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism to promote cross-party action.

John Mann, MP, chair of the all-party group, said the number of antisemitic incidents in Northern Ireland in the past year showed that Assembly members must take a lead in tackling the problem.

The DUP’s David McIlveen hosted Tuesday’s meeting, which was attended by Jonathan Bell, a junior minister in the Assembly’s First Minister’s office, as well as leaders of Belfast’s Jewish community.

Mark Gardner of the Community Security Trust said Jewish groups and other religious minorities enjoyed a close and positive relationship at Stormont. It was essential for political leaders to speak out against antisemitism.

APPG secretary Danny Stone said: “Group members are keen that the lessons learned in fighting antisemitism should have the widest possible reach.”

Students are honoured for their commitment

Jennifer Lipman — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:31:36 +0100

The president of the LSE Jewish Society was honoured for his efforts in challenging antisemitism on campus at the Union of Jewish Students awards.

Jay Stoll led the response when a Jewish LSE student was physically assaulted by his peers on an athletics union university ski trip. He had confronted them for playing a Nazi-themed card game. Mr Stoll was given the CST campaigns award at Sunday's ceremony.

Mr Stoll ensured that the university took the incident seriously, with the result that four perpetrators were banned from the student union.

He also oversaw efforts earlier this year to stop hate-speaker Haitham Al-Haddad from addressing LSE students.

Nearly 200 students enjoyed the now annual event, which was held in Camden, as the hard work and contributions of exemplary students from around the UK were recognised.

Exeter JSoc was given the Chaplaincy Developing JSoc award, while Nottingham JSoc won the large committee award.

Nottingham students Dan Clyne, Sarah-Jayne Grahame and Rebecca Shapira also took home the WJR Social Action award. The trio were behind the 100 for 100 challenge earlier this year, in which more than £11,000 was raised for charities, including Tzedek, Save a Child's Heart, One Family, Tikvah, Age UK and Aegis.

Under the project, 100 students took part in different challenges to raise £100 each, with events culminating in a game of Twister, involving all the participants.

Three Leeds students took home awards, with UJIA education award winners Charles Braunstein and Michael Kosky praised for building Lishma, a programme which encourages students to lead their peers in discussions. Rob Prager won the TrainE-TraidE Communications Award.

London students Fleur Freedman, Shushu Aberbach, Simon Fidler and Natasha Nassimi, the committee in charge of Friday-night dinner provision for students living in halls in central London, also won the ZF Israel Connect events award.

Birmingham student Joseph Moses won the award for outstanding achievement for his leadership, given by UJS Hillel in the name of Alan Senitt, a former UJS chairman who was murdered in Washington DC, in 2006.

"Jewish students are tremendously hard-working and achieve amazing things on campuses across the country," said Daniel Grabiner, UJS president. "It has been an absolute pleasure to work with so many JSocs this year and see the passion, commitment and energy that Jewish students display each and every day."

`Antisemitism

Stormont hosts anti-racist forum

Students are honoured for their commitment