Newly elected UJS president ‘honoured’ to lead Jewish students

On his triumph, Raphi, 21, said: “it's an honour to have been elected the next UJS president and have the opportunity to give back to an organisation that has shaped my own university experience so positively
“I look forward to empowering Jewish students up and down the country, on campuses large and small, to take ownership of their Jewish identity and their Jewish student experience - I'm ready (and excited!) to embark on this journey with them.”

UJS Convention 2025 (Photo: UJS)[Missing Credit]

On the election, Danker stated: “Anat, Jonah and Raphi ran phenomenal campaigns, and their ideas, commitment and drive for change will shape Jewish student life for years to come.”
“The state of our union has never been healthier, with the second-highest ever voter turnout, and a buzzing UJS Convention. Congratulations to Raphi - I look forward to working closely with him as he takes up the role next summer”.

He continued: “Raphi is an immensely experienced and talented leader, and has taken Warwick JSoc to new heights. His passion for interfaith work will be vital as UJS continues to build bridges in an increasingly polarised campus climate. His manifesto is really exciting, and I look forward to seeing what he can achieve off the back of such success this year.”

UJS CEO Mervyn Kaye commented: “After a well fought campaign by three very strong candidates, massive congratulations to Raphi. I’m really excited to work with him next year to put in place his ambitious manifesto to build on the work of the current brilliant team to continue to support Jewish students across the UK and Ireland.”

UJS Convention 2025 (Photo: UJS)[Missing Credit]

The announcement came at the annual UJS Convention, an event bringing together more than 250 Jewish students for a weekend, with five different prayer services, dozens of student-run sessions, and guest speakers, including former hostage Dr Shoshan Haran and Lord Dan Rosenfeld, ex-chief of staff to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

Danker described it as “student democracy at its finest”. He continued: “Students from Aberdeen to Exeter, Dublin to Durham, came together to build the future of Jewish life on campus. We had robust debate, passed dozens of innovative motions, and set up UJS for many more years of success”.

“It was an amazing and uplifting weekend, and truly showcased the resilience, defiance and joy of Jewish students in this country.”

In the six months of Danker’s tenure so far, he and his “brilliant team” have achieved the “highest ever engagement in UJS programmes across the board”. These have ranged from “campus Friday night dinners to our Leadership Fellowship - and, of course, Booze 4 Jews, a 1200-strong Jewish club night in Leeds”.

They have also had to surmount a host of challenges, not least the tragic events which unfolded during the Heaton Park Synagogue terrorist attack. Danker was proud to say that the UJS team “reached 20 campuses in a single weekend, helping Jewish students through an incredibly difficult time for our community”.

“Fundamentally, we are writing a new Jewish student story,” he said. “One that isn’t defined by the hate we face, but that is characterised by Jewish pride and resilience”.

UJS represents 9,000 students across 75 JSocs in UK and Ireland.