St Andrews J Soc Refuses To Be Intimidated by Israel-Demonising Thugs

"I am delighted to announce that the St Andrews Jewish Society was able to hold its charity ball last night in conjunction with AEPi, despite much pressure and intimidation. The event was a resounding success, featuring a jazz band, a ceilidh and a DJ set and raised nearly £1000 for seven worthy charities (detailed on the event website www.matzahball2013.co.uk).

Despite the adverse circumstances of the venue pulling out the day before due to allegedly aggressive phone calls and emails from individuals supporting the SPSC, the Jewish Society was able to secure an alternative venue. The hotel manager has reported the relevant incidences to the police and made the cancellation on the grounds that he could not guarantee the health and safety of his guests and staff.

The security of our guests will always be our primary concern and so we relocated the ball to a secret location. However at no point did we cancel the event and we are thrilled it was such a success, both in terms of the amount raised for charity and the enjoyment of our guests.

We have been overwhelmed by the support received from the Jewish community, the university and the local authorities. In particular we would like to thank the local chaplaincy board, UJS, AEPi, the police and of course the ball guests for their help and support in dealing with this difficult situation. The fact that the protest was organised by people with little or no connection to St Andrews speaks volumes about our town and university, who we are extremely proud of.

The St Andrews Jewish Society will not cave in to intimidation or bullying. We will always protect our members and shall continue to provide events to enrich Jewish life in St Andrews.

Joel Salmon
President of St Andrews Jewish Society"

Alpha Epsilon Pi - ΑΕΠ - is the global Jewish University fraternity. We have over 166 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates. Alpha Epsilon Pi is a Jewish fraternity, though non-discriminatory and open to all who are willing to espouse its purpose and values.

Although the Upsilon Kappa Colony was only established in 2011, the first outside North America and Israel, the fraternity in its entirety has been running for nearly 100 years, founded in 1913 at NYU.