This article includes references to and uses of offensive and antisemitic phrases. The interviewees in this article have been anonymised with fake names.
Manchester, over the past six months, has seen the real side of the headlines on the rise of antisemitism globally and in the UK. The killing of two Jewish individuals in north Manchester on Yom Kippur and the exposing of a planned gun attack in December 2025 has revealed the genuine threat to the British Jewish community. As few as 23% of Jewish Brits now see a long-term future in the UK, with 51% looking to move away.
After speaking with members of the Jewish student community at the University of Manchester, The Mancunion can reveal their personal experiences of living as Jewish in Manchester and how these experiences have changed. Many students described responding with resilience and defiance to the growing challenges they face. In response to these findings, both the University of Manchester and the Students’ Union were clear antisemitism or any other type of racism, discrimination, and prejudice does not have a place on campus or in our society.
Asked about the everyday activities and societies for Jewish students in Manchester, interviewees described a lively and vibrant community life. The Jewish Society, colloquially known as ‘J-soc’, provides a “centre of Jewish life for Manchester Jewish students”, Noah described, while Rebecca explained how it has provided them with “a little piece of home”. Another student, Daniel, explained how the society has “helped [him] express [his] identity”, something which “[he] wasn’t super proud of when [he] was younger”.
Friday night dinners with the Rabbi are well attended – if not, as Rebecca joked, down to the free food on offer. Food was brought up again by Noah through his participation in a “multi faith food drive, which he described as “a fantastic way to come together for a good cause”. He also highlighted J-soc’s involvement in the society football league, making a point to say that “the other teams have been very friendly”.
This sense of freedom in expressing their identity among other Jewish people, however, does not carry comprehensively across to other aspects of their lives. While the general feeling was that most were “very comfortable” expressing their Jewish identity to their close friends, another student, Ben, explained how he often places his identity in a “backseat” role to minimise potential disruption to his daily life.
To understand whether this practice of identity shielding has always been the case for Jewish individuals living in the UK, interviewees explained what life was like for them growing up in this country. Ben, who attended a Jewish school in north London, described how his school had installed bulletproof glass, prepared for school shooting scenarios, and the teachers instructed the students not to wear their uniforms after attacks on Jewish people.
Noah talked of how Jewish events have always been accompanied by “tight, airport style security”, adding that “were taught from a young age to appreciate those working to protect us”. Rebecca also explained that, when choosing universities, the size of the Jewish populations is often a key factor for Jewish students in maintaining a sense of safety. Two examples are the universities of Leeds and Birmingham. The University of Leeds has over 1,000 attending Jewish students compared to Manchester’s approximately 300.
However, the real shift in their lives came after the 7th of October 2023. Daniel explained that while “the attitude towards Jews was never absolutely perfect”, it “sharply worsened” after the attack. Rebecca described that the Jewish community experienced “an internal change of the dialogue”, alongside a significant rise in security, even when going to the Synagogue. “We don’t feel safe”, Noah stated.
The personal lives of Jewish students were affected, with two interviewees reporting losing friends because of their religious identity. Daniel said that “people stop talking to you because you are a Jew”, while he also knew of a graduate who felt like they had lost up to 80% of their friendships in Manchester.
Ben and Rebecca explained that despite their day-to-day lives not changing significantly, they have experienced a more “subconscious” change in their mindsets. Ben described how he has caught himself “putting…away quickly” his Star of David necklace when it becomes visible in public and being “more wary of who I say things to”. Rebecca said that she now has a “sense of fear and unknown” when celebrating the holidays, especially since “what happened on Yom Kippur and in Bondi”. The attack at Bondi beach, Australia, on the Jewish holiday of Hanukah on the 14th of December 2025 resulted in 55 casualties, including 15 left dead.
Universities across the UK saw a 117% rise in antisemitic incidents from the period 2020-22 to 2022-4 and 60% of British Jews reported feeling unsafe on UK campuses. The University of Manchester, saw an increase in reported incidents of antisemitism of 620%, from 5 in 2022/3 to 36 in 2023/4. These have included graffiti written on the walls of university buildings, reading “K*ke’s Out” and “Kill All Jews”.
At a flat party in Oak House “someone drew a massive swastika on the fridge” in a Jewish student’s flat. A growing normalization of antisemitism was brought up by Ben, who overheard “joking about Jews being greedy and knowing about money”.
In response to this, the University said, “We take all reports of antisemitic behaviour extremely seriously. Where behaviour or expression crosses the line into discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or hate speech, we act in line with our policies and the law, seeking legal or police advice where appropriate.”
“When inappropriate posters or graffiti are brought to our attention, they are removed immediately. Where there is potential criminal behaviour, incidents are reported to the police.”
An explanation to which all of those interviewed attributed was a lack of education and understanding around the terminology used by protestors supporting Palestine. Rebecca reported hearing antisemitic slogans such as when “walking out of uni”, admitting how it “kind of makes your stomach drop slightly”. She emphasised how people did not understand the “weight of what they are saying”, with such slogans calling for the “annihilation of a state” where “a lot of Jews [living in Britain] are personally connected” through their family and friends.
Ben said that “I think some people may not know what they are saying”, referring to the “violent connotations” of the phrases. Campaign Against Antisemitism, a volunteer-led charity, have found 95% of Jewish Brits believe that these chants to be antisemitic. Daniel said that “I think the call to globalise the intifada very clearly threatens the British community”.
This element of an absence of awareness has also led Jewish students to feel their “existence [has] become inherently political”. Rebecca explains how too often people cannot “differentiate between the Jewish faith and Israel”, expressing further frustration at how “people jump to conclusions quite quickly”.
The University responded to these claims by saying, “We are clear that no level of understanding or misunderstanding of international events should ever determine how Jewish students or colleagues are treated. Every member of our community has the right to be treated with dignity, respect and humanity irrespective of identity, belief, or background.”
Daniel and Noah agreed that they have not felt supported or protected by the Students’ Union. An example of this was when a previous Students’ Union Executive Officer blocked a friend of Daniel’s for raising the issue about the graffiti. He said, “someone messaged [the Executive Officer] saying ‘Hi, can you sort this out, why has this not been cleaned’, and they got blocked”. Daniel added that “last year is where it gets a lot more worrying”, in reference to the ‘Solidarity with Palestine’ motion put forward in March 2025. Amendments to the motion put forward by Jewish students, including ‘a new definition for antisemitism should be left to Jewish students’ discretion & changed only if Jewish student communities are in agreement’ The motion was later withdrawn. Rebecca said, “I wouldn’t turn to the Student Union as a Jewish student”.
In response, the Students’ Union said that they “meet regularly, monthly in most cases, with representatives of the Jewish Society and use these meetings to ensure concerns are heard at the highest level of the Union and University. Union Officers and the University Executive have also undertaken training led by the Antisemitism Policy Trust.”
The University also that “We meet regularly with our Jewish community to ensure that concerns are heard, understood, and addressed in a timely manner, and that appropriate support is in place. Alongside this, we are strengthening our preventative work through education and training informed by close engagement with Jewish students and colleagues.”
However, Daniel also noted that the Student Union “are making an effort and we do appreciate it” and Noah said, “they have taken some steps”. For instance, the SU’s attendance at the “Hanukkah celebrations on campus” in December 2025. Manchester Students’ Union website states “we are committed to ensuring that everyone feels safe, respected, and supported in our community. Any and all forms of racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, discrimination, and abuse have no place in our student community.”
The Students’ Union also said that “Our Executive Officers have worked closely with Manchester Jewish Society and are continuing to build and develop that relationship. In February, the Students’ Union (SU) supported the Jewish Society in organising a public Holocaust Memorial Day event and we are keen for this to become a regular fixture of the SU’s calendar.
Additionally, following the antisemitic attack on a synagogue in north Manchester the SU has been working with the University to improve its response to these sorts of horrific attacks and ensure that there are effective and compassionate communications from the University.”
This work has increased in recent years, “instigat[ing] specific work to improve inclusivity for students of all faiths, through our cultural education programmes focused on standing together against hate, proactively collaborating with Jewish students on activity and communications content, and supporting students whose lives are affected by incidents such as conflicts.
In recent weeks we have repurposed our ‘SU How’s You’ calling campaign to focus on the 2,800 students from countries affected by the war in West Asia. Referrals have been made to relevant University services to support with mitigating circumstances, counselling and hardship funding.”
A decay in institutional trust within the Jewish community is prevalent across the UK. Only 6% of young-Jewish Brits believe that action will be taken on antisemitic incidents reported to university authorities. The failure in the wider notion of protection of the British Jewish community by the state is evidenced by Daniel’s reference to the “security guard at Chabad”, in place since the Yom Kippur attack, paid for through donations “at Friday night dinner”.
However, scaling down from the institutional level, both Rebecca and Ben urged for compassion and tolerance to be shown on individual level. Rebecca said that while students “can support the State of Palestine”, she hoped that this would also include supporting Jewish student on campus too. Ben similarly asked for “people to check in on their Jewish friends” when attacks and atrocities happen.
What was possibly most striking is the optimism to which was present in the voices of these students, despite their personal experiences. The worsening antisemitism since October 7th, 2023, has not stopped Rebecca “wearing [her] Star of David or celebrating the Jewish festivals”. Daniel was pushed by the events to explore his identity further since coming to university through the Jewish society and in “find[ing] a greater sense of pride” in his Jewish identity.
Yet more salient was a statement by Daniel that recognised the security and freedom that Britain had provided for him. For the “First time in eight generations” he could “comfortably talk about [his] Jewish identity”, allowing him to explore his roots and become “more comfortable in [his] own skin”. Yet this Britain founded on toleration and safety for all is becoming increasingly uncertain for him and his fellow Jewish students as he feels “a lot more on edge, as I think everyone else does”.
The message from these young Jewish Brits is clear. From an institutional level, a requirement to provide education around the vast nuisances of the conflicts in the Middle East and support in their day-to-day lives. On an individual basis, an understanding of their position as fellow members of British society and a willingness to engage them with respect, politeness, and civility.
In reference to reports of antisemitism, The University of Manchester Students’ Union said: “We’ve received seven complaints about Antisemitism in the past two years; five were regarding actions by societies or their members, and two related to a Union Assembly. All complaints are investigated with action dependent upon evidence. Students and the public are also able to make us aware of concerns about the experiences of Jewish students via other routes, such as through our Advice team.
“We urge everyone feeling concerned or unsafe to continue to contact our campus support and security staff who are always available directly and through the Safezone app. We also encourage students to use the University Report and Support system – where issues can be reported anonymously and support is available from trained advisors. In addition, our Advice Centre is a third-party hate reporting centre, offering a safe and confidential space to report incidents and access further support.
“We will continue to monitor the number and type of complaints we receive to ensure that our processes remain accessible, effective and robust, and continue to advocate for all our students.”
Previous version of this article mistakenly said:
‘In response to these findings, both the University of Manchester and the Students’ Union were clear antisemitism or any other type of racism, discrimination, and prejudice has a place on campus or in our society.’
