Strength in Numbers: Jewish Student Sports Teams Join the Fight Against Antisemitism
- Aaron Black
- Oct 19, 2023
- 2 min read
The ongoing events in Israel have a deep-rooted impact across the whole Jewish
community. As students pray for the safety of friends and family affected by the war,
they must also worry about the global rise of antisemitism, especially on university
campuses.
Over the past year, there has been a monumental rise in the number of Jewish sports
teams in universities. Hundreds of students now display their Jewish identity proudly
and represent the Jewish society (Jsoc) in university social sport leagues. This is not
something that they should ever need to hide, however, with the current situation there has been an uncomfortable feeling about the situations that these teams may face over the coming months.
However, during times like this taking part in sport and being part of a team is very
important for mental health, and provides an important support network in university
away from family. So, it is important that Jewish students do not feel afraid to continue
representing the community.
Last week, in a united move to take action against the fear that has spread on campus,
Jewish student sports leaders came together in a bid to help their participants feel more safe and secure whilst playing on the teams.
The teams embarked on a media campaign and a recruitment drive for the Community
Safety Trust (CST), to promote to a wider audience the security training available for
Jewish students. Posting across 10 different social media accounts, they shared
information about the upcoming course and provided a widely accessible link for
students to sign up.
CST training focuses on security and vigilance, equipping individuals with the skills and
knowledge to identify and respond to security threats. This is a vital tool in today's world, and ensuring safety is a collective responsibility, which CST provides free for Jewish students.
Sports teams are uniquely positioned to drive this initiative forward, fostering a sense of community, teamwork, and shared responsibility, making it the perfect recruitment
platform to promote the values of CST training. By uniting under this common cause,
student athletes are not only enhancing their own security awareness, but also sending
a powerful message of solidarity to the wider campus community. They are set to
continue to help recruit for CST and promote the important work they do for the
community.
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