The December Newsletter of the World Union of Jewish
WUJS Newsletter
December 2015
From the Chairpersons Desk
Dear Friends,
In the face of the recent wave of terror in Europe, including the murderous attacks in Paris and the security concerns in Brussels and other cities in Europe, we commend the authorities for doing everything in their capacity to stop further attacks and protect Jewish institutions and communities. We stand in support of our members in Europe who have been affected by the recent wave of terror and we pray with them for calmer days to come.
We also see with raising worry the ongoing violence in Israel and we mourn the victims of the terror attacks. We sincerely hope that this cycle of violence will stop soon and the cities in Israel will be free of terror.
I am excited to share with you the latest news from WUJS and updates from our member unions. The WUJS team is gearing up for an amazing Congress in just 3 weeks and looking to see big changes after the election of the new leadership at the General Assembly.
All the best and happy Hannukah
Andi Gergely
WUJS Chairperson
WUJS News
Registration for WUJS Congress is still OPEN
Join the us for 5 days of inspired student activism in Israel, from the 27th to 31st of December 2015. Jump into sessions and workshops, connect with other passionate student leaders and party the nights away with all your new friends! WUJS Congress is the world’s longest running international Jewish student gathering and with 91 years experience behind us you can be sure that we know exactly what they’re doing. Registration for Congress is OPEN! Apply here. If you are in need of financial support, check out the different opportunities for scholarships here.
The general assembly will be held on the 29th of December at 9AM during the WUJS Congress. For all details about the general assembly click here.
WUJS launches JEWCER Campaign
WUJS has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help subsidise the Congress attendance for Jewish student leaders who need financial aid to be able to participate. Most delegates pay for their travel to and from Congress as well as a participation fee. Many delegates, however, cannot afford such an expense. We strive to be able to bring every Jewish student leader in the world to WUJS Congress be they a campus activist in Kiev or Santiago or Mumbai. Please support Congress by donating here.
Chaim Herzog Foundation
This year we mark the 40th anniversary of Chaim Herzog’s speech against UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, which defined Zionism as a form of racism. This was a historic speech given by Herzog to the General Assembly during his service as Israel’s ambassador to the UN. At the conclusion of the speech, Herzog tore up the resolution at the podium, saying: “For us, the Jewish people, this is no more than a piece of paper and we shall treat it as such.” As a student in in the UK, Herzog was the President of the Inter University Jewish Federation of Great Britain (the precursor organisation to our member UJS UK & Ireland) in 1942 and then went on to be a prominent activist in WUJS.
WUJS is excited to announce a partnership with the Yad Chaim Herzog Foundation and the launching of a new award and plenary session during this year’s Congress. We thank the Herzog family for their passion for, and friendship with, WUJS. We look forward to many years of a fruitful partnership and the continuation of Chaim Herzog’s timeless legacy.
WUJS continues Alumni campaign
In our nine decades of existence WUJS has touched the lives of so many Jewish student activists. We want to update our alumni records so please take a few minutes to share your story with us and update us on where you are today so we can inform you of all the latest WUJS news, alumni events and other opportunities to reconnect. Read more here.
Hope 4 Hanukkah
This year Hope 4 Hanukkah will be raising money to buy presents that will be delivered to victims of terror all across Israel in partnership with One Family. One Family is the only organization that rehabilitates, reintegrates and rebuilds the lives of those affected by terror attacks. Together with One Family, WUJS is aiming to bring the light of Hanukkah to the victims of terror and to their families. With the help of Jewish students globally, we will be able to show our support to the children providing them with a little hope for Hanukkah. Read more here.
Union News
UJS Summit and Presidential elections
The Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland held their most important annual activist training event two weekends ago, UJS Summit. The full weekend programme gathered over 100 Jewish student leaders from all over the UK in Lancaster, England. Activists had the opportunity to learn from UJS staff and other guest presenters, share best practices and inspire themselves for another year of creating dynamic Jewish life on campus.
The Summit also featured the first candidates debate between the 4 amazing activists standing to be the next UJS President. Joel Salmon, University of St. Andrews; Jake Berger, Oxford University; Josh Seitler, London School of Economics and Alex Tansey, Durham University went to head to head answering difficult questions from a room packed with incredible Jewish student leaders eager to see who might be their next President.
AUJS Summer
AUJS Summer is fast approaching! Summer is a long standing staple of the AUJS experience. It brings together passionate young Jewish adults from across Australia and New Zealand for 4 days of leadership training, mingling and skills-building. If you’re a student in Australasia and want to attend you can find all the details here.
UGEI Congress
This weekend UGEI, the Italian Union of Young Jews, held their annual congress in Venice! They discussed developments and activities of the last year and decided which direction the union will take next year. They, of course, also had time to have fun and enjoy the city! The congress ended Sunday, with the election of the new board.
New Jewish Student Union in Spain
We were very excited to hear that the brand new Union De Los Estudiantes Judios De Barcelona (UEJB) has officially launched! The union is headed by Julio Saad, a French-Colombian Jew who has lived in Barcelona for last 8 years. After attending Summer U with EUJS in 2015, Julio noticed the lack of centralised organisations for Jewish students and so he decided to build one himself. Julio hopes eventually to unite all Jewish students in Spain. We are very excited to welcome Julio to WUJS Congress this year! Check out UEJB’s Facebook page here!
Opportunities
Join the Gesher Team
JDRegions are inviting young European Jews to join the team for this years Gesher gathering marking 15 years of Gesher, and with it, 15 years of friendships, Jewish learning, exploration, and growth. Gesher is a space for young adults to both explore and celebrate international Jewish life and their own Jewish identities. A JDC initiative based in the Balkans, it operates on the principle that learning and going deeper into our Judaism can lead to growth, inspiration, and ultimately fun and celebration. It is more than a festival – it is a meeting point for young people from all over Europe to come together and share their unique experiences, passions, and values, and to explore what connects them as Jews. Read more here.
Serve with the World’s Leading Jewish Humanitarian Aid Organization (Global)
The application period for the 2016-17 cohort is now open! Click here to receive an application. The Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) is a year-long, paid opportunity for Jewish young professionals to volunteer overseas with JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian organization. Responding to international Jewish and humanitarian needs, JSC fellows facilitate and create innovative programs using their unique skills and talents. Currently, fellows are serving in locations like Argentina, Estonia, Finland, Germany, India, Israel, Latvia, Poland, Rwanda, Turkey and Ukraine. Read more here.
Apply to Paideia Fellowships in Jewish Studies 2016-2017 (Stockholm, Sweden)
Explore the plurality of Jewish Civilizations! The Paideia One Year Jewish Studies Program offers a unique international Jewish studies experience during eight months in Stockholm with the possibility of completing a 120 ECTS Master in Jewish Civilizations at the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg. Click here to apply.
For more information visit www.paideia-eu.org.
Mazel Tov
Mazal Tov to newly elected union leadership
We want to wish a huge Mazal Tov to the newly elected national leadership of our member unions in Italy, Australasia and South Africa.
WUJS News
Union News
Opportunities
Mazel Tov
World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) · Energiya Global Offices ·
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