What we do for Interfaith

One of our focuses at UJS is bringing together students of all faiths. We aim to promote cohesion and tolerance on campus. At times when discrimination and antisemitism are rising, it’s even more important to support each other in our fight against hate. 

Every year, the Interfaith Network, an official Interfaith representative body, organises 1 week, normally in November; to 

• Strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
• Increase awareness of different and distinct religious communities all around the U.K
• Increases the understanding between people of all faiths, and even of no faiths.

Interfaith Week 2023

National Interfaith Week this year will take place from 13th - 19th of November and there will be featured events on campuses across the UK and Ireland. The end of the week is marked by Mitzvah Day which will take place this year on Sunday 19th November. 

Interfaith Week 2022

During Interfaith week 2022, UJS hosted various projects.

There was a Zoom with Zaynab from StandUp! Education where she shared her experience of being a Muslim working in a Jewish organisation. The session included great discussions with participants about various challenges of interfaith work and Zaynab gave advice on how to be inclusive within work and student environments. 

UJS co-hosted a student panel with Faith & Belief Forum where four different faith speakers shared what it's like for them to practice their faith at university. They all spoke about how campus can be made more inclusive and what works best for interfaith events on campus. There was also a chance for a Q&A for the speakers at the end where new ideas for interfaith and social action work was discussed. 

UJS also worked with the Multifaith Youth Centre and students of different faiths for an Instagram takeover which took place during interfaith week. Each student shared videos on topics of: favourite part of their faith, favourite festival, and challenges of practicing their faith on campus - check out our  Instagram highlights to watch these videos!

On campus, JSocs got involved in various projects including, Interfaith Friday Night Dinners, interfaith stalls on campus, clothing and food bank collections with other faith societies, and various other interfaith socials and dinners.  

Interfaith Week 2021

During interfaith week 2021, UJS held an impactful and exciting series of events. We had a panel with different faith leaders discussing how COVID impacted their communities, an event with different faith based journalists, and “Ask Me Anything” where people from different faiths are sitting down to ask each other any questions they've ever had about the other's religion. We also held 'speed faithing' events all around the country! Check out our Facebook page for recordings of all the events.

Year Round UJS Interfaith Events

In addition to the work we do surrounding Interfaith week, our commitment to Interfaith activity and engagement is ongoing. We continue to offer J-socs both funding and support for Interfaith initiatives and events year round. In past years, examples of events have included:

• Interfaith Friday Night Dinners 
• Interfaith socials / music events
• Interfaith panel discussions 

As well as supporting Local Jewish Society's in their commitment to organising Interfaith initiatives on their campus, we are also involved in our own Interfaith Events, where we will partner with several Jewish societies, to achieve our shared goal of strengthening Interfaith Relations.

If you’d like UJS to help to facilitate interfaith work on your campus, please get in touch with Grace

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Useful contacts

Faith and Belief Forum

The Faith and Belief Forum aims to build good relations between people of all faiths and beliefs through education, engagement and action programmes that bring diverse communities together. 

In 2016, the then Campaigns Officer Liron Velleman spoke on a panel at the annual Interfaith Summit titled 'Faith on campus – Islamophobia and Antisemitism.'

UJS members have participated in ParliaMentors, Three Faiths Forum’s UN award-winning leadership programme, where teams of university students of different faiths and non-religious beliefs collaborate to create real social change while being mentored by MPs.

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The Council of Christians and Jews

The Council of Christians and Jews is a forum for Christian-Jewish engagement and has branches across the UK.

The CCJ runs a Campus Leadership Scheme for Jewish and Christian students as well as an annual Student Conference (http://www.ccj.org.uk/student-conference/). In previous years, UJS has run sessions at CCJ’s Student Conference on engaging with Jewish students and combatting antisemitism.

CCJ and UJS often run events on individual campuses for example interfaith Friday Nights at Coventry and Warwick, attended by Jewish, Christian and Muslim students. 

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Joseph Interfaith Foundation

The Joseph Interfaith Foundation is a Muslim-Jewish interfaith organisation that is committed to fostering engagement through constructive and realistic dialogue and interaction between the Muslim and Jewish communities in Britain.

Joseph Interfaith Foundation often runs events on campuses alongside J-Socs. In 2016, LSE J-Soc co-hosted a panel with the Joseph Interfaith Foundation and the LSE Islamic Society featuring Josh Seitler, UJS President 2016/17. 

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Nisa-Nashim, Jewish Muslim Women’s Network

Nisa-Nashim are a joint Muslim and Women’s Network Nisa-Nashim that aims to bring the Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain closer together by setting up groups of women to build personal friendships, grow as leaders and benefit wider society through our programmes and initiatives. 

If you’d like to get involved, Nisa-Nashim are looking to work with Jewish women students. If you’re based in the South West, there is also a pilot Student Nisa-Nashim Group in Bristol, please contact [email protected]

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The Inter Faith Network 

The Inter Faith Network for the UK works to promote understanding, cooperation and good relations between organisations and persons of different faiths in the UK.

It does this through providing opportunities for linking and sharing of good practice, providing advice and information to help the development of new inter faith initiatives and the strengthening of existing ones.

Please contact [email protected]

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The Department for Education 

The Department for Education is very useful at directing people or organisations to key partners in different faith communities. They have very useful contacts all over the country, and can also be a good way to find out which subsidiaries are available to gain possible funding for Interfaith projects. 

Please contact - [email protected]

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St Ethelburgas Centre 

St Ethelburga’s is a ‘maker of peacemakers’. They inspire and equip people from all backgrounds to become peacebuilders in their own lives and communities.

They run an excellent youth Interfaith Leadership programme, which trains potential leaders in the Interfaith world, which involves training in the topic of Refugee Asylum, and even involves an international visit to volunteer at a refugee camp (fully funded) 

Please contact Viviana for more info

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Peace by Piece- West London Synagogue 

Peace by Piece is a programme to bring together Jews and Muslims to learn together, support local vulnerable communities, and showcase emerging artists through a busy programme of regular events.

For more information please contact Mohammed 

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