Many report hiding religious symbols and facing social isolation amid a sharp increase in incidents following the Israel-Gaza war.
Jewish students across British universities say antisemitism has become so widespread that many now conceal visible signs of their identity, avoid certain areas of campus, and feel socially isolated.
According to recent testimonies and reports, from the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), students at more than a dozen universities in England and Wales describe a climate in which hostility has become “normalised.” Some say they remove Star of David necklaces, hide kippahs under hats, or avoid mentioning their background in class and social settings for fear of verbal abuse, ostracism or worse.
Campus Antisemitism Reports Surge Across UK:
A UJS report published in March 2026, based on a survey of 1,000 students of all backgrounds, found that nearly one in four (23 percent) had witnessed behaviour targeting Jewish students because of their religion or ethnicity. One in five (20 percent) said they would be reluctant to, or would never, share a house with a Jewish student. Nearly half reported hearing slogans glorifying groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah on campus, while a similar proportion said they had heard justifications for the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in Britain, recorded a more than 400 percent rise in campus-related incidents between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. Levels have remained elevated since.
Jewish students link the increase to the intensity of pro-Palestinian protests and campus activism that followed the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. Many distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy and rhetoric that targets Jews as a group or employs classic antisemitic tropes. They say the line is frequently crossed, with some reporting physical intimidation, death threats, or being called “baby killers” and other slurs.
Jewish Students Urge Better Campus Protection:
Universities have faced criticism for inconsistent responses. The UJS has called for clearer, enforceable standards on how institutions investigate and punish hate incidents, better regulation of student unions, and stronger coordination with police. Some universities have introduced additional security, antisemitism training, and codes of conduct, but Jewish student representatives say enforcement remains uneven.
University leaders and government officials have acknowledged the problem. The UK government has commissioned reviews into antisemitism in education settings and allocated funding for related programmes. Critics, however, argue that progress has been too slow and that a climate of intimidation risks undermining the principle of open academic life for all students.
Jewish student leaders emphasise that they want to participate fully in university life without fear. “We should not have to choose between our identity and our education,” one recent graduate who served as a Jewish Society president told Media.
The experiences of Jewish students form part of a wider rise in antisemitic incidents across the UK since late 2023, which community organisations describe as the most sustained period of hostility in decades.