“Many of the things that we see coming out of universities are happening from student unions, they are not coming from the universities themselves,” says Noah Loven.
Around 200 Melbourne students and parents received a briefing this week on security challenges they might face on campus this year.
The joint AUJS-CSG session at Central Shule in Caulfield on Tuesday night discussed what sort of actions students might expect once the academic year resumes and how to handle potentially challenging situations and stay psychologically safe.
AUJS national president Noah Loven said, “It can range from pamphlets being handed out, it can escalate to verbal and physical altercations. We’re here to prepare students for whatever situation may arise to make sure they feel confident in their abilities when stepping onto campus.”
He said Australian university vice-chancellors and administrators have for the most part been supportive of Jewish students.
“Many of the things that we see coming out of universities are happening from student unions, they are not coming from the universities themselves, who are very acutely aware of the challenges that Jewish students face,” Loven said.
He said despite the distressing scenes at US and European universities, it appears at this stage that Australian Jewish students might not be facing similar difficulties.
Yael Steel, CSG Victoria Head of Crisis and Emergency, said the event was a success, with the key message being one of empowerment for Jewish students.
“For me, the most impactful thing was to see the breadth of people who were there – we had students, we had parents, we had lecturers and staff from a wide variety of universities, and we had representatives from other community organisations. We wanted to give them a taste and an understanding of what to expect and tools to manage it,” she said.
Steel wanted the students to witness the strength in coming together at this time, and in moving forward with a sense of community, and the importance of exploring who they are as Jews.
There will be follow up sessions on awareness and personal security on campus soon.