Students’ efforts rewarded

THE UNION of Jewish Students’ annual awards night honoured Jewish societies and students from across the country.

Izzy Lenga, who sat on the National Union of Students’ National Executive Committee, won the Alan Senitt Award for Outstanding Contribution to Campus Life.

Ms Lenga, who has spoken of her struggles to defend Jewish students from antisemitic and anti-Israel activism on campus, was presented with the award by Mr Senitt’s sister, Emma.

Josh Seitler, UJS president, told attendees at last Thursday night’s ceremony in central London: “Tonight is about saying thank you to the students for all that you do.”

The Aberdeen and Exeter University societies were jointly honoured, sharing the Developing JSoc of the Year award.

The University of Edinburgh’s JSoc Burns Ball scooped the award for event of the year, and Liverpool JSoc was honoured for running the education project of the year with its Holocaust Memorial Day event.

The award for JSoc of the year was decided on the night — with the JSocs at the University of Birmingham and the London School of Economics receiving 52 votes each.

Nina Rauch, at Cambridge, received an award for Social Action Project of the Year in recognition of her work promoting Pink Week, a breast cancer fundraising initiative.

Yoni Stone, at Oxford, won the Communication Project of the Year award for his DJing as part of the Yoelling Stones duo.

Daniel Voignac, of Imperial College, won the Alan Webber Israel engagement award for securing funding to organise a trip for 40 non-Jewish entrepreneurs to visit Israel in order to see technology developments in the country.

Rebecca Filer, from Bristol University, won the Dedication to Liberation Activism Award for her efforts to help minorities. She told the JC: “We can always do better to empower and fight for women, LGBT+ and disabled people

in our community.”