Council of Christians and Jews condemns antisemitism at Leeds University

The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) has condemned antisemitic attacks on Leeds University campus which have forced a Jewish chaplain and his family into hiding.

Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch has been moved to a secure location along along with his wife and two children on the recommendation of police after he received death threats over his role as an Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservist. 

He had been in Israel to serve within the IDF following the October 7 terror attack by Hamas. Threats were also made to rape his wife and kill his children.

Hillel House, the Jewish student centre on the university, was targeted in recent days with antisemitic graffiti saying “Free Palestine” and “IDF off campus”. 

The CCJ called the incidents “shameful” and said it had been in contact with Rabbi Deutsch and his family. 

It comes days after Jewish students on the University of Birmingham were left “scared” after other students chanted “death to Zionists” on the campus and held a banner saying “Zionists off our campus”. 

The CCJ said recent incidents in each Leeds and Birmingham showed a “need for education and motion on antisemitism”. 

“We are committed to supporting all efforts to make sure Jewish students and staff at Leeds feel secure and heard,” it said.

Over 500 Leeds University alumni have written to Prof Hai-Sui Yu, the university’s vice-chancellor, with their concerns about antisemitism on campus.

“The university has an obligation – each morally and legally – to report and forestall extremist behaviour, which little question includes defacing a Jewish community centre for college kids. We expect to see the university wholeheartedly condemning this behaviour – and acting decisively to curtail it,” they said. 

Leeds University has condemned the antisemitism and scaled up security on campus.

“We totally condemn the antisemitic abuse and threats directed towards the chaplain and his family – such attacks on any individual are unacceptable and is not going to be tolerated from members of the general public or our university community,” it said.

“The university is supporting West Yorkshire Police of their investigations and can proceed to work along with his employer, the University Jewish Chaplaincy, to make sure Rabbi Deutsch can provide the support that’s so valued by Jewish students at Leeds and the opposite universities he serves within the Yorkshire region.

“We are appalled that our Jewish student community was also targeted by a criminal act at Hillel House and share the concerns expressed for his or her safety and wellbeing. The university is actively supporting West Yorkshire Police and the Union of Jewish Students because the property owners as they investigate this incident as a hate crime.”