Would you wear a kippah at university?

Both of us understand the inherent need to stand up for yourself and your beliefs, even on campus, seeing a key contrast between “passive and active resistance to antisemitism”.I have always said that it is impossible to argue without facts, a point that Adam echoes, saying that if he could give one piece of advice to those going to university or facing prejudice in the workplace, it would be to read and educate themselves.He also feels it’s important to understand that “not every conversation is an attack”; sometimes people are genuinely just curious.

One of the final things I spoke to Adam about was whether he would recommend other religious people to come to a "Jewni" - a University with a large Jewish cohort. He said that he felt that it was incredibly important not just for religious people, but that each person went to a university they felt suited them. Whether they needed the academic challenge of Oxbridge or the Jewish community of Birmingham, it is important to find a university your heart is in. That said, he did comment on the special pride he felt for those “heroes” who can go to places without a large Jewish community and still maintain their Jewish identity.

It is clear that for Adam and many other religious Jews, wearing a kippah allows him to have a positive impact through his religion, and to try to make a difference. He can connect to a wide variety of people around him, and spread the positivity of Judaism. For me, this is most poignantly reflected in the final thing he said to me during our chat. “University is a safe place to study and express my Judaism, in Birmingham”. I concur Adam, I concur.

Orli West is in her second year at Birmingham University where she is studying Education.

Read more