If Student Chaplains did not exist we would have to invent them. I never cease to be amazed by the sheer energy, dynamism and commitment of our small team of student chaplains whenever I meet with them.

I know how much their work is valued by the Union of Jewish Students at a national level, and indeed by every single campus J-Soc across the country. Often in small or isolated campuses, the chaplain will be the only link between Jewish students and the Jewish community, the only source of kosher food, the only sympathetic ear or the only source of assistance to counter anti-Jewish activity on that Campus.

Our chaplains are the unsung heroes of Jewish student life. Over the course of an academic year hundreds of Jewish students experience a Friday night Shabbat meal in the home of their chaplain, this often acts as a lifeline – keeping their Jewish affiliation alive in an environment in which it would otherwise die.

Whenever I travel to communities around the country I try to make a point of spending time with students in the local community. It never fails to impress me that on each and every occasion I hear nothing but praise from these students for the work of their own local chaplain. It is significant that often the loudest student advocates for chaplaincy are those students who are not particularly observant or involved in Jewish life. Campus can be compared to the last chance saloon of Jewish life. If we are not able to engage with young, thoughtful Jews during their university life, there is every opportunity that they will be lost to the community for the future. It is our chaplains who are charged with the task of maintaining this connection and it is the responsibility of the entire community to ensure that they are properly supported in discharging this immense responsibility.

Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks