Investing in the next generation

This week, AUJS leaders on campuses across the country are welcoming new students at their orientation weeks, greeting them with excitement and high spirits. With lively stalls packed with kosher snacks and decorations, the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS)’ O-Week tradition continues into its 78th year.

For our community, and for our country, 2026 will feel different. We enter the year as a community in mourning for the 15 innocent souls taken so cruelly at the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach. As Jewish students, we have experienced Australia’s shocking rise in antisemitism firsthand, and the wellbeing of our community remains a top priority for AUJS.

As the 2026 academic year begins, it is easy to feel nervous or fatigued by the prospect of returning to campus. However, as young Jews, we know that it is our mission to maintain hope. To not let these painful times make us cynical, to not let the desire to fight every minor battle distract us from what really matters, which is to build community and continue living a proud Jewish life.

We feel a deep responsibility to show our grandparents, who built new life in the shadow of unimaginable loss, that there is a bright future. In the face of terror and hatred, we must commit ourselves to maintaining the communal life that we were so lucky to be raised in.

And so, rather than retreating from our campuses, AUJS is bringing proud and vibrant Jewish life to the forefront of our university experience. When times have been hardest, we have hosted more social events, more national programs, and have deepened our partnerships with other Jewish youth organisations.

AUJS is a leadership factory, with almost one hundred engaged and motivated young Jews taking on positions on their campus, regional or national executives. They will meet face to face with student leaders and university stakeholders with different beliefs and cultural experiences, but will do so as balanced advocates with a sense of responsibility for the students they represent. They will host barbecues and intercultural programs that draw dozens of students to the lawns, fill the air with Hebrew music, and demonstrate that Jewish students are proud, energised, and committed to enriching campus life.

We are investing in our community’s future with a lineup of our biggest social events in years. Massive Purim parties are taking place in cities across Australia, communal Shabbat dinners will host hundreds of young people to meet and engage with each other. In January, we already held our first AUJS event in Tel Aviv, with over 90 young Australian Jews coming together to discuss big ideas and engage with leading figures of Israeli politics and law.

AUJS will send many students on international trips, with our exciting list of programs and delegations increasing each year. Whether volunteering in Israel or representing Australia and New Zealand at the World Union of Jewish Students, the opportunities to connect across the Jewish world have never felt so close.

Our 28th annual Political Training Seminar will take place in semester two this year, bringing a delegation of Jewish students to Canberra to experience firsthand how the federal Parliament operates. They will have the opportunity to represent our community and engage directly with senior political leaders, including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. This will take place alongside our state Parliament days and other political programming which will be announced throughout the year.

AUJS also offers unparalleled opportunities for professional development, with students getting access to networking events at top law firms, conversations with senior political figures and the chance to connect with prominent Jewish individuals across the fields of science, health and business. As Jewish artists have faced adversity, AUJS is proud to have increased the opportunities to engage with them and explore the contributions our community has made to the creative sector.

Our packed list of opportunities grows each day as our motivated leaders forge new partnerships and come up with creative new initiatives. This annual lineup is open to all Jewish students, and we are proud of the diversity of Jewish experience that participants bring. Whether you are engaged deeply with youth movements, synagogues and community organisations, or if this is your first time stepping into a Jewish space, AUJS is here to welcome you.

We know that 2026 will bring immense challenges, but we also know that our community must focus on investing in the next generation. Through these hard times will come a cohort of Jewish Australians who are resilient, who value Jewish life, and are committed, with a fierce optimism, to the future of our community.

There is no better place to build connection and develop as a leader, and we hope you join us in our mission to make 2026 a year of Jewish pride and unity.

Jeremy Suss is president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students.