Whether you’re just starting out at uni, making your way through your degree, or getting ready to hand in your final assessments, AUJS has something for everyone in 2021.

GABRIELLE AGOSIN AND NATALIE GUNN 

Gabrielle Agosin and Natalie Gunn are our AUJS President and Vice President for 2021. As a team, they have been involved in all facets of the organisation - from campus and regional leadership, to running a range of AUJS’ flagship programs and events. They both look forward to sharing 2021 with you.

Gabi is in her fifth year of Communications, Innovation and Language studies. She has been volunteering in AUJS for over 3 years and is passionate about mentorship, innovation and creating fun and engaging events for students. Nat is in her fourth year of her Global Studies and Law degree. She has also been involved in AUJS for over 3 years. Nat is passionate about creating opportunities for students to get involved in the amazing work of AUJS and providing meaningful connections for students with Judaism and Israel.

AUJS offers exciting opportunities in both Australia and New Zealand, including social events, engaging speaker sessions and leadership opportunities. These programs provide students with the opportunity to engage with and hear from speakers, get involved and meet like-minded students and professionals. 

2021 kicks off with O-Week, where we are excited to meet and welcome back students from all around Australasia. Our Purim party is around the corner, where we get to dress up and enjoy a night of fun. Our Political Training Seminar (PTS) will convene in Canberra this March, which equips students with political knowledge and allows them to meet with some of the most influential politicians and lobbyists in Australia. We also run regional political conferences in New South Wales and Victoria, as well as a range of political events and programs throughout the year. 

AUJS also works on campus to combat antisemitism, alongside university unions and administrations to pass the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism. We also provide special consideration letters to Jewish students to ensure that they are not penalised for celebrating Jewish festivals. Additionally, our campaigns aim to empower students and raise awareness for important social, political and cultural issues in Australasian society. AUJS provides a place for you to ask questions, engage in thought-provoking conversations, make friends for life and enjoy your time at university.

There is a passion within AUJS to engage, mentor and empower our students with opportunities. We offer many upskilling and leadership opportunities for both volunteers and members. The Millie Phillips Leadership Training Summit (LTS) is one of our key leadership upskilling opportunities which our new leadership cohort attends at the end of each year. It provides student-led sessions whilst also hearing from a range of speakers to engage and upskill our leaders.

Another leadership program, which aims to find new and emerging leaders and connect them with the global Jewish community is our Leadership Development Program (LDP). This program provides participants with an unprecedented opportunity to visit Israel, the United States of America, and a diaspora country to learn from the experiences of Jewish communities around the world. This year’s cohort is participating in a COVID-safe LDP running in 2021 based in Australia and New Zealand. The learned skills are then brought back into AUJS to help our Australasian Jewish community grow. If you choose to become a student leader you gain the opportunity to make your ideas a reality, grow as a leader, have your voice heard and empower other leaders.

Thanks to the generous support of the Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation, AUJS's Susan Wakil Fellowship continues to provide students with unprecedented access to brilliant political mentors and advocacy development. Fellows spend a year learning from brilliant leaders about how to make a change, how to turn an idea into a fully realised passion project, out in the community.

Many exciting things are happening in AUJS this year. Make sure that you get involved because you never know who you may meet, what you may learn and where your AUJS journey could lead you. We look forward to welcoming you to our AUJS family. Always remember that at every stage of your university life, on and off-campus, AUJS will always be a place for you.

Get in touch and get involved - we’re excited to have you on board!