October 7 was one week into the university year at Oxford. Nothing happened for the first two terms, but in the third term, which started around April and ended sometime in June, there was an encampment set up. So that was in the Pitt Rivers Museum, on the patch of grass outside, and the encampment started off relatively small. But over the course of the term, as they were not getting the success with the demands that they were looking for, they started to do more protests in other places. 

For example, outside the Radcliffe Quadrangle, which is the main library, they actually set up another encampment at the near end of the term and blocked the entrance, so that you couldn't enter what's called the Rad Cam, the library, through the main entrance at least, and you had to go through this underground tunnel from a different library.

When it came to graduation time at the end of the year, there were protests outside that disrupted a lot of activity. And then, on top of that, there was one main kind of violent situation where some people in the encampment broke into the Vice Chancellor's office. It seems when she was in the office, they kind of let her go, but then sort of barricaded themselves inside. Sixteen people were arrested by the local police, but eventually they were let go.

We just have the strong Oxford University Jewish Society (JSOC), which is generally on top of everything. In Oxford, they're all these different colleges, composed of about 30 smaller communities, and we just generally know who's who at each one. And I think the organization has been doing good work; whenever things happen at each of them, JSOC knows how to reach out to them with supportive resources through their networks and events.

Support slightly increased after the encampments began but remains relatively neutral. As the encampments became more violent, the university issued various statements, saying that while protests are fine, they've got to be peaceful. So in that sense, you might consider that an improvement towards some sort of support for Jewish students.

When you're doing things on campus to help other Jews, let's say, it can sometimes put stress on you. And so I really enjoyed the WJC Lauder Fellowship Diplomacy Summit for remembering that all of us in different countries are on the same boat. They know that when one of us feels like maybe there's no one there for you because you've got to be there for other people, the WJC is there for you in that sense as well.