University College London has axed its dedicated Antisemitism Programme Manager, a UCL source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
UCL’s Antisemitism Programme Manager position was created in November 2022 and has been held by Anthony Orkin for that whole period. It was the first and only dedicated antisemitism role at any UK university.
The source told the Post that the role helped to respond to an 841% increase in antisemitism reported through UCL’s own Report and Support system in the year following October 7, 2023, “responding with sensitivity, expertise, and urgency to an unprecedented and sustained volume of incidents, concerns, and requests for support.”
Orkin held confidential support sessions for Jewish students and staff, delivered training and awareness sessions to over 2,430 students, staff, and stakeholders across UCL and beyond, and arranged and facilitated Community Security Trust antisemitism training for UCL’s senior security staff in April 2025.
Most recently, Orkin delivered an antisemitism awareness session to the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice on May 21, 2026 – achieving an average participant feedback score of 4.75 out of 5.
“The importance of this role at this moment cannot be overstated,” the source told the Post. “Jewish students and staff at UCL need dedicated expert support at the most difficult time for the community in recent memory.”
UCL 'talks a good game' but doesn't act, student Dov Forman tells 'Post'
Author, influencer, and UCL student Dov Forman told the Post that “Anthony is one of the few things they were genuinely getting right. I have no doubt that Jewish students will be worse off at UCL and will feel his departure immediately.”
“So many of my friends didn’t speak to anyone except Anthony about the antisemitism they faced, because they knew that anywhere else and with anyone else at the university, they’d be met with skepticism, bureaucracy, and resistance. He was the trusted expert they had confidence in and could turn to.
“The demand for his expertise has, unfortunately, been overwhelming and, sadly, for good reason. UCL talks a good game on antisemitism, but when it comes to action, it has too often been lackluster.”
A UCL spokesperson told the Post on Tuesday that “as the context of antisemitism in the UK has evolved,” UCL is moving to a “broader, more integrated approach – including establishing a new senior expert group and expanding support for Jewish students and staff.”
“This builds on the program of work delivered through our 2021 antisemitism action plan, including the fixed-term Antisemitism Programme Manager role, which has now concluded,” the spokesperson said.
“Our commitment remains clear: we will continue to strengthen and expand this work so that Jewish members of our community feel safe, supported, and able to thrive at UCL.”