by Tom Miller - URC ministerial student on placement with CCJ Campus Leadership Programme

Since September, I’ve had the privilege of serving on placement with the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) Campus Leadership Programme in Manchester. As my time on the programme draws to a close, I’m filled with gratitude—particularly to Beth Brown, my placement supervisor, who has been a passionate and supportive guide throughout. Alongside Beth Williams, she has exemplified a deep commitment to interfaith understanding and genuine care for student leaders.

This past academic year has been challenging for interfaith engagement at the University of Manchester, particularly between Muslim and Jewish students, due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Understandably, tensions have been high. Despite this, the Campus Leadership team has made dedicated efforts to create meaningful spaces for dialogue—sometimes with great success, and at other times with difficulty. Personally, it’s been a year of deep listening, humility, and growth. I’ve had to hold my own Jewish familial heritage and my ongoing political advocacy for Palestinian causes in creative tension—setting both aside at times for the sake of authentic interfaith connection.

In the first semester, we made efforts to revive the Interfaith Lunch Clubs at the Students' Union. While attendance varied, the moments of real connection—conversations with students from Christian, Jewish, and Baháʼí backgrounds—were profound. A highlight for me was leading a theological reflection on the story of Hagar, drawing from the Hebrew Bible, Islamic scholarship, and Midrash. The retelling of Hagar’s story became a powerful space to wrestle with shared spiritual questions about God/Allah, exile, and justice.

After the Christmas break, the team decided to discontinue the Lunch Clubs due to limited engagement. I shifted focus to supporting the programme’s social media presence and helped promote next year’s cohort. One of the most enriching experiences this term was participating in a Religious Exploration Day with other Campus Leadership students. We visited the Manchester Jewish Museum, the Muslim Heritage Centre, and the Alexandria Library. These visits sparked thoughtful, honest conversations between students and local religious leaders—a testament to the power of shared learning and mutual respect.

This year has taught me so much—not least, that interfaith dialogue is both essential and demanding, especially in times of global conflict, whether in the Holy Land or between India and Pakistan. In such times, the role of religious leadership is not to retreat from complexity, but to step into it—to create brave spaces where people can come together, agree when possible, and disagree well when necessary.

It has been a difficult year for many people of faith. That is all the more reason to persist in the work of building understanding, trust, and hope. Our mission continues.