A non-Jewish British university student who has spent years promoting Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism says that work made her a target for abuse on campus, including being called a “Mossad agent,” a “baby killer” and an “Israel mouthpiece.”
Amberley Thay, 20, a third-year history student at the University of Exeter, has devoted roughly four years to Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism, including serving as a regional ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Amberley Thay, Holocaust Educational Trust ambassador at the University of Exeter in the UK, who was verbally abused and accused of supporting the killing of children solely because of her Holocaust remembrance work
(Photo: Instagram)
Her involvement began after a visit to the Auschwitz extermination camp through one of the organization’s programs.
Since then, Thay told Britain’s Daily Telegraph, she has encountered hostility she did not expect from fellow students, including insults and accusations tied to her work commemorating the Holocaust and confronting antisemitism.
Thay said one friend was left shocked after another student warned her against Thay, claiming she supported the killing of children.
She also described hearing stereotypical comments about Jews and money and other degrading remarks on campus.
Holocaust falsehoods on campus
Thay said some of the encounters also exposed what she described as deep ignorance about the Holocaust.
She recalled students claiming that only several hundred thousand Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, rather than approximately six million, and said they appeared to have absorbed the false information from social media.
For Thay, such claims are not merely historical errors. She argues that distorted information circulating online can blur understanding of the scale of the Holocaust and contribute to an environment in which antisemitic ideas spread more easily.
Her experience is particularly striking because Thay herself is not Jewish.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said the case demonstrated the urgency of continuing Holocaust education and efforts to confront antisemitism.
She said young people facing hostility simply because they are committed to preserving Holocaust memory and challenging antisemitism underscored the seriousness of the problem.
University says it was unaware
The University of Exeter told the Daily Telegraph that it had not been aware of the specific incidents described by Thay.
A university spokesperson urged students to report any discrimination or harassment they experience or witness.
The university said it works regularly with Jewish students and staff to address antisemitism and ensure a safe environment for all members of the university community.
For Thay, however, the abuse has not ended the work that began after her visit to Auschwitz. Instead, the hostility she says she encountered has reinforced her belief that Holocaust education and confronting antisemitism remain necessary, including among young people on university campuses.