Harvard’s new interim president has said he is concerned about “pernicious” anti-Semitism on campus. He told the student newspaper that he was concerned about the consequences of “social shunning.”
Alan Garber took over after Claudine Gay resigned on January 2, amid a spiraling row over anti-Semitism.
Gay, the first black person to lead the university, was criticized for her tasteless response to students justifying the October 7 terror attacks, and severely damaged her credibility when she testified before Congress and questioned whether the call for genocide of Jews was considered hate speech. at University. She eventually resigned, amid mounting accusations of plagiarism.
Garber, who served as provost for 12 years under three successive presidents, took over until a permanent president could be found: the process involves a global search and typically takes at least six months.
Alan Garber has taken over as interim president of Harvard until a permanent replacement can be found. His predecessor Claudine Gay resigned on January 2
Claudine Gay resigned in January after being accused of plagiarism. It came out after her testimony in Congress, which was universally admonished
In his first interview, Garber said addressing anti-Semitism within the institution was a priority.
Earlier this month, six Jewish students launched legal action against the school, claiming it has become a “stronghold of anti-Semitism and hatred” and that they have been bullied since Gay resigned.
Garber, who is Jewish, said he was deeply concerned about the continued accusations of anti-Semitism.
“What I have found most disturbing of all are situations or experiences that students describe where they felt like they couldn’t talk in class because there were attacks on Israel or maybe on Israelis,” Garber said.
“They don’t feel supported when they contradict them.”
Garber said a “prominent manifestation” of anti-Semitism is “social shunning.”
“You can’t necessarily just apply techniques to prevent violence or vandalism,” he said. “They’re different problems.”
The students say Harvard has suffered from anti-Semitism for years, but that events following the October 7 Hamas attack have made it a ‘more serious’ problem
On October 14, demonstrators are seen at Harvard calling for an end to ‘apartheid’ and ‘genocide’ in Gaza
He told The Harvard Crimson he “is a strong believer in freedom of speech,” but added that there needs to be “a discussion about what the boundaries are.”
He added: “Can anti-Semitic attacks take the form of attacks on Israel? The answer is yes, it is possible.’
On January 19, university leadership sent an email to students and staff stating that protests in libraries, dining halls, residence halls and classrooms were considered violations of university policy without prior reservation.
Outdoor protests can still take place, as long as they do not block pedestrian walkways or disrupt university activities.
Garber has set up new task forces to combat both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, with a history professor, Derek Penslar, leading the anti-Semitism investigation.
Former Harvard President Larry Summers has criticized Penslar for saying reports of anti-Semitism were exaggerated, but Garber said he had full confidence in Penslar.
“I think Derek agrees with me that we have a very serious problem,” he said.
‘One of the main goals of the task force is to devise interventions that can effectively address the problem we face today.’
The lawsuit, filed in early January by student Alexander Kestenbaum and five unnamed others from Students Against Antisemitism, details how Gay’s student supporters bullied them and other Jewish students after her dismissal.
In internal chat rooms, Jewish students were labeled as “pedo-loving Zionists,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed by student Alexander Kestenbaum (pictured) and five unnamed others from Students Against Antisemitism, describes how Gay’s student supporters bullied them and other Jewish children after her dismissal.
Some pro-Palestinian students said they also supported Hamas’ attack and saw it as a “moment of decolonization.”
The students say the issue existed before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, but became “more serious” afterward.
They are now calling for students who threatened them to be expelled, and for anti-Israel professors to be fired.
They chose Professor Marshall Glanz who, they claim, told them they could not consider Israel a “democracy” in a class project because it would “offend other students.”
“Crowds of pro-Hamas students and faculty have marched in the hundreds through Harvard’s campus, shouting vile anti-Semitic slogans and calling for the death of Jews and Israel,” the lawsuit said.
The students are calling for the dismissal of Professor Marshall Ganz. They say he stopped them from referring to Israel as a ‘democracy’ during a project
“These gangs have occupied buildings, classrooms, libraries, student lounges, plazas and study halls, often for days or weeks at a time, promoting violence against Jews and harassing and assaulting them on campus.
“Jewish students have been attacked on social media, and Harvard faculty members have trumpeted anti-Semitism in their courses and fired and intimidated students who objected.
“What is most striking about all of this is Harvard’s stunning failure and refusal to lift a finger to stop and deter this outrageous anti-Semitic behavior and to punish the students and faculty who perpetrate it,” they said. their attorneys in their 79-page complaint.
The university’s lawyers have not yet responded to the legal complaint.