Harvard's recommendations for combating antisemitism are inadequate, lawmakers say
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and 27 other members of Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the recommendations presented by Harvard University's antisemitism task force, claiming they are "weaker" than the suggestions offered by a group assembled by former Harvard President Claudine Gay in December 2023.
The lawmakers — headed by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich. — sent a letter to Harvard University Interim President Alan Garber on Tuesday regarding the "inadequacy" of the task force's preliminary recommendations for combating antisemitism.
The preliminary recommendations, which were released on June 6, offer steps for addressing discrimination and harassment against Jewish students on campus.
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In addition to calling for an improved disciplinary process for addressing antisemitism, the proposed recommendation suggests adding antisemitism and anti-Israel biases to discussions about "oppression and injustice" during Harvard's orientation for new students.
The proposed recommendations also called for fostering spaces for productive dialogues and taking various steps to ensure a "welcoming environment" for religiously observant Jewish students, including accommodations for students who must miss class due to religious holidays or the Sabbath.
The lawmakers contend that the preliminary recommendations "reaffirm" reports of antisemitism Jewish students face on campus, including from faculty members and teaching fellows.
"While the Preliminary Recommendations rightly call for substantive discipline and public condemnation in response to this hateful misconduct, they fail to offer real solutions for doing so," the lawmakers asserted.
"Instead of offering a tangible plan to address antisemitism at Harvard, the task force's most specific and actionable recommendations are to organize public talks on respectful dialogue and religious relations, increase the availability of hot kosher meals, and to circulate guidance about accommodating Jewish religious observance and a calendar of Jewish holidays," the lawmakers asserted.
"The inadequacy of the Preliminary Recommendations is particularly alarming given that Harvard's leaders had already received a strong, detailed, and comprehensive set of recommendations from the AAG on December 18, 2023, which identified eight goals and 38 steps for combating antisemitism," the letter continued.
"Rather than build on these recommendations by presenting concrete plans for implementing them, the task force took six months to reinvent the wheel and offer an inferior set of recommendations."
Recent Harvard Divinity School graduate Shabbos Kestenbaum, who testified in May before a House Judiciary Committee about antisemitism at Harvard, called the preliminary recommendations "a slap in the face," according to the letter.
During his testimony, Kestenbaum alleged that Harvard administrators were not receptive to his concerns despite incidents involving hundreds of students and faculty members setting up anti-Israel encampments. He also recalled how many protesters established their "own rule of law on campus" by appointing people to serve as "safety marshals," who would monitor the movements of Jewish students like him.
"None of this addresses the pervasive and systemic nature of antisemitism," Kestenbaum said about the preliminary recommendations. "There's nothing in here about the hiring and firing of faculty members, nothing in here about examining the pernicious and dangerous role that diversity, equity and inclusion has played in antisemitism, there are no recommendations or even a mention of security at Harvard Chabad and Hillel."
In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesman for Harvard University directed the outlet to the school's preliminary recommendations.
"Harvard has and will continue to be unequivocal — in our words and actions — that antisemitism is not and will not be tolerated on our campus," the university spokesperson stated. "We remain committed to combating hate and to promoting and nurturing civil dialogue and respectful engagement."
Earlier this year, Stefanik issued a statement regarding Harvard's former president Gay's resignation, saying that it was "long overdue." Calls for Gay's resignation began following her testimony during a December 2023 hearing intended to address antisemitism at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Many felt that the three university presidents failed to condemn antisemitism directly amid a rise of on-campus pro-Palestinian protests following the terror group Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel and the ensuing Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Gay was also called to resign following accusations of plagiarism and failing to properly cite sources in her academic work.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
