Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism

Among the repercussions of conflict in the Middle East have been the loss of family and friends among many members of our community, as well as feelings of uncertainty, abandonment, mistrust, and fear. Incidents of bias and hate against Jews and Israelis and against Muslims, Palestinians, and other people of Arab descent have risen across the country. Reports of antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and Anti-Arab acts on our campus have grown, and the sense of belonging among these groups has been undermined. We need to understand why and how that is happening—and what more we might do to prevent it.

In January 2024, Interim President Alan M. Garber announced two presidential task forces: one devoted to combating antisemitism and one devoted to combating anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias. Though differently focused, the groups are similarly charged with:

• examining recent history and current manifestations of bias;
• identifying the causes of and contributing factors to bias-based behaviors on campus;
• evaluating evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and
• recommending approaches to combat bias and to mitigate its impact on campus.

Read below for more information on the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism. For information on the other presidential task force, see Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias.

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism will examine the recent history of antisemitism and its current manifestations on the Harvard campus. It will identify causes of and contributing factors to anti-Jewish behaviors on campus; evaluate evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and recommend approaches to combat antisemitism and its impact on campus.

The task force’s work will encompass three areas:

• Outreach and listening tours to document experiences of antisemitism across the Harvard community, building on and learning from previous work done in this domain;
• Historical analysis, focusing on the experiences of and attitudes towards Jewish and Israeli members of the Harvard community and how they have been affected by local and global events;
• Collection and analysis of data from members of the Harvard community, in order to characterize the nature, extent, and proximate causes of antisemitism in the Harvard community.

The above three tasks will help identify actions that can be taken to address bias on a rolling basis and will culminate in a report and set of recommendations to the President. The recommendations may touch upon student life, supportive measures, School and University policies, education, and training, as well as other areas related to the climate on campus. The President is committed to bringing the recommendations to the members of the Academic Leadership Council, including the deans, on a rolling basis so that they might consider, refine, and implement interventions within the Schools.

Timeline                                                

The task force will begin work simultaneously in its three areas of focus. During the first weeks of public engagement, however, the task force will prioritize outreach and conduct listening tours to understand experiences of community members and learn from work already done internally and externally as well. The task force may produce interim recommendations shortly after the conclusion of this listening period. Upon completing its work, the task force will issue a final report with its findings and recommendations. Updates on the task force’s progress will be posted on this page.

Process

The task force aims to carry out its work in a transparent and timely manner while proceeding with care and empathy. Its ongoing efforts, including descriptions of analyses and methodologies utilized, will be published on this page. The task force will work in close collaboration with the Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias throughout the duration of its activity in order to coordinate efforts and methodologies, although each group will have the flexibility to pursue additional sources of information and consider interventions independent of the other. 

Contacting the Task Force

The task force seeks the observations and advice of members of the Harvard community at all levels, and may be reached at AntiSemitismTaskForce@harvard.edu.

Note, however, that the task force is not responsible for addressing specific crimes, bias incidents, or bullying concerns, or enforcing University policies, including those related to protests. Such responsibility lies with the University and the Schools. Please refer to the resources listed on the University’s Resources in Times of Crisis website for further information in this regard.

Furthermore, it is beyond the task force’s mandate to comment on specific incidents that have transpired or might transpire on campus during the course of its work.

• Jared Ellias, co-chair, Scott C. Collins Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
• Derek Penslar, co-chair, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor
• Boaz Barak, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Erica Newman-Corre, Student at Harvard Law School
• Jesse M. Fried, Dane Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
• Jerome Groopman, Dina and Raphael Recanati Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Nim Ravid, Student at Harvard College
• Vicki Rosen, Professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• Kay Kaufman Shelemay, G. Gordon Watts Professor of Music and Professor of African and African American Studies
• Andrew Teeter, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School
• Sherri Charleston, advisor, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
• Ara Gershengorn, advisor, University Attorney
• Robin Glover, advisor, Associate Provost for Student Affairs
• Jonah Steinberg, advisor, Executive Director Emeritus at Harvard Hillel

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism was announced by Interim President Alan M. Garber on January 19, 2024.

The Task Force is currently engaged in outreach to the University community through a number of channels. It has also invited the community to share feedback via a dedicated email account at AntiSemitismTaskForce@harvard.edu.

Across the University, efforts are also underway at the School level to provide local support to the community.

This page will share periodic updates on the work of the Task Force, as well as community events and resources of interest.

• March 22, 2024: Presidential task forces announce listening sessions
• April 9, 2024: Co-chairs of task forces share updates on community engagement

The Task Forces will be learning from and building on actions that have taken place across Harvard University in recent months. These include efforts to address instances of antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias on campus, provide additional support services for students and other Harvard community members, and promote an atmosphere of civil discourse at Harvard. Some of this work is highlighted below.

Supporting students and other Harvard community members

• Harvard launched a new support and resources website, Resources in Times of Crisis, to provide community members with a central hub of resources for personal safety, online safety, and mental health and community support.
• The website also links to a guide on Protecting against Online Abuse and Harassment, which serves as a resource for community members who have been targeted for online abuse, harassment, and intimidation.
• In January 2024, Harvard University Health Services removed visit limits for outpatient mental health care and medical consultations under Harvard’s student health insurance plan.
• Harvard engaged with the leadership of Sidechat, a social media app that allows college students to post anonymously. Though Harvard has no relationship to Sidechat, the University asked the app to strictly enforce its content-moderation policies.
• Harvard College formed a Task Force on Online Harassment to serve as a centralized point of contact for issues relating to doxing, online harassment, and online security.
• Interim president Alan M. Garber and the University deans issued a community-wide message reaffirming Harvard’s commitment to its University-Wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities and offering further guidance for planned expressive activity (including protests) for students, faculty, staff, and disciplinary boards. Several Schools have adopted or are in the process of adopting policies or guidance in addition to the Statement.

Promoting civil discourse, dialogue, and education

• The 2024 spring term began with events across the University organized under the Harvard Dialogues initiative, organized aimed at enhancing respectful and robust debate.
• The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics has engaged in a Center-wide effort to expand its longstanding work on civil discourse, including a new Fellowship in Values Engagement, which works with resident tutors to foster intellectual vitality by promoting ethical reflection and a culture of civil disagreement in undergraduate community life.
• Harvard College launched a new website for the Intellectual Vitality initiative focused on promoting respectful dialogue, open and rigorous inquiry, and thoughtful listening.
• Harvard College and PEN America hosted the Intellectual Vitality and Free Expression Student Summit aimed at fostering open, productive communication.