The Board of Overseers at Harvard University had scheduled a meeting to contemplate whether they should call for the resignation of University President Claudine Gay. This followed a contentious hearing in Congress the previous week. The resignation of Elizabeth McGill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, intensified the pressure on Gay over the weekend, with the majority of the pressure coming from influential donors and politicians.
However, in a show of solidarity, over 500 of the university's 2,300 faculty members signed a petition supporting Gay on Sunday evening. The petition called for resistance against political pressures that are in opposition to Harvard's commitment to academic freedom. Despite the pressures, the governing board ultimately decided that Gay would not be stepping down from her position.
Gay expressed regret for her remarks before Congress, where she struggled to provide a clear response to whether advocating for the murder of Jews violates Harvard's policies. However, it remains uncertain if this apology be enough. Sally Kornbluth, the president of the third university involved in the discussion, MIT, is also facing calls for her resignation.
Following the congressional debate, one significant development was Rabbi David Wolpe's announcement of his resignation from the special body established by Harvard University after the events of October 7. This body was created to advise the university on combating antisemitism on campus. Wolpe, a well-known rabbi who leads the prominent Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, had come to Harvard for a research year to work on a book. After the Hamas attack, he was invited to join the emergency council. Having watched the entire five-hour congressional debate last week, he subsequently announced his resignation from the council.
Wolpe told Yedioth Ahronoth that "I was filled with disappointment, sorrow, and a sense of frustration" over the debate. "I patiently watched the entire debate, anticipating that someone would speak out clearly and frankly, and say: 'The situation on my campus is really appalling, it angers me and I want to bring about change.' However, all I heard was legal jargon."
"I firmly believe that these three women, including Claudine Gay whom I've known well, are not antisemitic," the rabbi continued. Unfortunately, they were misguided and, as a result, they perceived their primary role to be protecting the university from a legal standpoint, rather than leading it."
Perhaps this is actually the time for you to stay and combat antisemitism.
"I came to realize I'm not actually helping, and I thought an external viewpoint would be more beneficial."
Were you surprised by the left's antisemitism?
"The intensity of the protests took me by surprise. I have no issue with demonstrations against the Israeli government, but it seems many of these protests are challenging the very existence of Israel," Wolpe said. He added that he has been hearing from Jewish parents who no longer wish to send their children to institutions like Harvard.
"This is a new development for me. Previously, if a parent didn't want to send their child here, it was often because they knew admission would be difficult. However, it's crucial to remember that Harvard has a substantial Jewish community, and the majority of students at the university are primarily focused on obtaining their degree," he said.