Thousands of Harvard University alums promise to withhold their donations to the school over its response to the Israel-Hamas attacks. Also, others are slashing their contributions amid reports of on-campus antisemitism. The university has made headlines amid reports of on-campus antisemitism.
According to reports, a group of Harvard student organizations signed a pro-Hamas letter on October 8, 2023. They blamed Israel for the Islamist militant group’s terrorist attacks on Israel. Consequently, Harvard has found itself in the spotlight over its response to the development.
Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman slammed the letter and asked Harvard to out the students who signed the letter. Also, former university president Larry Summers expressed his disappointment at Harvard’s current president, Claudine Gay’s silence toward the letter.
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“I am sickened. I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate and condemn this statement,” Summers wrote on X. In addition, Bill Ackman and former Victoria’s Secret CEO Leslie Wexner said that if Harvard doesn’t take steps to fix the problem, they could face a donor exodus.
Also, a group of alumni who do not have billionaire status threaten to withdraw their donations. As more people join in calling the school out, Bill Ackman isn’t the only one who’s mad at Harvard.
Furious Harvard alums and volunteers are paring down their donations, too. Also, the Harvard College Jewish Alumni Association (HCJAA) members wrote an open letter to the school.
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They addressed it to President Claudine Gay and Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana. “We never thought that, at Harvard College, we would have to argue the point that terrorism against civilians demands immediate and unequivocal condemnation,” they wrote. “We never thought we would have to argue for recognition of our own humanity.”
Longtime volunteer Tally Zingher, 46, also joins the long list of alumni paring down their contributions. She told Bloomberg in an interview that she only plans to donate $1 for her coming college reunion. She said, “I will not be calling any of my classmates to try to encourage them to donate to Harvard.”
Zingher added in her interview, “There are plenty of better places that I feel my classmates can use their philanthropy and influence.” Also, an unnamed alumnus told Bloomberg he intends to remove the university from his will.
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Following the outrage and backlash from students and alums, Harvard’s spokesperson, Jason Newton, emailed the press. “The university has been in conversation with alumni and supporters and will continue to engage closely with them,” he said. “They are a vital part of our community.”
Similarly, Harvard President Claudine Gay wrote a letter to the larger Harvard community members addressing the tensions. “Harvard rejects all forms of hate, and we are committed to addressing them,” she wrote. “Let me reiterate what I and other Harvard leaders have said previously: Antisemitism has no place at Harvard.”
In addition, Gay said the school has “started the process of examining how antisemitism manifests within our community.” She added that they will implement a robust education program to train students, faculty, and staff on antisemitism. Finally, she concluded that the school will partner with external institutions and work with others on their strategy.
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