Harvard President Lights Menorah Amidst Reports of Hate Speech; Campus Rabbi Says He’s Never Felt More Alone

Harvard president Claudine Gay made her first public appearance since her congressional testimony last night at a Harvard campus Menorah lighting in front of Widener Library.

The tradition of Harvard presidents lighting the campus Menorah on Hanukkah goes back twenty-five years.

Gay lit the “Shamesh” candle while Harvard students crowded around her and sang Jewish prayers.

Outside, trucks calling for the removal of president Gay circled the block.

Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the rabbi at Harvard Chabad, introduced president Gay after delivering a speech that ctiticized Harvard’s leadership and inability to combat antisemitism.

He claimed in his speech that the night before the Menorah lighting, a Harvard student was confronted with hateful words and accused of presenting false history when the student spoke about his relatives who were in the Holocaust.

Rabbi Zarchi also claimed that Harvard police cautioned him and his family to hire security he showed footage that featured an IDF soldier at a Chabad event. “We were accused of hosting a war criminal,” Rabbi Zarchi said.

He then went on to explain how Harvard Chabad does not leave their Menorah out at night because they are afraid it will be vandalized.

“The last time we had President Gay with us was at the Shabbat 1000. We heard how Harvard pledges to have our back…We didn’t feel it last night.”

Rabbi Zarchi also made reference to Jewish boycotts, like when Harvard was quick to ban Soda Stream in 2014, but yet failed to make any progress towards curbing antisemitism.