Harvard professor resigns as co-chair of antisemitism taskforce after just one MONTH because she was 'frustrated' that the university wasn't acting 'swiftly' enough to combat anti-Jewish hate

A Harvard Business School professor stepped down from her role as co-chair of the university's antisemitism task force because she was 'frustrated' that the group was dragging its feet, a source close to her has shared.

Professor Raffaela Sadun was appointed to lead the school's Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism in January alongside co-chair Derek Penslar amid intense backlash the school was facing over its handling of anti-Jewish hate. 

Interim President Alan Garber said that Sadun was leaving after just one month to 'refocus her efforts on her research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities.' 

However, a source close to Sadun told Harvard's student newspaper, The Crimson, that the professor resigned on Monday for a different reason.

She allegedly had asked the university for confirmation that they would act on the task force's findings - and not just use them as optional advice. 

Harvard Professor Raffaela Sadun has stepped down from her role as co-chair of the school's Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism

 A source close to the professor said she resigned from the task force because 'its mandate did not include the swift implementation of measures to combat antisemitism'

However, Interim President Alan Garber said Sadun left to focus on her 'research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities'

The publication cited a source close to Sadun who said she decided to leave the task force because 'its mandate did not include the swift implementation of measures to combat antisemitism.'

The professor 'had been frustrated about the task force for some time,' according to Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the founding president of Harvard Chabad. The university has yet to respond to this claim.

'I am extremely appreciative of Professor Sadun’s participation in the task force over the past weeks,' Garber said in a statement announcing Sadun's resignation.

'Her insights and passion for this work have helped shape the mandate for the task force and how it can best productively advance the important work ahead. 

'She has advanced our efforts to be a stronger, more inclusive Harvard and for that we owe her our deep thanks.'

In light of her resignation, Sadun issued her own statement.

'I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help advance the vital work to combat antisemitism and believe that President Garber has assembled an excellent task force,' she wrote.

'I will continue to support efforts to tackle antisemitism at Harvard in any way I can from my faculty position.'

Jared Ellias, a law professor at Harvard Law School, will assume Sadun's co-chair position.

Garber also announced that Professor Ali Asani had been added to the leadership of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias.

The interim president explained that both groups would undertake 'initial outreach, information gathering, and research' to understand the experiences of community members who were 'disproportionately affected by the events of October 7 and their aftermath.' 

Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the founding president of Harvard Chabad, told the Harvard Crimson that Sadun 'had been frustrated about the task force for some time'

Jared Ellias, a law professor at Harvard Law School, will fill the vacant co-chair position

 In a statement, Sadun vowed to 'continue to support efforts to tackle antisemitism at Harvard in any way I can from my faculty position'

'Over the past five months, grief, anger, and fear have taken a toll on members of our community as divisions on our campus have persisted,' he wrote.

'We must do much more to bridge the fissures that have weakened our sense of community, and the task forces, which have the full support of the University, will be critical to our success.'

In addition to the co-chairs, each taskforce has student and educator members. Each group also has four advisors.

Among the advisors listed for the antisemitism task force are Jonah Steinberg, executive director emeritus at Harvard Hillel; and Sherri Charleston, the school's chief diversity and inclusion officer.

Charleston's appointment drew criticism from Shabbos Kestenbaum, a master's student at Harvard Divinity School, who professed in a tweet that 'most of Harvard antisemitism stems from DEI.'

Sadun's resignation follows that of former Harvard President Claudine Gay earlier this year.

Before stepping down, Gay faced mounting criticism over antisemitism at the school as well as her own plagiarism allegations. 

Gay was slammed once again for her testimony before Congress in December 2023, where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the murder of Jewish people would violate the school’s conduct policy.