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Exclusive: Ex-Harvard student, Holocaust survivor's daughter urges university to be ‘moral’
Amid the Harvard row, Hindustan Times spoke with Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a Harvard certificate holder
Harvard University's former certificate holder and a Holocaust survivor's daughter in an exclusive conversation said she hopes Harvard learns from its mistakes, adding that she has heard the institute has long had problems with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel views, even before October 7, 2023.
The Ivy league university is in the midst of a massive controversy following rising allegations of anti-Semitism on its campus. After its President Claudine Gay's December 5 testimony, anger against her and the institute has only been growing.
As the discussion around Harvard and Gay has refused to die down even days after the hearing, Hindustan Times spoke with Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, someone who has earned three certificates at Harvard through their programs for executives. “My father, John Laszlo MD, who escaped the Nazis as a child but who lost most of his family to the Nazis, went to Harvard Medical School,” Jennifer, 59, said.
‘Harvard was was very anti-Israel even before October 7'
“I have heard from Jewish students at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard that it was very anti-Israel and that students experienced anti-Semitism there," Jennifer said.
She added, “That was well before the October 7 attack by Hamas and subsequent Israeli efforts to eliminate the threat of Hamas. Since then there have been many dangerous anti-Semitic actions at Harvard.”
‘They make me deeply ashamed’
After the October 7 attack, the Department of Education opened various investigations into alleged incidents of hate and anti-Semitism on campuses. Harvard thus came under probe.
After the Capitol Hill testimony, Jennifer condemned the incident in a LinkedIn post. “They make me deeply ashamed,” she stated.
“If you missed the dangerous testimony of the Presidents of Harvard University, #MIT, #Penn yesterday, note that they said that when students call for the genocide of Jews, that this is not a clear violation of their codes of conduct,” she wrote.
‘People who harass others should face disciplinary actions’
On being asked what she thinks the faculty should do to combat the rising incidents of anti-Semitism on campuses, Jennifer said, “It needs to be made clear that people are free to speak their minds but when they make others unsafe, it crosses a line. People who harass others on campus for any reason should face disciplinary actions. But they also need education around anti-Semitism and other hate.”
“What is unacceptable should be made very clear,” she added. “Slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” for example, are calls for genocide. However, calls for a “Free Palestine” are legitimate calls for political freedom as there can be two states living side by side in peace.”
A poll for DailyMail.com has now revealed that a majority of Americans think the presidents of Harvard and M.I.T. should resign after their Capitol Hill testimony. There is mounting pressure on Harvard to make up for its collective failure.
‘If I was a high school senior, I would not attend Harvard now’
“For Harvard to have a great future it needs to be moral towards everyone, regardless of their background or identity. It cannot have free speech turn into harassment and violence,” Jennifer said.
She added, “If I was a high school senior, I would not attend Harvard now. There are many great schools that have clear leadership that does not tolerate harassment of students of any background. I would want to go to a place where I felt welcomed and safe.”
President Gay’s situation was made worse when a complaint received by Harvard University on December 19 outlined more than 40 allegations of plagiarism against her. The new allegations were submitted to Harvard's research integrity officer, Stacey Springs. These included examples reported by the Washington Free Beacon and other outlets. Now, a Republican-led congressional committee is now investigating these allegations against Gay.
Claudine Gay under pressure to resign
Gay is under pressure to resign, but will she?
Jennifer cited the example of Ralph Northam, who the state of Virginia previously elected a governor. It was later discovered that he may have been in photos in blackface.
“Tons of people asked him to resign but he refused. He went on to do great things in Virginia on civil rights. I sincerely hope that president Gay follows the example of Governor Ralph Northam and becomes a leader in fighting prejudice. I hope she uses this experience as a teaching moment on how to treat people better,” Jennifer said.
Finally, in Jennifer’s words, “We can't divide the world into "oppressors" vs "oppressed." We need to create scenarios where everyone regardless of race, religion, ethnic background, ability status, sexual identity or orientation etc. can bring their full selves to work in ways that will enable them to flourish.”
