Harvard names Jewish replacement for ousted President - The Jewish Chronicle

Harvard has named Alan Garber, a Jewish professor and provost as its interim president following Claudine Gay’s resignation.

Garber said his focus as interim president will be on “advancing our mission and helping to heal and strengthen a university that I cherish”. He called the current crisis on campus the worst in his 12 years as provost – including Covid. “It’s a combustible situation, and one in which many people are grieving,” he told the Crimson.

His presidency follows Gay’s controversial six-month-long term, marred by accusations of plagiarism. Gay stepped down from the role, which she held for the shortest period in Harvard’s history, on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 05: Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Committee held a hearing to investigate antisemitism on college campuses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)Getty Images

Garber has previously expressed disappointment with Harvard’s response to the war in Gaza. “I certainly have regrets about the first statement,” he told the Harvard Crimson. “Our goal is to ensure that our community is safe, secure, and feels well supported — and that first statement did not succeed in that regard.”

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Antisemitism on campus

Harvard