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aria-label="Primary Subheader"> <div class="l-container c-subheader__container"> <div class="c-subheader__content"> <h1 class="page-title h1" > Update on Presidential Task Forces</h1> </div> </div> </header> <article class="item-single"> <div class="item-single__content s-sink t-sink l-sink l-sink--double"> <p>Dear Members of the Harvard Community,<br><br>I write to update you on the presidential task forces to combat聽<a href="https://www.harvard.edu/task-force-on-antisemitism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antisemitism</a>聽and聽<a href="https://www.harvard.edu/task-force-on-anti-muslim-and-anti-arab-bias/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias</a>. 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. The University has responded to these challenges with consolidated聽<a href="https://www.harvard.edu/support-resources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">safety and wellbeing resources</a>, as well as new and expanded community supports compiled on the respective task force websites, while reaffirming聽<a href="https://provost.harvard.edu/statement-interim-president-deans-harvard-university-rights-and-responsibilities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rights and responsibilities</a>聽on which our future efforts must necessarily build. But there is more to be done.<br><br>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. The co-chairs and I have been working together to finalize membership and plan the work ahead. The names of the members of the task forces are appended here. Jared Ellias, Scott C. Collins Professor of Law, has been added to the leadership of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, replacing Raffaella Sadun, Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, who has decided to refocus her efforts on her research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities. Ali Asani, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures, has been added to the leadership of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias. Jared, Ali, and all of their fellow members are taking on difficult work under extraordinary pressure and public scrutiny. They are true University citizens, dedicated to strengthening our community now and in the future. I hope that you will join me in thanking them for their service.<br><br>In the coming weeks, the task forces will undertake initial outreach, information gathering, and research, including listening sessions, surveys, and historical analysis, to better understand the experiences of members of our community who have been disproportionately affected by the events of October 7 and their aftermath. Our work should be informed by the best evidence about the nature and severity of the problems we confront and about the impact of approaches that have been put to the test. Though the work of the task forces will take several months to complete, I have asked the co-chairs to send recommendations to the deans and me on a rolling basis so that we might consider, refine, and implement interventions, and to keep the community apprised as our work together proceeds.<br><br>We are accustomed to asking the most difficult questions and taking on the most complex problems. Those inclinations do more than spur our individual and collective efforts鈥攖hey connect us to one another in fundamental ways. Despite our differences, what we share is far greater than what we do not. I know that we care enough about each other and our University to join together in ensuring that Harvard offers an environment in which Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students feel welcome and can thrive. We should expect nothing less.<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Alan M. Garber</p> <p>—<br><br><strong>Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism</strong><strong><br><strong> </strong></strong><br>Jared Ellias, co-chair     <br>Scott C. Collins Professor of Law at Harvard Law School<br><br>Derek Penslar, co-chair<br>William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences<br><br>Danielle Allen   <br>James Bryant Conant University Professor<br><br>Boaz Barak   <strong>    </strong><br>Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<br><br>Erica Newman-Corre<br>Student at Harvard Law School<br><br>Jesse M. Fried<br>Dane Professor of Law at Harvard Law School<br><br>Jerome Groopman                   <br>Dina and Raphael Recanati Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School<br><br>Nim Ravid        <br>Student at Harvard College<br><br>Vicki Rosen<br>Professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine<br><br>Andrew Teeter <br>Professor of Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School<br><br>Sherri Charleston, advisor<br>Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer<br><br>Ara Gershengorn, advisor         <br>University Attorney<br><br>Robin Glover, advisor    <br>Associate Provost for Student Affairs<br><br>Jonah Steinberg, advisor<br>Executive Director Emeritus at Harvard Hillel<strong><br><br><strong> </strong><br><strong>Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias</strong><br><strong> </strong></strong><br>Ali Asani, co-chair<br>Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences<br><br>Wafaie Fawzi, co-chair<br>Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health<br><br>Asim Ijaz Khwaja, co-chair<br>Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School<br><br>Danielle Allen<br>James Bryant Conant University Professor</p> <p>Jana Amin <br>Student at Harvard College<br><br>Hakeem Belo-Osague<br>Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School<br><br>Melani Cammett<br>Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences<br><br>Diana L. Eck<br>Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences<br><br>Fawwaz Habbal<br>Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<br><br>Alta Mauro<br>Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard College<br><br>Nader Uthman<br>Senior Preceptor in Arabic in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences<br><br>Additional student members to be determined<br><br>Khalil Abdur-Rashid, advisor<br>Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University, and Lecturer on Muslim Studies at Harvard Divinity School<br><br>Nadir Ahmed, advisor<br>University Attorney<br><br>Sherri Charleston, advisor<br>Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer<br><br>Robin Glover, advisor    <br>Associate Provost for Student Affairs</p> </div> <footer class="item-single__footer l-container"> <ul class="item-single__meta"> <li class="item-single__meta-date"> <time datetime="2024-02-26T14:02:39+00:00"> Published on February 26, 2024 </time> </li> </ul> <div class="social-share"> <p class="social-share__title">Share</p> <ul class="social-share-networks" data-js="social-share-networks"> <li 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