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Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun resigned as co-chair of the presidential task force on antisemitism after repeatedly considering stepping down because she felt the University would not commit to acting on its suggestions, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Sadun sought a commitment from the University that they would act on the task force’s recommendations, in advance of any being issued, instead of treating them as optional advice.
A person close to Sadun said she ultimately decided to step down from the task force because its mandate did not include the swift implementation of measures to combat antisemitism. Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the founding president of Harvard Chabad, told The Crimson that Sadun had been frustrated about the task force for some time.
The details about Sadun’s resignation from the task force on Sunday were conveyed in interviews with three Harvard affiliates. They spoke to The Crimson on the condition of anonymity to discuss details about Sadun’s sudden departure as co-chair.
Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on Sadun’s frustrations with the task force. Sadun did not respond to multiple requests for comment Sunday evening about her decision to step down.
Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 wrote in response to a request for comment about Sadun’s resignation that she had “expressed her desire to refocus her efforts on her research, teaching and administrative responsibilities at HBS.”
“I am extremely appreciative of Professor Sadun’s participation in the task force over the past weeks,” Garber wrote. “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.”
Sadun’s resignation marks the second time the University has faced controversy after someone stepped down from a group assembled to combat antisemitism at Harvard.
Rabbi David J. Wolpe resigned from his position on an antisemitism advisory committee established by former Harvard President Claudine Gay on Dec. 7. Wolpe, whose resignation came days after Gay’s congressional testimony, wrote in a post on X that he stepped down because he could not “make the sort of difference I had hoped.”
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill A. Ackman ’88, who has emerged as one of Harvard’s most vocal detractors since Oct. 7, appeared to reference Wolpe’s resignation in a post on X about Sadun’s decision to step down.
“The half life of a @Harvard antisemitism task force member is about 60 days,” Ackman wrote. “I wonder what’s going on.”
Sadun served in her role as co-chair for fewer than 40 days. Wolpe sat on Gay’s advisory committee for less than a month.
Garber announced the full composition of the dual presidential task forces on combatting antisemitism and on combatting anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias in a University-wide email to Harvard affiliates on Sunday.
Garber said that he asked the task forces’ 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.”
It is unclear if Sadun’s dissatisfaction with the task force contributed to a delay in announcing its full membership, which Garber made public on Sunday, more than one month after he first formed the task forces on Jan. 19. The antisemitism task force is now led by History professor Derek J. Penslar — named alongside Sadun — and Harvard Law School professor Jared A. Ellias, who was named today.
Garber’s antisemitism task force also made national news last month over Penslar’s appointment as co-chair. A number of Harvard affiliates called on Penslar to resign from leading the task force over past statements that described antisemitism at Harvard as “exaggerated.”
Sadun did not comment on the reasons behind her departure in a Sunday statement shared with The Crimson through a Harvard spokesperson.
“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.”
—Staff writer Tilly R. Robinson can be reached at tilly.robinson@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tillyrobin.
—Staff writer Neil H. Shah can be reached at neil.shah@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @neilhshah15.
