Religion
Harvard Will Open New Muslim, Hindu Prayer Spaces After Years of Uneven Access
For years, Harvard’s only dedicated spaces for Muslim and Hindu worship were in a dormitory basement. This fall, the University will open two new prayer spaces following April recommendations from two internal task forces to overhaul its approach to religious life on campus.
A Divinity School Program Became a Political Liability. In One Semester, Harvard Took It Apart.
When the Religion and Public Life program was swept up in raging debates over the Israel-Palestine conflict on campus, Harvard replaced its leader, pushed out its staff, and promised an overhaul.
Rabbi Getzel Davis To Lead New Presidential Initiative on Interfaith Engagement
Harvard announced a new presidential initiative on interfaith engagement on Wednesday, accepting recommendations from two University task forces on bias against Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian affiliates to increase pluralistic programming at the University.
8 Children From French Youth Choir Hospitalized After Medical Emergency at St. Paul’s Parish
Eight children from a French youth choir performing at a concert at St. Paul’s Parish were sent to nearby hospitals for “seizure-like symptoms” on Tuesday night. All the children were released from the hospital by Wednesday morning.
Harvard Chabad Seeks Zoning Amendments as Expansion Plans Move Forward
Harvard Chabad appeared before the Cambridge City Council on Tuesday as a part of an ongoing effort to advance zoning changes — supporting its plans for the expansion of its building on Banks Street.
On Harvard’s 2024 Pulse Survey, Jewish and Muslim Students Report Higher Rates of Feeling Like They Don’t Belong
As Harvard’s campus convulsed in protests over the war in Gaza, Jewish and Muslim students reported lower levels of belonging on Harvard’s latest Pulse Survey compared to their peers — even as overall student sentiment has seen modest improvement since the survey’s first iteration in 2019.
Peter Beinart Asks Harvard To ‘Lose With Dignity’ in Standoff With Trump at IOP Forum
Peter Beinart, the editor-at-large of the liberal publication Jewish Currents, said Harvard could only maintain its “self respect” by resisting Donald Trump’s demands against the University at an Institute of Politics Forum on Tuesday.
Campus Evangelist Cliffe Knechtle Visits Harvard
Public evangelists Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle, who have spent the last 45 years visiting college campuses, came to Harvard on Friday to speak to students about Christianity.
‘A Burst of Fun’: Harvard Students and Affiliates Celebrate Holi in Harvard Yard
More than 100 Harvard students and affiliates gathered in New Yard on Sunday afternoon for a colorful event co-hosted by Harvard Dharma and the Harvard College Dean of Students Office — Holi.
Harvard Chabad Petitions to Change City Zoning Laws
Harvard Chabad is petitioning the city of Cambridge to change its zoning laws to exempt religious buildings from certain restrictions in an apparent effort to move forward with plans to expand its headquarters, currently blocked by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Longtime Campus Rabbi Getzel Davis Resigns From Harvard Hillel
Campus Rabbi Getzel Davis suddenly left Harvard Hillel after 13 years at the organization, surprising students in Hillel, who were not aware of his departure until it was announced in a Monday morning email.
Campus Rabbi, Muslim Chaplain Share Lessons on Resilience
Campus Rabbi Getzel Davis and the University’s Muslim Chaplain Khalil Abdur-Rashid hosted an interfaith discussion on mental resilience to explore different religious practices on Thursday.
At HBS Shabbat Dinner, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Says He Trusts Garber To Fight Antisemitism
New England Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft said he believes Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 “personally is committed to eradicating antisemitism from this campus” in a keynote speech at the annual Harvard Business School Shabbat Dinner on Friday.
HBS Task Forces Recommend Anti-Bias Training Updates, Applaud Non-Attribution Policy
Task forces to address antisemitism, Islamophobia, and free speech issues at Harvard Business School recommended policy updates and endorsed the school’s non-attribution rules in an update released last week, reporting a pervasive “feeling of invisibility” among Jewish, Arab, and Muslim students.
Political Commentator E.J. Dionne Discusses Role of Religion in 2024 Election
Political commentator and Brookings Institute Senior Fellow E.J. Dionne ’73 joined the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Studies for the Committee on the Study of Religions, Carleigh Beriont, for a conversation on religion and American politics Thursday night at the Barker Center.
