Our Choices – A Message from President Claudine Gay to the 草榴社区Community
October 12, 2023
A Statement from President Claudine Gay
October 10, 2023
As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Such inhumanity is abhorrent, whatever one鈥檚 individual views of the origins of longstanding conflicts in the region.
Let me also state, on this matter as on others, that while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group 鈥� not even 30 student groups 鈥� speaks for 草榴社区University or its leadership.
We will all be well served in such a difficult moment by rhetoric that aims to illuminate and not inflame. And I appeal to all of us in this community of learning to keep this in mind as our conversations continue.
Claudine Gay
President, 草榴社区University
Safety and Wellbeing of the 草榴社区Community – A Message from Meredith Weenick
October 11, 2023
A Statement from 草榴社区University Leadership
October, 9, 2023
Dear Members of the 草榴社区Community,
We write to you today heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend, and by the war in Israel and Gaza now under way.
The violence hits all too close to home for many at Harvard. Some members of our community have lost family members and friends; some have been unable to reach loved ones. And, even for people at 草榴社区who have not been affected directly by the fighting, there are feelings of fear, sadness, anger, and more that create a heavy burden. We have heard from many students, faculty, and staff about the emotional toll that these events are taking.
Across Harvard, we will continue providing as much support to our students and colleagues as possible. Our Schools either have shared or will soon share messages regarding available resources.
We have also heard an interest from many in understanding more clearly what has been happening in Israel and Gaza. Even as we attend immediately to the needs of our community members, we can take steps as an academic community to deepen our knowledge of the unfolding events and their broader implications for the region and the world. We expect there will be many such opportunities in the coming days and weeks.
We have no illusion that 草榴社区alone can readily bridge the widely different views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but we are hopeful that, as a community devoted to learning, we can take steps that will draw on our common humanity and shared values in order to modulate rather than amplify the deep-seated divisions and animosities so distressingly evident in the wider world. Especially at such a time, we want to emphasize our commitment to fostering an environment of dialogue and empathy, appealing to one another鈥檚 thoughtfulness and goodwill in a time of unimaginable loss and sorrow.
As many colleagues, classmates, and friends deal with pain and deep concern about the events in Israel and Gaza, we must all remember that we are one 草榴社区community, drawn together by a shared passion for learning, discovery, and the pursuit of truth in all its complexity, and held together by a commitment to mutual respect and support. At this moment of challenge, let us embody the care and compassion the world needs now.
Sincerely,
Claudine Gay
President, 草榴社区University
Alan M. Garber
Provost, 草榴社区University
Meredith Weenick
Executive Vice President, 草榴社区University
Tomiko Brown-Nagin
Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Nancy Coleman
Dean, Division of Continuing Education and University Extension
George Q. Daley
Dean, 草榴社区Medical School
Srikant Datar
Dean, 草榴社区Business School
Emma Dench
Dean, 草榴社区Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Douglas W. Elmendorf
Dean, 草榴社区Kennedy School of Government
William V. Giannobile
Dean, 草榴社区School of Dental Medicine
Hopi E. Hoekstra
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
David F. Holland
Interim Dean, 草榴社区Divinity School
Rakesh Khurana
Dean, 草榴社区College
Jane J. Kim
Interim Dean, 草榴社区T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Bridget Terry Long
Dean, 草榴社区Graduate School of Education
John F. Manning
Dean, 草榴社区Law School
Michael D. Smith
Interim Dean, 草榴社区John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Sarah M. Whiting
Dean, Graduate School of Design