The co-chair of Harvard’s new antisemitism taskforce abruptly resigned over the weekend — reportedly after she became frustrated that university officials refused to commit to making changes to make the campus safer for Jewish faculty and staff.
Harvard officials shockingly announced on Sunday that business professor Raffaella Sadun — who was appointed to the newly-created Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism just last month — had stepped down from her post.
Sadun issued a statement that she was “grateful” for a chance to work on the taskforce and that she would continue to work on the issue as a faculty member.
But, behind the scenes, she was fuming over the intransigence of the university administration, according to insiders.
The Harvard Crimson reported that Sadun had repeatedly demanded that the university must commit to acting on recommendations from the task force — even before they are formally issued — instead of treating them merely as advice.
She ultimately decided to step down because the task force’s mandate did not include swift changes to combat antisemitism at Harvard, sources told the student-run newspaper.
Her resignation now marks the second time someone appointed to one of the Ivy League school’s antisemitism task forces announced they would step down.
In December, prominent Rabbi David Wolpe announced he was resigning from then-President Claudine Gay’s antisemitism committee because he could not “make the sort of difference I had hoped.”
Bill Ackman, who has made a name for himself calling out antisemitism at Harvard, seemed to reference Wolpe’s past resignation as he reacted to Sadun’s resignation.
“The half life of a Harvard antisemitism task force member is about 60 days,” he wrote on X.
“I wonder what’s going on.”
Meanwhile, the task force’s other co-chair, Derek Penslar, will retain his position — despite claims that he has previously made antisemitic comments.
Penslar wrote in a 2023 book that “veins of hatred run through Jewish civilization.” He also dismissed the antisemitism on campus that he is in charge of mitigating— telling the Jewish Telegraphic Agency outsiders had “exaggerated” the issue.
Penslar will be joined on the task force by Jared Ellias, a professor at Harvard Law School, who will take the position vacated by Sadun.
The Post has reached out to Harvard for comment.