Harvard Chabad slams yearbook for Oct. 7 omission

Harvard Chabad condemned the university’s student yearbook for omitting the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war against the terrorist group in Gaza.

In a post on X published on Sunday, the Jewish organization shared a photo of the yearbook’s page, which included only the caption: “October [7] 2023: War Breaks Out in Gaza.” The post criticized the omission as “fake history,” stating, “The genocidal attack on the Jewish people took place, leading to the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”

The post suggested that “tomorrow’s historians and editors” might just as absurdly write “War Breaks Out in Afghanistan” for Sept. 11, 2001, or “War Breaks Out in Japan” for Dec. 7, 1941.

Meanwhile, a federal judge on Friday granted Harvard a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from revoking the school’s student visas. The administration alleged that Harvard fostered an unsafe, antisemitic environment, and demanded data on foreign students, prompting the university to file suit, claiming constitutional violations.

Harvard, which enrolls more than 7,000 international students, argued that the visa revocation would cause irreparable harm. The court agreed, halting the policy pending a hearing. The administration, however, defended its move as part of its effort to restore “common sense” to the visa system.

The visa controversy follows other actions by the Trump administration, including freezing billions in funding, based on allegations that Harvard violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act through its treatment of Jewish students and its refusal to implement federally requested changes.

Title VI prohibits discrimination by programs and activities that receive federal funds. If a recipient of federal funds is found in violation of Title VI, that recipient may lose its federal funding.