‘The university . . . would not allow us to keep this menorah here overnight, because there’s fear that it’ll be vandalized. Think about that.’
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What was once a longstanding tradition of the Jewish students at Harvard University, is no longer in evidence. In 1980, the menorah, a nine-branched candelabra and symbol of the Jewish people, became a fixture in Harvard Yard but was hidden away this semester, much to the chagrin of the students.
The 10-foot tall menorah was first erected in the early 1980s and over the following two decades served as an integral part of the Harvard landscape. Every December, for the eight days and nights of Hanukkah, the menorah was lit in a celebration of Jewish culture and community. The menorah was also a source of pride for the university’s Jewish students, many of whom held the event to mark the start of the holiday.
However, ahead of the 2018 Hanukkah season, the menorah was moved from its usual place in the center of the Harvard Yard to a more secluded location. The university has reportedly argued that the move was made for safety reasons, as the giant candelabra had served as a gathering point and posed a distraction to class schedules.
The move has been met with criticism from Harvard students and other Harvard affiliates. Former Harvard Student Union president Molly Hillel, a Jewish student at the university, noted that the move sends a message of exclusion and disrespect to Jewish students and creates a distinct discrepancy between their religious holidays and those of other groups, which remain celebrated in public view. Kids observing Hanukkah no longer get to look out of their window and be reminded of their heritage and culture.
The menorah has long represented light and hope for the Jewish people, providing an inspiration for darker times. As such, the University’s decision to move it away does send a message of inequality to their Jewish students. The lesson that Harvard may be inadvertently teaching its students seems to be that Jewish culture is less important and less worth celebrating than other cultures.
