"But the Crimson did not include that Summers letter-to-the-editor in its email newsletter, rendering it basically invisible to the many readers for whom the email newsletter is the primary way they discover what is in the Crimson." Indeed. As one for whom the email newsletter is the primary way I discover what is in the Crimson, the Summers letter was invisible to me—until you shared it here.
One of the most (perhaps the most) valuable lessons I belatedly took away from my years in college was not to let politics disrupt friendships. Perhaps those who follow the Crimson "Ethicist's" advice to break off relations with "Zionists" will one day similarly come to rue doing so.
The Crimson's “Ethicist, Should I Let Go of My Zionist Friends?” article says the Ethicist is open to questions from "all Harvard Community members", and provides a submission link.
Following Justice Brandeis' principle of countering bad speech with "more speech", how about submitting situations with which the columnist would be more conflicted?
Here is a relevant example:
I am a student who is a Zionist - I believe that Jews have the right to self-determination in their ancient homeland. I have a few anti-Zionist friends with whom I grew up, but I have become increasingly unsure about how to navigate my relationships with them. My friends are good people, I want to believe, but their support for an Arab state "from the river to the sea" taints my certainty of that — especially after the genocidal October 7th attack from Gaza led by Hamas, a terrorist entity that advocates killing all Israeli Jews. Should I let go of my anti-Zionist friends? —Name Withheld.
I realize I am a less temperate guy than Ira, so I apologize for the tone here. But I read this article just before reading the invite I got from Harvard Alumni to take part in a "Conversation with Dean Hopi Hoekstra." I signed up so that I could express in the space proved, however hopelessly, the following intemperate remarks. I will now go outside and finish raking up a lot of leaves as the only avenue open to me to let off some steam. Here is what I submitted to Dean Hoeksra:
My disgust with Harvard's abject cowardice in the face of its massive antisemitism problem (a problem first and foremost with its woke administration, secondarily with its overwhelmingly radical left faculty and only lastly with heavily financed student radical and Islamist groups) has long since reached its 100% boiling point. Ira Stoll of "The Editors" is the only honest reporting on this I see. So, my question is does Harvard realize this Jew hatred is an existential crisis for Harvard due to which so far it appears headed for a slow (maybe not so slow) decline into academic mediocrity and disgrace?
There is another controversy at Harvard about student journalism. It relates to the conservative publication, the Harvard Salient. Last week the Salient Board shut down the Salient over what it called "offensive material as well as disturbing internal actions and communications" and this week it issued a cease and desist order against the Editors (https://www.harvardsalient.com/p/update-from-the-board-of-directors).
The Salient Board has not detailed the allegations, but the Salient has been criticized over what the Harvard Crimson called heinous speech about nationalism (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/15/editorial-harvard-deming-salient/). Before the shut down of the Salient I wrote in the Crimson to defend the Salient's discussion of nationalism and opined on what was and what was not heinous (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/16/letter-segal-nationalism/). I was asked to structure my original op-ed submission a week later as a letter, and it sounds like letters are not circulated in the emailed newsletter.
The Salient Editors and the Saliant Board are now fighting over the allegations and over who is in change.
"But the Crimson did not include that Summers letter-to-the-editor in its email newsletter, rendering it basically invisible to the many readers for whom the email newsletter is the primary way they discover what is in the Crimson." Indeed. As one for whom the email newsletter is the primary way I discover what is in the Crimson, the Summers letter was invisible to me—until you shared it here.
One of the most (perhaps the most) valuable lessons I belatedly took away from my years in college was not to let politics disrupt friendships. Perhaps those who follow the Crimson "Ethicist's" advice to break off relations with "Zionists" will one day similarly come to rue doing so.
The Crimson's “Ethicist, Should I Let Go of My Zionist Friends?” article says the Ethicist is open to questions from "all Harvard Community members", and provides a submission link.
Following Justice Brandeis' principle of countering bad speech with "more speech", how about submitting situations with which the columnist would be more conflicted?
Here is a relevant example:
I am a student who is a Zionist - I believe that Jews have the right to self-determination in their ancient homeland. I have a few anti-Zionist friends with whom I grew up, but I have become increasingly unsure about how to navigate my relationships with them. My friends are good people, I want to believe, but their support for an Arab state "from the river to the sea" taints my certainty of that — especially after the genocidal October 7th attack from Gaza led by Hamas, a terrorist entity that advocates killing all Israeli Jews. Should I let go of my anti-Zionist friends? —Name Withheld.
I realize I am a less temperate guy than Ira, so I apologize for the tone here. But I read this article just before reading the invite I got from Harvard Alumni to take part in a "Conversation with Dean Hopi Hoekstra." I signed up so that I could express in the space proved, however hopelessly, the following intemperate remarks. I will now go outside and finish raking up a lot of leaves as the only avenue open to me to let off some steam. Here is what I submitted to Dean Hoeksra:
My disgust with Harvard's abject cowardice in the face of its massive antisemitism problem (a problem first and foremost with its woke administration, secondarily with its overwhelmingly radical left faculty and only lastly with heavily financed student radical and Islamist groups) has long since reached its 100% boiling point. Ira Stoll of "The Editors" is the only honest reporting on this I see. So, my question is does Harvard realize this Jew hatred is an existential crisis for Harvard due to which so far it appears headed for a slow (maybe not so slow) decline into academic mediocrity and disgrace?
There is another controversy at Harvard about student journalism. It relates to the conservative publication, the Harvard Salient. Last week the Salient Board shut down the Salient over what it called "offensive material as well as disturbing internal actions and communications" and this week it issued a cease and desist order against the Editors (https://www.harvardsalient.com/p/update-from-the-board-of-directors).
The Salient Board has not detailed the allegations, but the Salient has been criticized over what the Harvard Crimson called heinous speech about nationalism (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/15/editorial-harvard-deming-salient/). Before the shut down of the Salient I wrote in the Crimson to defend the Salient's discussion of nationalism and opined on what was and what was not heinous (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/16/letter-segal-nationalism/). I was asked to structure my original op-ed submission a week later as a letter, and it sounds like letters are not circulated in the emailed newsletter.
The Salient Editors and the Saliant Board are now fighting over the allegations and over who is in change.
Who is in charge at the Crimson?
Great article Ira.