The Harvard Crimson Board of Overseers Candidate Questionnaire (Abridged for Clarity)
The Crimson submitted the following questions to all nine candidates for the Harvard Board of Overseers. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. The original questionnaire was longer.
By The Harvard Crimson Editorial Board, which has no further questions. It has eight questions. They are the same question. · Cambridge, Mass.
Question 1
Are you a Zionist?
Question 2
Please confirm that you are not a Zionist.
Question 3
If you are a Zionist, please explain why you have applied for this position.
250 words minimum. The Editorial Board has concerns.
Question 4
On a scale of Zionist to very Zionist, where do you fall?
Question 5
In January 2025, Harvard settled two federal Title VI lawsuits by agreeing to incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism into its Non-Discrimination and Anti-Bullying policies. The settlement was filed in federal court in Boston. The IHRA definition states that antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews, and that rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. Do you support Harvard’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism as a condition of a legally binding federal settlement?
Question 6
Have you ever attended a Passover seder in a professional capacity?
Question 7
The Board of Overseers meets between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday. Does this present a scheduling conflict for you, for anyone you know, for anyone you have previously known, for anyone you are currently in the process of getting to know, or for anyone you may at any point in the future come to know? Please answer carefully. The Editorial Board has time.
Question 8
Are you a Zionist?
Scoring Rubric · For Internal Editorial Board Use Only
Candidates answering No to all eight questions: Endorsed. See forthcoming editorial.
Candidates answering Yes to Questions 1–4, 6–8 but uncertain on Question 5: Under review. The Editorial Board appreciates the complexity of your position.
Candidates answering Yes to all eight questions: Not endorsed. The Editorial Board thanks you for your candor. It will not be forgotten.
Candidates who skipped directly to Question 5: The Editorial Board finds this telling.