Wendy Raymond, the president of Haverford College, is set to testify before the Congressional Committee on Education & Workforce tomorrow morning on accusations that she mishandled “antisemitic, violent protests” in the wake of October 7. In the weeks leading up to the hearing, faculty members, students, and Raymond herself, have voiced support as well as concern for Haverford’s precarious situation.
In an email to the Haverford community on Friday, Raymond apologized to the college’s Jewish community, acknowledging their grievances. The email outlines steps the college has been taking to tackle antisemitism, including working directly with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Raymond noted that Haverford plans to submit updated materials to the ADL in hopes of revising the college’s failing grade on their 2025 antisemitism ‘report card’ stating that the current grade “does not fully represent the current state of [our] community.”
The national chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an anti-zionist Jewish organization, has previously criticized the ADL as being an unreliable civil advocacy group, which prioritizes the defense of Israeli politics over Jewish safety. Haverford’s own chapter of JVP has leveled similar denunciations.
Raymond also highlighted her commitment to “educational and democratic values.” Along with Wendy Cadge, she signed an open letter released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement.” She concluded the email by reaffirming Haverford’s core values, “freedom of expression, ethical inquiry, and inclusion and belonging for all members of the Haverford community,” stating that she will be sharing her written testimony with the community following the hearing.
Also on Friday, Haverford’s Student Council sent an email inviting students to sign a solidarity statement expressing their “trust in [Raymond] to represent core Haverfordian values at the hearing.” The statement, set to be shared with Raymond on May 5, has over 60 signatures. The email stated that they view this hearing to be “an attack on higher education institutions through humiliation and defunding.” Stu-Co will be hosting a live viewing of the hearing in Stokes Hall on May 7, in collaboration with Honor Council and the IDEA Office who will have members in attendance.
Jewish students and faculty at Haverford have issued statements criticizing the Congressional hearing, arguing that the Committee has “weaponized antisemitism to target freedom of speech on college campuses, silence political dissidents, and attack students who speak out in solidarity with Palestine.” The statement, signed by 62 Jewish students, expressed support for the students detained by (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ICE across the nation, stating “disappearing and deporting immigrants does not make us safe.”
Another statement signed by the Haverford College Jewish community on behalf of faculty, staff and students highlighted that the Jewish community at Haverford is “diverse, if that is still a legal word to use in the United States.” The statement notes that members of the community, who have differing backgrounds and political views and religious practices, do not feel represented on a national stage. The statement expressed that press accounts and public statements related to the upcoming hearing have “exacerbated the flattening and silencing of our Jewish community to achieve ends that have nothing to do with our own,” raising concerns that their community is “being adjudicated in a Christian nationalist public sphere.”
Rebecca Alpert, a rabbi who held a talk last semester about Jewish anti-Zionism, which was cited in Representative Walberg’s critique of Haverford, wrote a comment to the Bi-Co News in regards to the allegations of antisemitism.
“Zionism is a political ideology that does not represent the Judaism I grew up with, believe in, and practice,” she stated. “To learn that a ‘whistleblower’ identified my talk at Haverford as ‘antisemitic’ is nothing short of absurd. Being an anti-Zionist does not make me an antisemite. In fact, I would argue, the opposite is true. Being an anti-Zionist at this stage of history reflects the best that Judaism has to offer: a commitment to justice, to loving one’s neighbor, and to seeing God in every human being.”
JVP representative and Haverford senior, Julian Kennedy, told the Bi-Co News “In many ways this hearing feels like an intentional distraction from this government’s horrific agenda: the genocide in Gaza, the detainments and disappearances of non-citizens, the attacks on education, etc. Ultimately, instead of combating antisemitism, this hearing serves to advance this agenda and perpetuate these atrocities.”
“As an anti-Zionist Jew, organizing and speaking out is paramount in this moment we are in. The actors behind this hearing are viciously intent on erasing the existence and validity of anti-Zionist Jews such as myself because, oftentimes, these claims of antisemitism are predicated on a mythology that all Jews are Zionists,” He continued. “In reality, anti-Zionist Jews make up a significant part and are leaders in both activist and ritual spaces here at Haverford.”
Reagrding the hearing, Bi-Co Chabad published the following statement on the Rohr Center for Jewish Life website.
“We hoped that Haverford would take meaningful steps long ago to change course before this painful moment arrived. In the months since October 7, many Jewish students have felt deeply isolated, afraid to speak openly, and abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them. Regardless of one’s views on the congressional investigation or the broader political climate, it is essential to acknowledge that this environment in which many Jews feel unsafe and unwelcome is intolerable. We should all agree that students deserve dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging. In this moment, we urge President Raymond to lead with courage—to rebuild trust and restore a campus where all students, including those who are proudly Jewish and pro-Israel, feel they truly belong. Rather than deflecting blame, we call on Haverford’s leadership to meet this turning point with honesty and resolve. This is an opportunity to take real, concrete action to ensure that Haverford becomes a safer, more inclusive home for every member of its community.”
