Turning Outrage to Action: Shabbos Kestenbaum's Fight Against Antisemitism

Harvard Divinity School graduate found his voice in a speech at the Republican National Convention. His is one of many voices I feature in my upcoming book.

Shabbos Kestenbaum speaks at the Republican National Convention.

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a remarkable young man, has turned his outrage into action and earned a national audience for his efforts. As one of the individuals featured in my upcoming book, From Outrage to Action: A Practical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, Shabbos exemplifies the fight against antisemitism. His journey took him from the halls of Harvard Divinity School to testifying before Congress and speaking at the Republican National Convention.

Background and Early Life

Shabbos Kestenbaum grew up in a modern Orthodox family with seven siblings. "So being a religious Jew just goes hand in hand with my identity," he said. "It's something I've never second-guessed." This strong sense of identity influenced his decision to study theology at Harvard Divinity School, despite the institution's secular and often anti-religious reputation.

He admitted the decision was “certainly an unorthodox one.” (Pun intended? Not sure.)

"I don't entirely recall how or why that idea came into my head," he admitted about applying to Harvard Divinity School. "But nonetheless, when I was applying, I reached out to those who were either at divinity schools or alumni or those who knew the area. I was actually discouraged from applying to Harvard Divinity School by almost everyone I was in touch with because it was either antisemitic, it was to the left of the left, or it was not a serious place to explore the study of religion. So, I was dissuaded time and time again."

Despite these warnings, Shabbos chose to confront the challenges head-on. "I got in, which I wasn't expecting, but here we are," he said.

His excitement was short-lived.

The university had rolled out the red carpet for Mohammed el-Kurd, a notorious figure on the Anti-Defamation League's radar for antisemitism. El-Kurd's presence on campus wasn't just tolerated; it was celebrated. His words, steeped in blood libel, resonated through his poetry and tweets, unapologetically violent and hate-filled. In his poetry collection Rifqa, he wrote, “They harvest organs of the martyred, feed their warriors our own,” referring to Israel, evoking historical antisemitic tropes of murdering children to bake matzoh. It’s what is known as a “blood libel.” El-Kurd tweeted, “I hate[s] these pigs,” and wished them torturous deaths and praised the "martyrs" of the Second Intifada, excusing the actions of Hamas while denying Israel's right to self-defense.

So, that was Kestenbaum’s welcome to Harvard.

Kestenbaum and his Jewish peers faced a stark choice: silence, complicity, or resistance. For Kestenbaum, the path was clear.

"We as Jewish students protested peacefully, of course," Kestenbaum said. They approached the administration, highlighting the university's history of rescinding invitations to controversial speakers and curtailing speech that offends or disadvantages minority groups. Kestenbaum and his peers urged the administration to apply these standards consistently.

However, their efforts were ignored. "There was a clear double standard, and they didn't do anything," Kestenbaum said.

"I really was not prepared for the degree of hatred directed against Jewish people and the free pass that was given both by students and the faculty," he said.

The Lawsuit Against Harvard

When faced with antisemitism at the university level, students have a number of choices. They can pursue action with the federal government and claim violation of their civil rights under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Or they can sue. Kestenbaum decided to take Harvard to court.

The lawsuit filed by Kestenbaum and Students Against Antisemitism, Inc. against Harvard outlines a series of allegations centered on incidents of antisemitism and the university's response to them. It alleged that antisemitism at Harvard had intensified, particularly following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. The suit describes incidents where mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty marched through the campus, shouting antisemitic slogans, calling for violence against Jews, and occupying university buildings to promote their agenda. Jewish students reported being attacked on social media, and faculty members propagated antisemitic rhetoric in their courses, with the university failing to intervene.

In the lawsuit, specific instances of antisemitism are detailed, such as pro-Hamas groups on campus chanting slogans like "Death to Jews" and advocating for the elimination and ethnic cleansing of Israel through phrases like "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." Jewish students also faced harassment on social media, being subjected to antisemitic comments and threats, and blamed for violence in the Middle East. Also, the lawsuit cites examples of faculty members including antisemitic content in their courses, spreading conspiracy theories about Jewish control and power, and promoting rhetoric that delegitimizes the state of Israel. These incidents collectively form the basis of the lawsuit's claim that Harvard failed to protect Jewish students from a hostile environment marked by antisemitism and discrimination.

Challenges and Resistance

Despite the hostility, Shabbos remained committed to intellectual discourse and debate. However, he often found the environment lacked the necessary depth for such debate. "There really wasn't much debate to be had. It was just a lot of sloganeering and one-sided narratives," he noted. The broader atmosphere at Harvard Divinity School, as Shabbos observed, was not conducive to diverse viewpoints, especially for Zionist or mainstream Jewish ideologies. "If you're a Zionist, or if you're a mainstream Jew, you really don't have a space where your ideology is pursued, or explored or given any credence," he said.

Following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the environment at Harvard became increasingly challenging. Shabbos recalled, "The New Yorker wrote an article about this; you had students draft an emergency statement to blame the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust on Jews themselves." This statement was endorsed by numerous student groups.

He also noted professors who sought to contextualize or downplay the gravity of antisemitic incidents, using terms like "systemic apartheid," "settler colonialism," and "ethnostate." For Shabbos, navigating this environment was not just an academic challenge; it was a personal and moral struggle against pervasive and deep-rooted antisemitism.

Speaking Before Congress

One of the most significant moments in Shabbos's journey was his testimony before Congress. "It was an incredible responsibility to represent Jewish students," he told me. He described the experience as both daunting and empowering. "The microphone, in a literal sense, amplified that desperate plea for change," he said. Standing before Congress, Shabbos felt the weight of his words and the importance of his message.

His testimony highlighted the pervasive antisemitism he and other Jewish students faced at Harvard. "There was a clear double standard, and they didn't do anything," he said, referring to the university's response to antisemitic incidents. Despite the challenges, Shabbos felt a profound sense of duty to speak out. "This is quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he concluded.

Confronting Political Realities

Shabbos's journey has also been marked by a complex relationship with political ideologies. Initially, he felt disillusioned with the Democratic Party, which he once supported. "The Democratic Party, the party I registered to vote for the day I turned 18, has become ideologically poisoned," he told the RNC. He criticized the far left's influence on young Americans, stating that it lacks moral legitimacy. "The far left's antisemitic extremism has no virtue, and the radicalism on our campuses and on our streets has no moral legitimacy," he declared.

Despite his criticisms, Shabbos acknowledged the political challenges for progressive Jews. "Liberal Jews, especially liberal Orthodox Jews, such as myself, we are totally lost. Totally," he told me. This sentiment seemed to evolve with his speech at the RNC, where he found a platform to express his views and advocate for policies he believes in.

Looking Ahead

Shabbos Kestenbaum's journey is far from over. He expressed a keen interest in public policy as a potential career path. "I see this lawsuit and my experiences at Harvard shaping my perspective and interests in this field," he said. He is drawn to the idea of creating change at a political level, using the political process to advocate for the Jewish community.

"We want to create an environment whereby Jewish students ... know that their university will fight for them," he emphasized. His broader goal is to foster a culture where Jewish students and those facing discrimination can feel supported and safe.

As I interviewed him just before his speech at the RNC, it was clear that while he may have felt lost at times, Shabbos Kestenbaum has found his path.