Police Investigating Antisemitic Stickers Discovered Near Harvard Hillel

The Cambridge Police Department and the Harvard University Police Department are jointly investigating an apparent act of “religiously threatening” vandalism after multiple antisemitic stickers were discovered around Harvard Square.

The stickers were reported to police after they were discovered near Harvard Hillel, the University’s largest Jewish center. The antisemitic stickers portrayed the flag with Israel with a swastika instead of the Star of David.

The stickers, which were posted on both city and Harvard property, also contained the text: “Stop Funding Israeli Terrorism.”

Harvard Hillel Executive Director Jason B. Rubenstein ’04 said incidents of antisemitism at Hillel have become more prevalent in recent months.

“First we saw for a long stretch of time this was happening on social media, and then there were calls for escalation,” he said. “Now, we’re seeing it happen physically — in a physical manifestation — just a few feet from the Hillel building.”

Rubenstein referred to a statement released by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. In their statement, the PSC wrote that “now is the time to escalate.”

The PSC wrote in a statement that it “rejects all forms of hatred and bigotry and we remain committed to fighting for the safety and liberation of all peoples, which is deeply intertwined with the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”

This incident comes days after Hillel leadership reported “intimidating” posters discovered outside Rosovsky Hall last week.

Hillel later discovered that the posters, which criticized Israel’s war in Gaza, were printed with the center’s own funding by Meredith W. B. Zielonka ’25, who serves as co-chair of JStreetU at Hillel.

Rubenstein has since suspended both JStreetU and Zielonka from using organizational funds.

Early Monday morning, HUPD officers received a report of an individual putting up the stickers around Harvard’s campus and near the Charles River, according to HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano.

Catalano wrote in a statement that “HUPD officers searched the area for the unidentified individual but were unable to locate them.”

“The stickers contained an anti-Semitic symbol,” he added. “HUPD and Cambridge Police are investigating this matter collaboratively.”

CPD spokesperson Robert Goulston wrote in an email that the department is working with HUPD to conduct “a full and thorough investigation,” and are currently seeking surveillance video of the incident.

He added that CPD is committed to “aggressively investigate any reported acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation, or other crimes that appear motivated by bias against or hatred of a particular group.”

Rubenstein said that the incident was first reported to Hillel leadership by a Cambridge resident who regularly attends services at Rosovsky Hall. He added that the individual also reached out to CPD and the Anti-Defamation League of New England.

Peggy Shukur — the vice president of the east division of the ADL — confirmed in an email to The Crimson that the stickers were reported to the ADL.

“We urge a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable,” wrote the ADL of New England in a statement posted on X.

Rubenstein said that he hopes the sticker incident will spur University leadership to more forcefully examine systemic antisemitism on campus, pointing to initiatives by Harvard during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests as an example.

“Our call for Harvard and other universities is to undertake the same move against antisemitism,” Rubenstein said.

University spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in an emailed statement that “Harvard has and will continue to be unequivocal that antisemitism will not be tolerated on our campus.”

The Harvard Hillel Student Board hosted a “community dinner” on Monday night to discuss the stickering incident, according to an email sent to Hillel affiliates. The email also asked affiliates to send in photos of similar stickers if they see them on campus.

Talia Kahan ’26, a member of Hillel, said the stickers serve as another obstacle to impactful dialogue about Israel and Palestine.

“It’s sad and frightening to see that despite having made so much progress in many directions, there still feels like there’s a lot of antagonism towards Israel and the Jewish community,” Kahan said.

“That antagonism, and perhaps difference of feeling and thought, is not being approached in a way that is kind of conducive towards dialog and discussion — which is something that I’d be really excited about — but rather just with hateful statements that don’t leave room for true engagement,” she added.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.