PSC Holds Vigil To Mourn Lost Palestinian Lives

Around a dozen Harvard affiliates gathered on the steps of Memorial Church to grieve lost Palestinian lives at a Tuesday night vigil hosted by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

The group wrote in a post on Instagram that the vigil was meant to mourn “the genocide’s martyrs killed pre- and post-ceasfire.” As the temperature dipped into the teens, speakers shared stories from the Israel-Hamas war and recited a poem about violence wrought by war under candlelight.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect last month, includes provisions for a complete ceasefire in the region and a prisoner release from both parties. Since October 2023, more than 46,600 people have been killed by the Israeli offensive, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Jana Amin ’25, speaking at the vigil, said the event “feels different in some ways in that there isn’t an active genocide happening in Gaza.”

“We also know that that does not mean that the violence is over,” she added.

During the vigil, Amin described the PSC’s process for organizing more than 20 vigils in the last two years.

“I email Memorial Church, then Yard Operations, next the Dean of Students Office. I fill out the vigil request form,” Amin said in a speech about the importance of vigils.

Amin said Harvard denied a 2023 request by students to hold a vigil during the week of former University President Claudine Gay’s inauguration.

“I wait patiently for a response from the University on my way to attend my morning lecture class. Another notification — my vigil request is denied,” Amin said.

According to Amin, the University replied to her with a suggestion that the vigil be rescheduled to the Monday following Gay’s inauguration.

“Impulsively, I sent an email response,” Amin said. “Suggesting affected students should wait until after the inauguration to grieve lost family, friends, country-folk is, as I’m sure you understand, out of the question, and frankly tasteless.”

A University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

The PSC ended the vigil with the recitation of the poem “Younger than War” by Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha.

Gidon Ben Rivka — who is Jewish and frequently attends PSC events — said those who discuss the consequences of the Israel-Hamas war should focus more how Hamas has affected Palestinians.

Ben Rivka said he attends PSC events to understand how Harvard affiliates discuss the conflict.

“I know what I think, and obviously I agree with me way too often,” he said. “It’s important to come to talk with Palestinian people to hear what they have to say.”

Correction: February 24, 2025

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Jana Amin ’25 said Harvard denied the PSC’s request to hold a vigil during the week of former University President Claudine Gay’s inauguration in 2023. In fact, the planned vigil was not organized by the PSC, according to Amin.

—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.