Aish, a global Jewish educational institution, confirms that Harvard University has issued subpoenas for communications between their shared former student, Shabbos Kestenbaum, and Aish regarding the documentary film “Frontline Warriors.” The documentary film, which was produced by Aish, chronicles Kestenbaum’s fight against antisemitism at Harvard as well as the fight of Eden Yadegar at Columbia and Eli Tsives at UCLA.
This legal action comes in the wake of ongoing litigation initiated by Kestenbaum, who continues to pursue accountability from Harvard after several co-plaintiffs settled their claims earlier this year. “The university’s decision to target communications related to the documentary raises serious concerns about academic freedom and the right to document civil rights struggles on campus,” said CEO of Aish, Rabbi Steven Burg.
“The attempt to access private communications between Mr. Kestenbaum and our organization appears to be an effort to eliminate free speech and legitimate advocacy work,” Rabbi Burg continued. “Rather than addressing the substantive issues of antisemitism on campus, Harvard seems intent on using stall tactics and building their own investigation into those who have brought these problems to light and are attempting to hold them accountable.”
The subpoena was issued shortly before Harvard initiated litigation against the current U.S. government administration.
Kestenbaum, an alumnus of both Aish in Jerusalem and Harvard, has emerged as a leading voice against campus antisemitism. His ongoing lawsuit seeks to ensure Harvard fully implements promised reforms, including the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, as well as hold the university and its leadership accountable for their actions in allowing Jewish students to be harassed, threatened, excluded, and penalized on its campus.
“I am very proud of my time learning at Aish and of our continued partnership,” said Kestenbaum. “Harvard’s subpoena of Aish, my previous place of study, while intending to be threatening, only reinforces how important it is to support Jewish education and the critical work that Aish does in ensuring the Jewish future. The documentary we created together provides essential context for understanding the challenges Jewish students continue to face, and Harvard’s reaction only underscores why this story needs to be told.”
Global Spokesperson and Chief Communications Officer for Aish, Jamie Geller, who was one of the film’s producers, said, “The documentary ‘Frontline Warriors,’ which features Kestenbaum’s advocacy efforts, together with those of Eden Yadegar (Columbia) and Eli Tsives (UCLA), will proceed with its scheduled screenings despite the legal pressure. Aish maintains that the film represents protected speech and serves an important educational purpose in documenting contemporary civil rights issues.”
Kestenbaum is currently running for the World Zionist Congress on the Aish Ha’am slate and is bringing his experience as an advocate for Jewish students to the international stage.
“Harvard subpoenas Aish over an antisemitism documentary featuring Shabbos Kestenbaum, eh? That sounds like a pretty serious situation unfolding on campus. It highlights the ongoing concerns around antisemitism in academic settings and the legal steps institutions might be taking to address them. These are complex issues with a lot of different perspectives. For anyone following these kinds of developments in higher education, or even considering their own university experience, here’s a link with some general info on university costs: <a href=”https://jakarta.telkomuniversity.ac.id/en/how-much-does-public-vs-private-college-cost/”>Telkom University Jakarta</a>. It’s a reminder of the important discussions happening on campuses worldwide.”