This program originally aired online via zoom on April 24th, 2025 at 12:30pm Eastern.
Julie Salamon (New York Times best-selling author) sits down with the 29th president of Harvard University, Lawrence Bacow. Larry joined us on Yom Hashoah (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) to reflect on his mother’s experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust, and the incredible life lessons he learned from her. Larry had recently attended the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau with his wife, and was a witness to the 50 survivors who participated in the observance. The camp was where Larry’s own Mother had been a prisoner, and many of his ancestors were murdered. The ceremony deeply moved Larry and reaffirmed his belief that freedom must never be taken for granted—not just for Jews, but for all people.
Larry went on to reflect on his leadership at Harvard and the moral imperative he felt to advocate for students and scholars at risk of persecution due to the nature of their research or academic work. He recounted fighting for a Lebanese refugee student who had been denied entry to the United States as a freshman. Today, he expresses deep concern over recent incidents in which international students have been arrested openly on city streets—without being read their Miranda rights or afforded due process.
Larry hoped that college campuses could continue to serve as models where open, respectful debate and disagreement could thrive. He believes the guiding principle, ‘Be slow to judge and quick to understand,’ offers a meaningful way to navigate the complexities of our world.
Larry grew up in a Conservative Jewish household where community and family life were centered around his synagogue. The Talmud teaching, “To save one life is to save the world,” resonates deeply with him.
Topics covered in this program: Holocaust, refugees, student protests, antisemitism on college campuses, higher education, the responsibility of higher education, freedom of speech, student rights, ethical teaching.
