Embattled Harvard president attends menorah lighting on campus amid antisemitism backlash: 'Performative'

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Harvard University's embattled president Claudine Gay attended a university menorah lighting ceremony on Wednesday, as she continues to resist resounding calls to resign over campus antisemitism. 

The daily lighting ceremony, which was organized by the Harvard Chabad organization, had approximately 100 students come out for the commemoration. 

Gay, alongside Professor Jeff Bussgang, was spotted lighting the first candle.

Images from the event show Gay smiling ear-to-ear as she greets some Jewish students at the menorah ceremony at the campus’ Harvard Park.

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Harvard President Claudine Gay faced intense backlash after she appeared before Congress last week. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

In an Instagram post, the Harvard Chabad announced Gay's presence at the lighting. 

The Ivy League president was blasted in the comment section, with individuals calling Gay's participation in the event "performative" and "disgusting."

"When someone asks for a definition of the word, ‘performative,’ we can show them this!" one person wrote.

"What a joke," another wrote. "Absolutely disgraceful."

"Resign," others commented.

The Harvard trustees voted to keep President Gay after she responded to a Congressional hearing with an academic, but controversial, answer to a question about hate speech on campus.  (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Her appearance came the day after Harvard University’s highest governing body announced that they were standing alongside Gay, and would not terminate her.

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"As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University. Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing," Harvard Corporation wrote in a statement posted Tuesday morning. 

"So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, and the University’s initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation," the statement continued. "Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values. President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the University’s fight against antisemitism." 

Harvard President Claudine Gay (2nd L) attends a menorah lighting ceremony on the seventh night of Hanukkah. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

A close-up view of candles during the menorah lighting ceremony of Harvard's Jewish community on December 13, 2023, in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth each faced intense backlash after they appeared before Congress last week and were grilled about their handling of antisemitism on their respective campuses following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel in October.

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Gay responded to House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik's question during the antisemitism hearing on whether calls for Jewish genocide on campus violated Harvard's code of conduct.

"It can be, depending on the context," Gay responded.

Harvard President Claudine Gay (2nd L) attends a menorah lighting ceremony on the seventh night of Hanukkah with the University's Jewish community on December 13, 2023, in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

While Gay will keep her job after telling Congress that calls for Jewish genocide may not violate the Harvard code of conduct, Magill has resigned her post at Penn.

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On Tuesday, the Harvard Corporation announced that Gay would stay in her position, the Harvard Crimson reported.

Harvard University was not immediately available for comment.

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo, David Rutz and Brian Flood contributed to this report.