According to the Harvard Crimson, the campus of Harvard University is dotted with cardboard Santas and menorahs and most of the University Houses have both a menorah and a Christmas tree. But there is no mention of a nativity scene anywhere on the campus. Indeed, there is considerable controversy over the scheduled placement of a Christmas tree in Leverett House. Some students have said that a Christmas tree is divisive and one student leader compared the tree to “a Trojan horse.” The same student said that by allowing the Christmas tree, Harvard was opening the door to the placement of all other symbols. He cited the swastika as an example.
Catholic League president William Donohue spoke to this issue today:
“Catholic students at Harvard University have a moral obligation to request the placement of a nativity scene on the campus in the same area where menorahs are placed. If they are denied, the Catholic League will give Harvard all the publicity it deserves on this issue.
“Just as there are Catholics who are anti-Semitic, there are Jews who are anti-Catholic. Unfortunately, the problem of anti-Catholicism that afflicts some of those in the Jewish community rears its ugly head every December. Not only are Catholics, and Protestants, told they cannot have their religious symbol (the nativity scene) on public property, they are now told that such secular symbols as Santa Claus and Christmas trees must be banned. Yet such religious symbols as the menorah and the Star of David are just fine.
“The latest complaint we’ve heard is that Christmas trees are too big as compared to menorahs. Well, not in Central Park. In Central Park Jews will now erect the world’s largest menorah. God bless them. We will put our little (by comparison) nativity scene in the same area on December 19. But unlike the anti-Catholic bigots, we will not complain. That’s because size doesn’t matter to us.”
