Why I’m Running

I was born and raised in South Africa, but came to Harvard College as an undergraduate student in the class of 2009 because my black feminist anti-Apartheid activist mother, who was appointed Human Rights Commissioner by Nelson Mandela and served on two university boards in South Africa, warned me that she could see the writing on the wall for South African universities. They had succumbed to political interference, shut down debate, become obsessed with identity politics rather than truth-seeking or excellence, and allowed radical mobs to disrupt classes, exams, and speakers. Sadly, she was right. The University of Cape Town has since fallen 50 places in international rankings, and campus is frequently shut down due to violent protest. I’m disturbed to see signs of the same tendencies at Harvard today, and am running—along with three other alumni—to renew Harvard. (You can find our platform at the link.)

I also happen to be a proud Jewish convert who was involved at Harvard Hillel and Harvard Chabad throughout college. I am particularly alarmed at Harvard’s double standard on speech and tolerance of disruptive antisemitic harassment. The current climate should be an embarrassment to all of us, and I am running to help the administration change course, reverse the decline in American civic culture across campus, protect the civil rights of all students, and recommit to its motto Veritas before it is too late.

I’m excited to see the groundswell of support for change, with several other outside candidates also seeking to qualify by petition. Please nominate all of us by January 31, following the instructions below.

My Bio

I am the Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace. Prior to working at ZipRecruiter, I was an Assistant Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct economics instructor at Pepperdine University. I also served 11 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve after Harvard.

I was born into a family of anti-apartheid activists and grew up in South Africa during that country’s democratic transition. I chose to attend Harvard because, at the time, Harvard stood for meritocracy and excellence. My mother, who had served on the board of the University of Cape Town, warned me that South African institutions were on the path to decline because they had become incurably stifled by political correctness, racial politics, ideological conformity, and self-censorship. Sadly, she was right. I want to help Harvard avoid the same fate.

At Harvard, I relished the opportunity to study with professors who held wildly diverse opinions, such as Ruth Wisse, Alan Dershowitz, Niall Ferguson, Claudia Goldin, Steven Levistky, Robert Bates, and Sven Beckert. I want future generations of students to experience the climate of free expression, robust debate, and mutual respect that I found so invigorating when I arrived on campus in 2005.

I also want to help Harvard equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful leadership in an evolving economy. At ZipRecruiter, I lead a team that uses data from the ZipRecruiter marketplace to measure the health of the labor market, identify hiring trends, and helping employers and job seekers prepare for the future of work. Our research is frequently cited in leading national outlets, like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR. In 2023, I was named one of the 100 Most Influential Talent Acquisition (TA) Thought Leaders by TATech and won the Center for Workforce Inclusion’s Innovation & Thought Leadership Award for “unwavering dedication to advancing the cause of equitable economic opportunities.” I believe that the unapologetic pursuit of excellence is the best path to achieving diversity, and that Harvard needs to be more of a meritocracy, not less, to promote social equality.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts (hons) from Harvard in Economics, and a Master of Philosophy in Policy Analysis from the Pardee Rand Graduate School. At Harvard, I was active in Harvard Hillel, Harvard Chabad, and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. I lived in Wig-G and then Eliot House, and I was a member of the Bee Club. At RAND, I was active in the Student Career Advisory Council. Today, I volunteer by mentoring students, job seekers, and employers. I co-chair the labor economics roundtable of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and remain involved in a range of Chabad initiatives. I recently endowed a journalism scholarship in memory of my mother. My husband (a fellow Harvard graduate) and I live in Los Angeles and have three children, aged 12, 8, and 2.

Image: APCortizasJr

Standing up to antisemitism

As Harvard professor emerita Ruth Wisse has long noted, antisemitism or anti-Zionism has proven to be a uniquely valuable ideology in forging coalitions among otherwise disparate groups. (We all saw how quickly 34 student organizations signed onto a statement holding Israel responsible for the horrific violence perpetrated against it on October 7.) It can also be a convenient ideology for universities, in that it directs grievance, blame, and radical protest towards Jews and the Jewish state, which might otherwise be unleashed on university administrators, as was the case during the 1960s. Convenient, that is, in the short term. Longer-term, antisemitism tends to destroy every institution that indulges it. While I believe that Harvard should tolerate the expression of views, even those that are noxious, it also has a duty to educate students, call out views that are ignorant or bigoted, and stand firm on its core academic principles.

During his presidency of Harvard more than 20 years ago, Larry Summers warned that “serious and thoughtful people are advocating measures that would be antisemitic in their effect if not their intent.” He has since revised his assessment and warned that it is now “clear” that “antisemitism is being practiced in both intent and effect” on campus. Giving in to the boycott and divestment coalition, or to protestors who disrupt classes and disturb Widener Library, is often the easier choice for administrators. But it is a fundamental affront to the academic values that a university must uphold. Tolerating behavior that is radically intolerant—or worse, funding, certifying, and caving to it—should not become the easier option for Harvard. I would like to serve on the Board of Overseers to help university administrators stand up to this mind virus.

Meet all the petition candidates running to reverse the decline at Harvard. Please nominate all of us by January 31!

  • Zoe Bedell, HLS 2016

    Zoe is an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. She also served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps

  • Alec Williams, HBS 2017

    Alec is a Navy SEAL. Serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserves

  • Logan Leslie Harvard, College 2015, JD/MBA 2019

    Logan is the founder and CEO of Northern Rock, a company that buys, operates, and grows small businesses. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia

  • Sam Lessin, College 2005

    Sam is a General Partner at Slow Ventures, former VP of Product at Facebook, and multi-time former founder who lives in San Fransico

  • Harvey Silverglate, HLS 1967

    Co-founder of FIRE and Criminal defense & civil liberties litigator who lives in Boston

  • Judge Harris Hartz, College 1967, HLS 1972

    American jurist and lawyer who serves as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Image: Wall Street Journal

Harvard must stand for truth, which cannot be found in a climate of fear and conformity.

Image: Will Hart

NOMINATE

Please nominate me as a write-in candidate

To nominate me as a write-in candidate for the Board of Overseers:

1. Navigate to the official nomination form

2. Log in with your HarvardKey account

3. Fill out the nomination form with your information, and then nominate me

  1. First Name: Julia

  2. Last Name: Pollak

  3. School: Harvard and Radcliffe College

  4. Year: 2009

GET THE WORD OUT

Please email fellow alumni about my candidacy

Sample email:

Subject: Support Julia Pollak for Harvard Board of Overseers

Body: Please join me in supporting the campaign of Julia Pollak, class of ‘09, to get onto the ballot for the Harvard Board of Overseers. Julia is a Jewish, pro-Israel alumna committed to ensuring that Harvard is a place of truth-seeking, free expression, diversity of opinion, respectful debate, and the unapologetic pursuit of excellence.

She will be an outspoken defender of the norms essential to Harvard’s educational mission and its endurance as the world’s most respected university. Learn more about her candidacy at julia4overseer.com and nominate her as a write-in candidate HERE.

Disclaimer: The views contained herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Defense Department or its Components, the RAND Corporation, ZipRecruiter, Inc., or any other organization with which I am, or have been, affiliated.