Jewish UFC Fighter Gives MMA Lessons To Help Harvard Jews Defend Themselves
A Good Samaritan is stepping up to help Jewish students at Harvard feel safe among the rising antisemitism on campus since the attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
Natan Levy, who boasts an 8-2 record as a UFC fighter and is proudly Jewish, attended Harvard on Wednesday as part of StandStrong — an organization dedicated to combating threats against groups of people under attack, through self-defense classes.
One of the unfortunate storylines at Ivy League schools this year has been the pro-Hamas, pro-Palestine demonstrations, which have extended into threats, many of them physical, directed at Jewish students due to their faith and support of Israel.
Wanting to push back on the narrative of "weak Jews," Levy and StandStrong encouraged Jewish students at Harvard to learn new self-defense tactics in order to protect themselves and feel comfortable practicing their religion against the rabid protesters supporting Palestine.
Jewish students have been vocal about feeling unsafe amid the Palestinian demonstrations.
Levy has also called for the safe return of Jewish captives who are being detained by Hamas.
"There’s a perception that Jews are physically weak," Harvard Chabad President and Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi said, via The Harvard Crimson. "We need strong Jews."
Levy attended Harvard Chabad to teach "rear push kicks, jab crosses, and wrist grabs during the roughly hour-long class," noted the Crimson.
As a fellow Jew, Levy feels the pressure of the current political climate set out to demonize people for supporting Israel.
Levy is teaching folks how to shut the hate up and help reinforce practicing tolerance … the easy or hard way.
"[I] teach people to stand strong, to show confidence, to be proud of who they are, to never be ashamed of who they are and where they came from," Levy, 32, told the Crimson.
"The main goal is to make everybody feel safe. We want, again, everybody to be confident in their skin."
It's a noble cause amid sad times for Jewish students.
At a time when antisemitism is increasing, Ivy League administrators have often avoided addressing the issue and, at times, even aligned with the hateful movement.
As previously reported on OutKick, Columbia University placed three deans on leave after they sent text messages mocking Jewish students for complaining about their safety on campus during a panel in May.
Anti-Israel demonstrators at Harvard have called to "globally expand the intifada," which prompted a lawsuit from several Jewish students over serious concerns of their school's lack of response.
Thanks to Levy and other brave individuals, antisemitism at Harvard is being addressed, and the aim is to ensure Jewish students feel secure in practicing their beliefs.
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com