Columbia University has apologized after a campus dining menu appeared to feature a dish labeled “October 7th Blush Sauce” on the third anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel, prompting widespread criticism on social media.<\/p>\n
A photograph of the menu circulated online Wednesday, showing the words “October 7th” alongside “Blush Sauce”. Many social media users interpreted the wording as an offensive reference to the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, in which approximately 1,200 people were murdered.<\/p>\n
University officials, however, insisted that the wording resulted from an accidental formatting error and was unrelated to the anniversary.<\/p>\n
Vicki Dunn, assistant vice president of Columbia Dining, told Fox News Digital that the date had mistakenly remained in a menu template when staff entered information about the day’s food offerings.<\/p>\n
“This was an unfortunate mistake and was not intended as a reference to the events of October 7,” Dunn said. “The blush sauce was scheduled to be served, and when that information was copied into the menu template, the date was accidentally left in. Our staff took the signs down as soon as the mistake was identified. We are sorry for the confusion and concern this caused.”<\/p>\n
Dunn also announced an additional review procedure intended to prevent similar incidents.<\/p>\n
“Moving forward, Columbia Dining will also have a team member review all menus before they are posted,” she added.<\/p>\n
Columbia issued a separate explanation on social media as criticism of the menu continued.<\/p>\n
“This was a mistake, not a reference to the events of October 7. The date was accidentally left in when the day\u2019s meal information was copied into the menu template. The signs were removed as soon as the error was caught, and we\u2019re sorry for the concern and confusion this caused.”<\/p>\n
The controversy comes against the backdrop of repeated antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University since Hamas’s October 7 attack.<\/p>\n
In February 2024, antisemitic flyers depicting a skunk<\/a> bearing the Israeli flag appeared on campus.<\/p>\n Two months later, anti-Israel activists established a protest encampment<\/a> at the university, raising serious safety concerns among Jewish students and faculty members.<\/p>\n Some demonstrations included threatening rhetoric directed at Jews. During one confrontation, two protesters told Jewish counterprotesters that the October 7 massacre would be repeated “every day” and “10,000” times.”<\/p>\n In another incident, a demonstrator displayed a sign urging Hamas’s military wing to murder Jewish students on campus.<\/p>\n Another incident occurred in December 2024, when a Jewish student wearing a kippah was punched in the face<\/a> by an anti-Israel protester near the university.<\/p>\n In May 2025, masked anti-Israel demonstrators took over Columbia’s Butler Library<\/a>, leading the university to suspend and impose other disciplinary measures<\/a> against dozens of people involved.<\/p>\n Columbia has also faced scrutiny from the Trump administration over its handling of antisemitism.<\/p>\n The administration accused the university of failing to provide adequate protection for Jewish students and froze $400 million<\/a> in federal research funding as part of a broader campaign targeting universities and their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.<\/p>\n Columbia and the administration subsequently reached a legal settlement.<\/p>\n