Overview
- A photograph posted on X by Haaretz correspondent Simone Saidmehr showed a John Jay Dining Hall board labeling a pasta option “October 7th Blush Sauce,” and the image circulated widely online.
- The university removed the printed sign within hours and said the date had been left in when staff copied daily meal information into a menu template.
- Columbia’s online menu later listed blush sauce without the date, and dining officials described blush sauce as a routine offering rather than a new or symbolic item.
- The label drew sharp online backlash with critics calling it insensitive and some demanding the responsible employee be fired and the university face sanctions.
- The episode has reopened long-running campus debates over antisemitism, protest and institutional accountability and could increase pressure on Columbia to disclose any disciplinary actions.