Columbia University is facing renewed criticism after a campus dining hall displayed a menu listing “October 7th Blush Sauce” on the third anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel.

The controversial wording appeared at John Jay Dining Hall on October 7, 2026, exactly three years after Hamas terrorists murdered approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages.

The pinkish-red pasta sauce was listed alongside ordinary menu options, but the inclusion of the date sparked outrage, with critics questioning how such a reference could appear on one of the most painful days in Jewish history.

Now Columbia University is explaining what happened.

Vicki Dunn, assistant vice president of Columbia Dining, insisted the wording was an accidental formatting error, not an intentional reference to the massacre.

“This was an unfortunate mistake and was not intended as a reference to the events of October 7,” Dunn said.

She explained that the sauce was already scheduled to be served and that the date was accidentally carried over when staff copied the information into the menu template.

Dunn apologized for the confusion and concern, confirming that the signs were removed once the error was discovered.

Columbia also announced that dining menus would undergo an additional staff review before being posted.

The controversy comes amid years of turmoil surrounding anti-Israel activism at Columbia.

Since October 7, 2023, the university has witnessed massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations, tent encampments, building occupations, arrests, and repeated allegations of antisemitism.

Among the movement’s most prominent figures was Mahmoud Khalil, a leading negotiator for Columbia’s pro-Palestinian protesters. His detention by U.S. immigration authorities in 2025 triggered a national legal and political controversy.

On the third anniversary of the massacre, pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered outside Columbia, where protesters chanted slogans calling for an intifada while Jewish students and families commemorated the victims of Hamas.

For critics, the menu controversy has renewed concerns about the atmosphere Jewish students have faced on campus since October 7.

Columbia insists it was an innocent mistake. But critics are questioning how such an extraordinarily insensitive error could have made it onto a dining hall menu on that particular day.