For this year’s post on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we take a look at antisemitism in medicine today, and a new professional organization that has formed to deal with it. A recently published article by an international team of authors details antisemitic incidents within the healthcare context that have taken place since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – all English-speaking countries – are the countries represented by the authors of this article. The incidents represented include the doxing and harassment of medical practitioners simply for being Jewish; a wave of anti-Jewish sentiment expressed by medical professionals, medical schools, and professional associations; the feeling among Jewish medical professionals that they must hide their identity to avoid workplace repercussions; and even demonstrations at healthcare facilities that have frightened staff and patients.
Key questions remain in the wake of these incidents, according to the authors. Gordon et al. seek to understand how the resurgence of antisemitism affects the Jewish community, which includes healthcare workers. They wonder when and how national healthcare authorities will step in with strategies aimed at combating the atmosphere of hatred affecting the workplace and its stakeholders, from practitioners to patients. Additionally, the authors question how the response might be different if this degree of hatred were aimed at other societal groups.
Hatred needs to be addressed at institutional levels, according to the authors. Gordon et al. list three suggestions for public policy: that a clear definition of antisemitism be established and widely disseminated across healthcare contexts, including workplaces and schools; that clear policies for conduct be communicated, as well as the consequences for violating the policy; and finally, that education on antisemitism be provided to leadership, faculty, staff, and students at healthcare institutions.
Medical professionals in the United States have responded to the resurgence of antisemitism in a concrete way with the establishment in the wake of October 7 of the American Jewish Medical Association, a new nonprofit organization established to represent Jewish physicians, fellows, residents, medical students, and public health and healthcare professionals. The AJMA has chapters across the U.S., and issues statements on current topics of concern. It also provides access to a form for medical workers to report cases of antisemitism, including violence or intimidation, hate speech, or institutional issues, among others. The AJMA also has a weekly podcast that looks at the intersection of healthcare and Jewish values.
Sadly, antisemitism did not begin with the Holocaust, nor did it end there. On this international day of remembrance, it is important to learn from the past by considering how you can help to chart a more inclusive future.
References
Gordon, M., Teitel, J., Rosenberg, T., Oratz, R., Katz, N., & Katz, D. (2024). Antisemitism in Medicine: An International Perspective. Rambam Maimonides medical journal, 10.5041/RMMJ.10536. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10536
