Jewish clinicians and scientists have made profound contributions to medicine, yet Jewish participation in the profession has also been shaped by exclusion, quotas, forced displacement, and recurring antisemitism.
Historical context
Before the Holocaust, Jewish physicians were prominent within German medicine. When European Jewish doctors later sought safety elsewhere, many encountered entrenched prejudice and formal barriers in medical schools, hospitals, licensing, and professional appointments.
Many of those restrictions eventually fell. In the decades after the Second World War, Jewish doctors, researchers, and educators again became highly visible across medical systems internationally.
A renewed concern in healthcare
Following the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, Jewish healthcare professionals in multiple countries reported a renewed climate of hostility. The international paper highlighted by NZJeMA examines examples from four national settings and considers how antisemitism appears within clinical, academic, and professional environments.
This is not only a question of workplace culture. When political hostility enters healthcare without professional boundaries, it can affect staff wellbeing, education, collegial trust, and patients' confidence that they will receive impartial care.
Why it matters in New Zealand
New Zealand is not isolated from international trends. NZJeMA's role is to help Jewish health professionals and students connect, document concerns responsibly, access support, and take part in constructive education and advocacy.
Strong responses should protect open discussion while drawing a clear line around intimidation, stereotyping, discriminatory treatment, and conduct that undermines patient or staff safety.
Read the underlying paper
The full international article is available through PubMed Central. Readers should use the paper itself for its authorship, evidence, country examples, and references.
Open the research article