The fear of openly identifying as Jewish when hospitalized

Who would have thought the day would come that Jews would feel they must hide their ethnicity when being admitted into a hospital?

Sadly, in these days of open antisemitism, the combination of lack of moral integrity, malicious intent and the accessibility to harm Jews, can negatively impact anyone documenting their religious or cultural persuasion.

Take the recent case of three Australian Jews who revealed to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that they were “too frightened to write the word ‘Jewish on a hospital form.’”

As one of the patients put it, “When you are under general anesthetic, you are completely vulnerable. Several of my friends have hidden their identities.” Her concerns began following October 7, as she began to see “large crowds of protestors coming against Israel, making her fearful to disclose her Jewish/Israeli ethnicity.

Another patient expressed concerns over the fear of not being given the proper treatment or medication, especially worrisome when undergoing surgery.

For those who may chalk this up to paranoia, they shouldn’t, because there are already examples of medical personnel who had intentions to harm Jews. Last February, a recording was discovered, where two Sydney nurses, unashamedly said that they would be willing to kill Israeli patients. 

One of them said, “I won’t treat Israelis. I’ll kill them. While the other referred to them as dogs, saying that they would be sent to hell by him. 

While these incidents happened in Australia, a physician who worked at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital was also fired in March, 2025 for “allegedly celebrating Hamas terrorists.” Another case involved the firing of a Portland, OR nurse, for the same reason. 

It’s no wonder that Jews might be skittish about openly identifying themselves in light of some unscrupulous healthcare workers, already caught expressing their contempt for Jewish and Israeli patients.  

Camesha Hart, the Oregon nurse, called pro-Israeli individuals “vermin,” saying she wouldn’t treat them if they needed her medical services. Her Instagram post said, “I would refuse to treat you. I don’t take care of animals, dogs, rats or vermin of any kind.”

When considering how far antisemitic behavior will go, if someone truly despises Jews and has the ability to harm them, what would prevent them from doing so.  

Here’s another concern. What about those who work in the food preparation industry or anything that can be ingested? They, too, have the means to hurt Israelis or Jews who find themselves in the position of receiving food or services from such individuals.

As hundreds of thousands take to the streets, throughout the world, to angrily express their intense hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people, has anyone ever stopped to think just how many of them are employed in hospitals, clinics, medical facilities of all types or restaurants, where Jews are at the mercy of being poisoned, injured or even killed?

While all this may sound like the stuff of extreme, irrational suspicion and distrust, bordering on hysteria, it’s hard not to see a justification for the type of mistrust, both because it’s already happened and also as a result of the profound evil that we are witnessing these days. 

But it’s not just a Jewish issue. As hate spills onto Christians and Westerners, fueled by their radicalized religious ideologically-held beliefs, they’re not an immune class either.  

Terrorism can happen in many forms, not just opening fire on a crowd. All anyone really has to do is apply for a position where they will have full access to those they hate. At that point, they’re free to hurt whoever they want.

We live in troubling times, with many people who have gone to the dark side, allowing an uncontrolled hatred to take root and grow in their hearts. Willing to cross the line, there are those who will act on those intense feelings, ready to risk all, for the sake of a twisted cause that is anti-humanity.

Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the ADL admitted that “Jews (in Australia) are now in hiding (when it comes to their identity) in hospitals. He said, “In Australia, Jews believe it is dangerous to be Jewish on an operating table.”

The Australian granddaughter of a concentration camp survivor concurred saying, “This is fear of doctors.  Fear of nurses. Fear of the people holding the needle.  Hospitals are where we are the weakest, where we hand our lives to strangers and trust them completely. When Jews trust a stranger with their heart but not with their name, this country is in serious trouble. Hospitals are meant to save lives. Now Jews walk in wondering if their name will cost them theirs.” 

Those worries, happening Down Under, are likely also being felt by Jews throughout Europe, the U.S. and Canada where the spread of antisemitism is also rapidly growing.  

We can only imagine that this type of toxic atmosphere was exactly what was felt by so many during the days leading up to the Holocaust. It is said that at that time, “medical care could become a form of opportunism, a means for survival or a method of resistance.”

Fortunately, we are not yet victim to an insidious national ideology that has taken hold of its citizens, conspiring against a particular group, as was the case in 1930s Europe.  That is because our laws are still the guardrails, protecting all people regardless of race or religion. 

But what happens when those laws are replaced by anti-Western people who have purposely invaded democratic countries in order to enact their own preferred governance. How long will it take before freedoms and protections are discarded, replaced by laws that discriminate against certain groups who are despised?

This is yet another good reason why Western countries should be extremely discriminating when it comes to allowing migrants with values that cannot co-exist with freedom-loving people. Because when life is cheaply held, liberty and dignity are no longer factors in how people are treated or viewed.

Being able to openly identify one’s ethnicity depends upon the good-will and trust within a society as well as the belief that no one will be harmed when that information is disclosed.

Sadly, it looks as if those days may rapidly be coming to an end.