‘I fear their reaction to my name and identity’
Rising rates of antisemitism within Canada’s medical community are prompting many doctors to consider leaving the country, according to a recent report.
Almost one-third (31%) of those in Ontario are considering a departure.
Among Jewish medical professionals, 29 per cent in community settings, 39 per cent in hospitals and 43 per cent in academic environments report severe antisemitism, according to the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario (JMAO).
Those numbers are up from just 1% prior to Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage.
“I fear their reaction to my name and identity. Being uncomfortable with colleagues as I am aware many are unsupportive. Feeling that I cannot share, express or even admit my identity,” says one doctor, according to the National Post.
“I feel I no longer belong in Canada and may need to flee,” says another.
A further 80% say they have faced antisemitism at work since that date, and 98% of Jewish doctors in Canada are very worried about the impact of antisemitism on healthcare, found the survey.
The condition is not good for these professionals, says Dr. Sam Silver, a Kingston-based associate professor at Queen’s University.
“I work with health-care students and residents who are bright, compassionate, and committed to becoming the future of health-care in Canada. Yet they are navigating a hostile environment where their identity as Jews makes them targets of hate and exclusion. This cannot continue,” he says in the report.
Previously, a group of British Columbia teachers launched a human rights complaint against their union, claiming that the labour group “engaged in and enabled antisemitism”.
Union fostering unsafe environment, expert claims
Toronto-based occupational therapist Serena Lee-Segal expressed frustration over union inaction, particularly the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which she accused of fostering an unsafe environment, according to the National Post report.
“One of the hospitals where I work is unionized, and I have seen firsthand how the union has been visibly targeting Jews with hatred,” she said at a press conference. “Union members have been attending protests that condone terrorism, and I’ve witnessed colleagues showing up to these protests with union flags, chanting dangerous slogans. This environment has made me feel unsafe in my own workplace.”
The National Post notes that OPSEU did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations.
With antisemitism on the rise, employers can't “bury their heads in the sand,” according to an expert.
