“Discrimination doesn’t just impact doctors,” said the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario chair. “It undermines the entire health-care system.”
A new survey released by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario found that almost one-third (31%) of the 500 respondents in Ontario are considering leaving Canada due to the rising rates of antisemitism in the country.
The full survey, released on Wednesday, received responses from more than 1,000 Jewish medical professionals across Canada.
While 1% reported experiencing “severe antisemitism” before the Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, 29% said they have now experienced some form of Jew-hatred in their communities, 39% in hospitals and 43% in academic settings.
“Discrimination doesn’t just impact doctors,” said Dr. Ayelet Kuper, chair of the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario. “It undermines the entire healthcare system, compromising patient care and eroding workplace integrity.”
Dr. Sam Silver, an associate professor at Queen’s University, told the National Post how the antisemitic bigotry has affected him and his students.
“I work with health-care students and residents who are bright, compassionate, and committed to becoming the future of healthcare in Canada,” Silver said. “Yet they are navigating a hostile environment where their identity as Jews makes them targets of hate and exclusion. This cannot continue.”
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