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By Kate Whitney
Since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents — already at historic highs in the U.S. even before the terror attacks by Hamas — have surged. And while much of the focus has been on colleges and universities, more and more adults are finding themselves demonized and discriminated against in the workplace for identifying as Jewish.
One of the most surprising areas for this increase in intolerance has been in the health care field where “first, do no harm” is the foundational ethics precept taught to all medical students.
Dr. Caroline Kaufman is an assistant psychologist in the Spirituality and Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital and an instructor in psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Last month, with help from CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism in mobilizing a local contingent of representatives, Kaufman traveled to Washington, D.C., with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), along with 40 other Jewish leaders, to urge Congress to take action against the rise in antisemitism in the medical and health fields.
The stories she brought with her were disturbing: virulently antisemitic rhetoric on academic listservs. The distribution of antisemitic cartoons and imagery. An intern and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor crying about the guilt they felt because they were scared to reveal their Jewish identity. A list of supposedly “Zionist therapists” (some not even Jewish but with “Jewish-sounding” last names) added to a blacklist in the Chicago area.
“Prior to Oct. 7, I took for granted that my colleagues were broadly supportive of my identity and how I live my life as a Jew,” Kaufman says. “It was only after that I realized how precarious that support is and that there’s a litmus test for Jews in professional spaces. Are you a Jew who passes the test with your views on Israel and other political issues, making you a good and acceptable Jew, or the opposite? It became apparent that it is more acceptable to express views that previously, in my experience, were not tolerated. The impact of that has led me to have a more defensive stance in professional spaces. It’s been very stressful.”
Supporting Jewish employees in the workplace
Many workplaces have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives designed to foster a diverse workforce, ensure equal opportunities, and create an inclusive culture, but individuals who identify as Jewish are increasingly finding themselves perceived as an unprotected class, having to answer for the Israeli government (regardless of their feelings on the matter), and facing sweeping allegations of racism and supporting genocide. Jewish employee resource groups (ERGs) are on the rise, providing a safe space to support community, culture, career, and care for Jewish and Jewish-identifying employees.
As part of CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism’s (CCA) work to support Jewish ERGs — a key component of CCA’s effort to address antisemitism in the workplace — CCA helped support Mass General Brigham’s (MGB’s) new Jewish ERG, along with ADL New England, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. As the largest employer in Massachusetts, MGB’s ERG provides significant momentum and inspiration to other Jewish ERG members who are already connected to CCA.
Dr. Jacki Hart, director of the Heal Ukraine Group, is an advisor to MGB’s Jewish ERG and was part of the JFNA fly-in to Capitol Hill last month after Melissa Garlick, associate vice president of CJP’s CCA, told her about the opportunity.
Hart too had heard heartbreaking stories from Boston-based colleagues and patients to bring to D.C.: clients being treated differently by their practitioners because of their Zionist leanings, and patients afraid to disclose their Jewish ancestry to a health care provider wearing a “Free Palestine” T-shirt or watermelon earrings.
Hart says that employers in Greater Boston and elsewhere, including in health care, are beginning to appreciate the need for antisemitism training. However, she says, there is often a confounding of the issues with a desire to merge teaching about anti-Jewish bias in the context of all forms of hate. “You feel, sometimes, like you’re walking on eggshells; no one wants to take the first step,” she explains. “Conflating the issues and offering a resolution so milquetoast and middle of the road that it becomes essentially the equivalent of ‘All Lives Matter.’”
Meanwhile, a mixed-method, evidence-based survey conducted in late fall 2023 and six months later by MGB’s Jewish ERG co-chairs and Harvard Medical School professors Elyse Park, Ph.D., MPH, and Mark Poznansky, M.D., Ph.D., showed concerningly consistent levels of feelings of unsafety in the workplace. Almost all feelings of unsafety were related to interactions with staff and co-workers. These findings reflected the anecdotal reports Park and Poznansky had heard from colleagues, and no organization-wide training to educate employees on antisemitism has yet been offered — although there are plans to complete this.
“The point is to protect our two most vulnerable groups: patients and trainees,” says Poznansky. “And what we’re seeking is education about antisemitism, efforts to call out hate in health care, and a clear reporting and disciplinary process for hate speech — including posting on social media. We’ve been very clear about this since the beginning.”
“We just want neutrality in health care delivery,” Park adds. “That includes rules and regulations around clothing and accessories that are political in nature.”
“They may seem benign, but these things cause tremendous angst and hesitancy that affects patient care,” Hart says. “On top of which, people then deny our experience. If another marginalized group said they felt prejudiced against, you would believe them, right? It’s so hurtful to even have to say that out loud.”
Bringing attention to the issue
The September fly-in to Washington, D.C., was meant to shed light on what Jewish employees are facing in health care spaces, with the aim of getting Congress to establish an oversight committee or hold hearings, akin to those that brought attention to antisemitism on campus.
“It was truly remarkable,” Hart says. “This was put together fairly quickly, and we did have some Zoom training on how to talk to policymakers, but here you had 40 clinicians who dropped everything, paid for themselves, and flew in voluntarily to raise awareness about this issue.”
Altogether, the Jewish leaders stated their case to 25 lawmakers and policymakers from Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Illinois, California, Nebraska, New Jersey, and New York.
“This was an amazing experience for me and my colleagues,” Kaufman says. “Many of us spoke about challenges and harassment, and limitations in career aspirations due to identity. I provided statistics and background about what I see happening. Depending on the representative’s office, we were sometimes approached with surprise; some had no idea it was happening. But what I got from all of them was a willingness to listen and a desire to change, even if there was some lack of certainty on how to make that change.”
“I think JFNA is really motivated to make something happen,” Hart says. “It felt like this is just the beginning. I didn’t know any of the folks prior to the trip, and now I feel like I could call up any one of them to connect and discuss this issue. It was profound and empowering. It didn’t take away the pain, but it felt like, despite people trying to tamp us down and quiet us, we can work together and make a difference. It helped me know that we’re not alone in this.”
Get help, get involved
- If you’ve experienced or witnessed an antisemitic, bias, or discriminatory incident, report it to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
- Call your congressperson and call for hearings and investigations to shed light on antisemitism in the workplace
- Learn more about CJP’s CCA work in fighting antisemitism and supporting Jewish ERGs in Greater Boston
And, finally, some professional advice on how to take care of yourself if you’ve experienced discrimination in the workplace:
The first thing you need to address prejudice of any kind at work is awareness,” Kaufman says. “Give yourself time and space to reflect and feel. The next step is providing space for the hurt and recognizing that it hurts where it matters — your pain is also a recognition of values. Then, take space to heal, which is easier said than done for many of us, I know. The final piece for me as a Jewish person is to look to my Jewish history and culture. People in my family and ancestry — and Jews worldwide — have faced worse and we’re still here. This doesn’t minimize it, but I’m part of a line of strong and resilient Jews who have survived, and we will continue to survive.”
Kate Whitney is the associate creative director at CJP.
