One-third of doctors and medical staff in Canada's most populous province are considering leaving the country due to rising antisemitism, according to a recent survey by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario (JMAO).
Before October 7, less than one percent of respondents considered antisemitism a significant issue in Canada. After the Hamas attack, this number has surged to 80%.
Serena Chaya Lee-Ziegel, 44, an occupational therapist, is among the medical professionals reconsidering their future. She vividly remembers that day in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge, when she walked the streets of Toronto with her two children in a stroller and discovered new graffiti at a bus stop: "Jews die." "I cried. I just broke down," she recalls.
‘The graffiti wasn’t just against me – it was against my children’
"That actually was really, really, actually sad for me, because my kids are just over one year old, and they did nothing but deserve someone to say that they should die. They were born Jewish, and that's the only reason why they want them dead", says Lee-Ziegel.
According to her, the situation has worsened since October 7. “At our annual fundraising campaign for Jewish communities, I was walking with my two kids, wearing an Israeli flag and a hat that says ‘Chai’ on it, and there we had lots of anti-Israel protesters yelling out profanities as we're walking by
The anti-Israel protesters didn’t hold back: “‘Baby killer,’ ‘Zionist pig,’ ‘supporter of genocide.’ They're saying all these other inflammatory statements because there's been a lot in Toronto. My kids did nothing to deserve someone saying that they should die. They were born Jewish, and that's the only reason why they want them dead. They ask, ‘Why do people hate us? Why are they attacking us?’
“Even going to synagogue for the High Holidays, they had to get through security and they were wondering, ‘Why do we have to do this? Mom, what's going on?’ And I told them it is for our protection. Then they asked me, ‘Why do we need to be protected?’ It's so sad that our kids have to live like that.
Are you seriously considering leaving Canada?
"Yes, events like these make me feel that I don’t want to be here anymore—it’s insane. But on the other hand, there aren’t many other options. There’s no truly safe or welcoming place for Jews in the world right now. My brother lives in Vancouver, and it’s no better there. My sister lives in London, and it’s clearly not better there either.
"My parents fled Hong Kong because of hatred and oppression. They came here for a better life, to escape communism and the politicization of every institution there. And now they fear for me and my children for the same reasons.
"My uncle told me to take the mezuzah off my door because he’s afraid we’ll be targeted. But I refuse to bow down to hatred. I told him I’m not taking it down—it’s part of my identity.
"Canada has always prided itself on cultural diversity, but since October 7, I feel like I’ve lost my sense of belonging in my own country. Before that date, there were no so-called ‘educational sessions’ in hospitals aimed at spreading propaganda. No one told me to ‘go back to where you came from.’ I wasn’t afraid to wear my Star of David openly. Even during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a frontline worker and an Asian woman, I didn’t face the level of hatred and racism I’m experiencing today as a Jew.
"Antisemitism has become normalized, almost routine. In Toronto, Jewish businesses are being targeted, including bookstores that have absolutely no connection to the conflict in the Middle East. Why vandalize a bookstore and spray ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti on it? That’s not protest—it’s pure hatred.
"I see it from a deeply personal perspective, too. I grew up Catholic, and I never feared going to church without security or armed guards. I never hesitated to wear a cross around my neck, even when traveling the world. But now, as a Jew, I think twice before wearing a Star of David in an unfamiliar place."
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Serena Chaya Lee-Ziegel (third from right) with Jewish Medical Association of Ontario
(Photo: JMAO)
Despite the difficult feelings, the survey results surprised her. "I thought I was the only one who felt this way, but a third of the community is considering emigrating. It's insane. This isn’t just about cold statistics; it’s about the real experiences we’re living through. Today, Jews feel like there’s no safe place in the world for them outside of Israel. But unfortunately, Israel isn’t an option for me either. I don’t speak Hebrew, and as a convert of Chinese descent, I’m not sure I would be accepted there. That’s the strangest part of this whole story—I feel so deeply connected to Israel and the Jewish people, yet I’m not sure I could truly belong there."
'It doesn't feel safe to walk the world as myself'
Jewish medical staff who participated in the survey reported similar feelings and have already taken initial steps toward exploring their options. Many attended aliyah fairs specifically aimed at healthcare professionals.
One of them, Prof. Barry Pakes from the University of Toronto, shared that while he had previously endured dismissive comments about his kippah on campus, the levels of hatred towards Jews and Israel following October 7 have forced him to hide it under a baseball cap. "For the first time ever, I feel threatened, and that it’s not safe to walk through the world as myself," he said.
Another doctor shared in the survey that a colleague had rebuked him, saying, "Do you really have no shame wearing a kippah at a time like this?" Another colleague remarked, "You’re not like the other Jews I know. You’re not cunning." Others openly made jokes about how "Jews love money but don’t work hard."
In the operating room, shortly after October 7, a surgeon said the massacre wouldn’t have happened if not for the Holocaust and that Jews invaded Palestine to find a safe haven. Another doctor recounted trying to focus on a complex surgery while colleagues around him casually threw out antisemitic remarks and classic blood libel tropes: "Jews are liars, greedy, stingy, and control everything, including all businesses, which is why there’s no freedom of speech against them," he heard them say.
A senior member of the board at a major Toronto hospital shared that during meetings, comments were made about "Jewish donors having too much control." He also experienced negative treatment from some colleagues and managers after they discovered he was Jewish.
Another healthcare worker shared that at her hospital, it was customary to light a menorah and hold a public candle-lighting ceremony each year. After October 7, a small menorah was placed in an obscure corner, and the candlelighting ceremony was canceled. "When we asked management, they said it’s a sensitive time, and they didn’t want to draw too much attention to the holiday for security reasons," she said.
Another manager openly admitted that he doesn’t want to hire Jewish employees, saying: "There are already too many of you here. Who’s going to cover the shifts on Jewish holidays?"
A mandatory event for staff and students—on Yom Kippur
The data from academia, though unsurprising, is particularly troubling: The dean of one of Ontario's largest medical faculties scheduled the annual equity forum—a mandatory event for students and staff—specifically on Yom Kippur. Despite repeated requests from faculty and students to change the date, he initially refused and only relented after significant pressure was applied.
In fact, nearly three-quarters (around 73%) of medical staff reported experiencing antisemitism in universities and during their residencies, compared to 64% who reported antisemitism in hospitals. This figure has nearly doubled: Before October 7, about 27% of medical students in Ontario reported experiencing antisemitism in academic settings. After the Hamas attack, this number surged to 63%. Furthermore, around 67% of students in Ontario admitted they are worried about their future careers due to antisemitic bias among their peers.
One student reported receiving threats after signing a petition declaring himself a Zionist. Another described how classmates actively incited other students against their Jewish peers and Jewish professors. A resident shared how his clinical supervisor asked him to explain the current situation between Arabs and Jews in Israel, entirely unrelated to his clinical duties. "I gave him a factual response and noted that Arabs in Israel have equal rights to Jewish Israelis. The supervisor disagreed and declared in front of everyone that Israel is an apartheid state," he described.
Lee-Ziegel: "The only explanation I can find for the unions’ behavior is that they hate Jews. They are deeply antisemitic. Otherwise, why focus on one single country out of all the global social justice issues? They like to disguise what they do as a fight for social justice, but they aren’t doing this for any other war currently happening in the world. They push a political agenda under the guise of social justice."
But the phenomenon isn’t limited to colleagues—it sometimes comes from patients as well. "One patient told me he didn’t want to be examined by me because I’m Jewish and left me offensive voicemails," one survey respondent shared. Another doctor recounted how a patient approached him and inspected his head, trying to find ‘horns.’ Another physician described an encounter where a patient casually said, "Then a Jew opened a shop next to my mother’s store, and like Jews do, he stole all her customers and money."
Lee-Ziegel added, "The only explanation I can find for the unions’ behavior is that they hate Jews. They are deeply antisemitic. Otherwise, why focus on one single country out of all the global social justice issues? They like to disguise what they do as a fight for social justice, but they aren’t doing this for any other war currently happening in the world. They push a political agenda under the guise of social justice."
On the other hand, there’s growing concern that antisemitism could affect patients themselves: 58% of Jewish healthcare professionals surveyed expressed fear that Jewish patients might suffer harm or receive substandard medical care.
Lee-Ziegel shared a story about one of her patients, an 80-year-old Holocaust survivor, who grabbed her hands and said: "Thank God you’re Jewish. I feel safer." According to her, the patient noticed her Star of David necklace and felt comfortable opening up, admitting he was scared about the care he might receive at the clinic due to what he had seen on the news and in the streets. "Jewish patients have told me that my presence made them feel safer and that if I’m there, they won’t face discrimination," she said. "It’s terrifying to think that patients are afraid to go to hospitals simply because they are Jewish."
The unions are fueling antisemitism
Another central arena where antisemitism in healthcare is glaringly evident is within hospital workers' unions. According to Lee-Ziegel, these professional unions are likely one of the main reasons why antisemitism has become so prominent in public health institutions.
"I see pro-Palestinian protests on TV, and almost every time, my union's flag is there, alongside calls for a 'global intifada' and the destruction of Jews," Lee-Ziegel shares. "Then I return to work, walk through the hallways, and wonder: Which of my colleagues hates me? Who here wishes for my death? It creates a toxic and divisive work environment, and I feel incredibly lonely and isolated."
"I’m afraid to say anything because I don’t know how it will be received or if I’ll lose my job. I feel like I’ve become a target in my workplace. Unfortunately, the employer or the hospitals can’t do anything because they see the union as a separate entity. So people like me have to face the union alone, and we’re up against organizations with 180,000 members — you end up feeling very small and powerless. There’s no option to leave the union. They deduct membership fees directly from my paycheck, and those funds finance the union leaders and their political agendas."
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Lee-Ziegel attended several union events and was shocked to discover that instead of the promised discussions about equality in healthcare, the panel’s headline was "Working Against Apartheid."
"It was incredibly difficult to sit there," she recounts. "The entire discussion revolved solely around Israel — how it’s supposedly an apartheid state committing genocide — along with encouragement for members to organize 'educational strikes' in their workplaces to spread this propaganda."
How do you explain the unions' motivation?
"The only explanation I can find is that they hate Jews. They are deeply antisemitic. Otherwise, why focus on one single country out of all the global social justice issues? They like to disguise what they do as a fight for social justice, but they aren’t doing this for any other war currently happening in the world. They push a political agenda under the guise of social justice, but it’s not focused on labor issues in Ontario, as it should be — instead, it’s about a war on the other side of the world."
Despite her fear of losing her job, Lee-Ziegel felt she could no longer remain silent. She wrote letters to union leadership, signed petitions, and filed formal complaints with hospital management. "But nothing happened," she says. "There’s no action."
In this vacuum, it’s unsurprising that 36% of Jewish healthcare professionals surveyed reported concerns about their professional future. Some have already taken steps: 14% have reduced their teaching roles, and 31% are considering doing so. Others are contemplating leaving their hospitals or severing their academic affiliations altogether.
"If we don’t act now, we risk losing an entire generation of doctors, educators, and researchers," warns Prof. Ayelet Cooper, Chair of the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario. "And this is happening precisely when our healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. We can—and must—do more."
According to Lee-Ziegel, "If Jewish professionals leave, the system, already grappling with severe staffing shortages following the pandemic, will collapse. All Canadians will pay the price. We must not stay silent in the face of antisemitism and discrimination because every patient—regardless of their background—deserves to feel safe and respected when seeking medical care.
Public healthcare is a source of pride for Canada—it attracts immigrants and unites all Canadians from east to west. But antisemitism, which leads to the exclusion of Jews, will weaken the system even further. Seeing Jews treated differently from every other group isn’t just dangerous—it’s terrifying. If we don’t act now, all Canadians will pay the price."
Blacklists of 'Zionist' psychiatrists
Meanwhile, a new study in the United States reveals that the number of Jewish medical professionals reporting experiences of antisemitism has more than doubled since October 7. The study, based on a survey of healthcare professionals and students, was authored by Dr. Steven Roth from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and published in the Journal of Religion and Health. According to the survey, 88% reported experiencing antisemitism after October, compared to 40% before.
The findings point to a sharp rise in references to Jews, Israel, and antisemitism on social media, alongside conspiracy theories. Dr. Roth noted that the findings are deeply concerning: "When antisemitism seeps into medicine, it harms the entire system." In another article, Roth and his colleague Dr. Hedi Wald called for an approach based on education, engagement, empathy, and enforcement to combat the phenomenon.
During a recent congressional hearing sponsored by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Brandeis Center for Human Rights, additional testimonies about discrimination and persistent antisemitism in medical institutions, medical schools, and among healthcare professionals were revealed. The testimonies included attempts to create blacklists of so-called "Zionist" psychiatric professionals, refusals to allow the formation of Jewish employee support groups in hospitals, and rejections of requests to establish Jewish student clubs in medical schools—while similar requests from other minority groups were approved.
It was also reported that medical students are exposed to antisemitic content in their coursework, including presentations featuring antisemitic symbols and false claims that all Jews are "white and privileged." Additionally, cases were documented where psychiatric approaches portrayed Zionism as a mental disorder requiring "treatment."
During the hearing, members of Congress expressed deep shock over the testimonies. Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman of New York stated that antisemitism has far-reaching consequences beyond the Jewish community, saying: "Antisemitism is a threat to our democracy and the pluralism that allows it to thrive."
Republican Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia, a pharmacist by profession, said he was appalled by the testimonies and emphasized that this issue must be fought and eradicated. Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland warned that "Antisemitism is a pathway to the destruction of liberal democracy" and called for immediate action to halt the phenomenon.