Australian Jews Hesitate to Disclose Faith on Hospital Forms After October 7

Three Australian Jews told The Jerusalem Post that they were afraid to write the word ‘Jewish’ on a hospital form.

All three patients had contacted Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti‑Defamation Commission, for advice on disclosing their religion in hospital records. The Post subsequently interviewed them exclusively.

Patient 1: Fear of Disclosing Jewish Identity on Hospital Forms

Patient 1 explained that during a January procedure she listed her birthplace as Australia on the form rather than Israel, and omitted any reference to her Jewish identity. She noted that under general anesthesia she feels especially vulnerable, and several of her friends have taken similar steps.

She told The Post that prior to October 7 she had never feared openly identifying as Jewish or Israeli.

She added that after October 7, the sight of large crowds protesting at Jewish gatherings and in central business districts made her increasingly cautious, prompting her to conceal her identity in settings such as rideshares when asked about her origins or on medical forms.

In a recent hospital visit, Patient 1 said she still felt too vulnerable to disclose both her Jewish and Israeli identities.

Although she reported no personal experiences of antisemitic discrimination by healthcare staff, she said she had encountered hostility in public spaces and professional environments.

Patient 2: Requested Removal of ‘Jewish’ from Medical Record

Patient 2 told The Post that, for about a year, she had been removing her Jewish identity from medical records because she feared it might affect the quality of her care.

She noted that her anxiety about identifying as Jewish began slightly before October 7 but intensified thereafter, and although she had listed “Jewish” on the form, she could not confirm whether anyone had taken note.

She explained that if staff were unfriendly or if a procedure caused unusually sharp pain, it was difficult to determine whether bias played a role, describing this uncertainty as “the scary part,” and noting that subtle tactics can make a vulnerable patient feel deeply uncomfortable.

Patient 3: October 7 Heightened Fear of Declaring Jewish Identity on Hospital Forms

Patient 3 told The Post that she is preparing for a day‑procedure and, when completing administrative paperwork that asks for her religion, she wrestles with whether to list “Jewish,” noting that she used to do so but now feels hesitant in the current climate.

She said that while she has not encountered any concrete discrimination, she only began feeling fearful of revealing her Jewishness in medical settings after October 7.

She ultimately decided to write “Jewish” on the form.

She declared, “I will not hide my identity from those who threaten me,” she told The Post.

Abramovich told The Post that “Jews are now concealing their identities in hospitals.”

“This is not 1938 Berlin; it is happening in Australia today. Jews are concealing the same word — ‘Jewish’ — on hospital forms,” he said.

He explained that individuals awaiting surgery or treatment fear that the “religion” field could jeopardize their care, emphasizing that in Australia Jews perceive it as dangerous to disclose their faith on an operating table.

He also referenced a fourth message from a patient who, as the granddaughter of an Auschwitz survivor, felt “too ashamed” to inform her grandmother that she could not write “Jewish” on a Melbourne hospital form.

He warned that fear of doctors, nurses, and the personnel administering treatment reflects a broader crisis, stating that hospitals are places of vulnerability where patients entrust their lives to strangers, and that this situation is deeply troubling.

He added that when Jews entrust their hearts to strangers yet withhold their names, the nation faces serious consequences, and hospitals — meant to heal — have become sources of anxiety.

Bankstown Nurses Incident

The apprehensions of these individuals are not isolated; Australia has witnessed multiple instances of antisemitic misconduct within healthcare, some of which are currently under review by the Australian Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

A notable case involved a video recording of two former Sydney nurses openly stating they would kill Israeli patients.

During a conversation with Israeli content creator Max Veifer on the Chatruletka app in February, Bankstown nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh expressed intentions to harm Israeli patients.

(Abu Lebdeh: “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them”) and (Nadir: “You have no idea how many Israeli s*** dogs came to this hospital, and I sent them to hell.”)

When Veifer asked what would happen if “just Jewish people” came for treatment, Nadir appeared to end the call.

The Post has also reported an incident involving a nephrologist at Royal Perth Hospital who was accused of repeatedly harassing both Jewish and non‑Jewish Zionist medical professionals through online trolling.

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