Unfortunately, antisemitism is not a relic of the past-it is an urgent and growing threat in the present-day dental industry. Across North America and beyond, Jewish dental professionals are reporting an alarming rise in discrimination, harassment, and intimidation, not only in academic institutions, but also within professional workplaces and even international organizations meant to represent all dental providers.
This is not just a student issue or a campus problem. It is a profession-wide concern that is bleeding into clinics, offices, lecture halls, and global conference centers. Jewish dentists, hygienists, assistants, educators, and students are all facing increasing hostility-simply for their identity, beliefs, and/or advocacy for truth and peace.
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Some Jewish professionals are now hesitant to wear symbols of their faith or identity in their own workplaces, fearing retaliation, ostracism, or subtle professional retribution. Others have been openly harassed by peers, supervisors, or patients for expressing support for Israel-or simply for identifying as Jewish. This climate of fear is being compounded by a quiet but persistent normalization of exclusion, which occurs often under the radar but is just as damaging.
A Historic Parallel-and a Warning
History reminds us that antisemitism has deep roots in the dental profession. At Emory University, during the tenure of Dean John Buhler, from the late 1940s through the 1950s approximately 65% of Jewish dental students were flunked or forced to repeat courses. This was an act of systemic discrimination that was only exposed years later, thanks to the work of Alpha Omega's very own member, the late Dr. Perry Brickman and his documentary "From Silence to Recognition: Confronting Discrimination in Emory's Dental School History."
Other forms of systemic academic bias also limited Jewish acceptance in professional schools, including the deliberate exclusion of applicants from universities with large Jewish populations-an attempt to curb Jewish enrollment without stating so. Jewish students who were admitted were often held to higher standards than their non-Jewish peers, routinely receiving B grades where others may have received A's. These discriminatory practices not only stifled talent but also sent a clear and painful message: Jewish students were not welcome.
This is not ancient history. Universities across the United States and Canada continue to schedule critical dental school exams on Jewish holidays-despite clear prohibitions in Jewish law against academic work or writing on certain holy days. Students worry that their last name will preclude them from being accepted into a specialty and force students and professionals to choose between their religious obligations and professional futures. This is more than unfair-it is discriminatory.
Disrespect in Schools and Beyond
Dental schools are producing the next generation of healthcare providers, but increasingly these environments are failing their Jewish students. Some of the reports coming to light include: Jewish students being excluded from class-based groups or events; classmates entering lectures en masse wearing intimidating political t-shirts or symbols; swastikas etched into work surfaces; and fundraisers co-opted by antisemitic chants and slogans. These same students participating in these intolerable acts will soon become our colleagues-and if the dental workplace does not proactively create a culture of safety and respect, the industry will inherit the trauma and mistrust these young professionals bring from their training.
The FDI World Dental Congress-one of the most important annual gatherings of dental professionals worldwide-was scheduled to take place in 2023 from September 24-27 in Sydney, Australia. The problem? The opening day fell on Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.
Unfortunately, this was not the first time the FDI scheduled its conference to begin on Yom Kippur. Jewish dental leaders were previously assured this oversight would not be repeated. And yet, it was. Excluded not by accident, but by indifference. It is difficult to imagine a global dental meeting being scheduled to begin on the most sacred holiday of any other faith group. These decisions send a painful message: Your presence is not valued, your faith is not important, your absence does not matter.
Standing Against Hate Since 1907
In 1907, Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity was founded by Jewish dental students to combat antisemitism in the profession. It became the first-and remains the only-international Jewish dental organization in the world. AO exists not only to support Jewish dentists and dental students, but to bring Jewish values to the art and science of dentistry. Today, its mission is more urgent than ever.
AO hears daily from Jewish dental professionals-some who are decades into their careers, others who are just beginning-who feel unsafe, unwelcome, or unsupported. Alpha Omega International Dental Society with the support of the Alpha Omega US Dental Foundation stands with them. We are creating spaces for community, dialogue, and healing. We are advocating at every level-from dental schools to licensing boards to international bodies-for zero tolerance toward hate.
To further strengthen this mission, the Alpha Omega US Dental Foundation has partnered with the American Jewish Medical Association as a founding member to jointly address the rise of antisemitism in both the dental and medical spheres. Together, we are developing coordinated strategies, professional education, and policy advocacy to protect Jewish healthcare professionals and ensure dignity, respect, and safety for all.
Now is the time for professional associations, academic institutions, and employers to take a clear and public stand. Antisemitism has no place in the health professions. The silence of peers and institutions enables harm. Words matter. Action matters more.
As dental professionals, we are healers. And healing begins by acknowledging what is broken-and working together to disclose the disease of antisemitism within dentistry and the healing arts.
About the Author
Bernard A. Kahn, DDS
Private Practice (ret.), Orlando, Florida; Past President, Dental Society of Greater Orlando; former Council Chair and Trustee, Florida Dental Association; Member, American College of Dentists; Board Member, Alpha Omega US Dental Foundation
