Imagine you are searching for a new doctor—perhaps due to persistent neck pain, because your relatives haven’t had a physical in years, or because your previous doctor has retired. You find yourself scrolling through a list of physicians at a nearby hospital, continuing until you come across a name that sounds Jewish. Maybe you click on their profile, and, liking what you see, you schedule an appointment. Or perhaps you feel a small sigh of relief upon entering a doctor’s office or hospital and noticing a mezuzah on the door. Even if you don’t consciously think about it, there’s a sense of reassurance: “I am Jewish and confident that my doctor shares my values.”
According to a survey completed in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, 14.1 percent of physicians in the US are Jewish, yet Jews comprise 1.9 percent of the US population. In areas with higher concentrations of Jews such as Los Angeles, with West LA boasting a 25% Jewish population, the population of Jewish doctors may be even higher. Patients who feel strongly about their religious values tend to actively seek out physicians of similar religious convictions. However, this same survey also reported that Jewish doctors, in comparison to doctors of other religions, are more likely to report that their religious beliefs influence their practice of medicine. So, why might someone Jewish feel more comfortable going to a hospital where there is a mezuzah on every doorpost, or choosing a physician who has a Jewish-sounding last name?
History of Jewish Hospitals
During the 20th century, particularly around the time of World War II, there were many Jewish hospitals, as Jews were initially barred from working at or receiving treatment in other hospitals. However, as hospitals became more secular in their policies regarding the religious affiliation of patients and providers, and as funding for specifically Jewish hospitals declined, the number of Jewish hospitals has decreased. A notable Jewish hospital is Cedars Sinai Medical Center, located in our Los Angeles community, where on the front of the hospital large Stars of David are placed and outside of every patient room, and most offices have a mezuzah.
Jewish Values and Medicine:
In his book “Care and Covenant”, Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner positions important Jewish values found in medicine: research and education, caring for emotional and spiritual well-being in addition to physical well-being, and responsibility to care for the sick. He also emphasizes the value of providing health care for all, which he specifically discusses in reference to Deuteronomy 22:3, which discusses finding lost objects. These values extend beyond Judaism; for instance, education is a core value in both Judaism and modern medicine. However, in many complex medical scenarios, these general values, along with wisdom from various Jewish teachings, can help guide value-based care.
Religion and Medicine
The connection between religious values and medicine on a paitent level opens the door to exploring this idea in a wider view. A study reported in JAMA reported that patient satisfaction scores were associated between racial and ethnic concordance with their physicians. Given the established link between racial/ethnic concordance and patient satisfaction, it is reasonable to suggest that religious concordance may have a similar impact.”
Physicians surveyed in a different JAMA study believed that religiosity and spirituality can help patients cope, give patients a positive state of mind, and provide support via the religious community. Interestingly, physicians who identified as more religious more often reported that patients mention religious issues during visits and believe that religion influences health. In one study examining medical preferences of Arabs and Jews, many participants viewed medical treatment as neutral and focused on the provider’s attitude, but some individuals did have implicit bias towards physician-patient concordance which was impacted by factors such as culturally-aware care and political conflicts. For individuals who hold significant weight on religious practices and specific values, it might feel more comforting to find a physician – either referred by a trusted source or through professional affiliations – that shares their religious practices and cultural views and are more likely to take into consideration those ideas when determining care plans.
An individual might say, “I am Jewish and confident that my doctor shares my values.” Might this confidence relate to religious concordance, competence of the physician, or a different factor entirely? In the modern healthcare system, it is likely a combination of both. Values emphasized in Jewish tradition, as well as in other cultures, such as education and the belief that each life has immeasurable value, help shape doctors into great physicians, dedicated to providing the best possible care. Practicing empathy between patients and healthcare providers, within the context of religion as well as other social and cultural factors, allows for improved trust in healthcare. With this increased trust, individuals will feel more comfortable in taking ownership of their care, following medical suggestions from the physician, and feeling secure that the physician has their values in mind.
For me personally, this topic is more than just an abstract idea- it’s a guiding principle as I pursue a career in medicine. As a Jewish aspiring doctor, I am learning how to practice empathetic care that is both culturally and religiously informed, alongside peers from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Whether in a university classroom or a hospital setting, this journey of learning extends far beyond medicine itself, it is about recognizing the whole person, including their faith and humanity.
Cover image via Wikipedia, Creative Commons
