About
The American Jewish Medical Association is a non-political 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization comprised of Jewish physicians, fellows, residents, medical students, public health and healthcare professionals.
Our Story
Formed in the wake of October 7, 2023, the AJMA is a non-political, non-profit organization of Jewish healthcare professionals with the mission to be a safe, enriching community with a unified voice for all Jewish healthcare workers. We advocate to address contemporary issues affecting our members and society, including recently rising incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism that impact the workplace and patient care. We leverage our unified voice to stand strongly with Israel, to promote Jewish values and ethics in medicine, and to combat antisemitism within the medical community.
The American Jewish Medical Association (AJMA) is the sole nationwide US organization representing Jewish medical students, physicians, and other health professionals." We have groups organized by location, speciality, and special interest, and a wide variety of very active committees. Our personal and professional commitment is to healing as part of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, a core Jewish value. We seek to uphold the Hippocratic Oath by ensuring safe and excellent medical care for patients of all faiths.
Our Mission
The AJMA’s mission is to be a safe, enriching community with a unified voice for all Jewish healthcare workers.
Our Vision
We envision a world where medicine is practiced with excellence and compassion, respecting the dignity of all people
What we do,
How we do it,
How to get involved.
Advocate
Advocate with a unified voice to address contemporary issues affecting our members and society.
Engage
Provide opportunities to engage and connect with one another
Jewish Lens
Promote excellence in health care from a Jewish lens.
Stand With Israel
Stand United With Israel and the Jewish people to combat antisemitism in the medical community.
Educate
Educate about the role of Jews in healthcare and challenges presented.
Partner
Partner with other organizations in the US, Israel and abroad who share our vision
Mentor
Provide mentorship for the professional and educational development of our members.
AJMA operates under a membership model, where any Jewish healthcare professional (physician, dentist, social worker, psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician’s assistant, etc) or trainee (medical school student, nursing student, etc) can join. AJMA supports its members by providing a safe, enriching community, professional networking opportunities, access to continuing medical education (CMEs), and a wide range of support in navigating antisemitism in the medical workplace.
Membership
How We Do it
By joining and working together with a unified voice for Jewish Healthcare professionals, we can better:
Respond to antisemitism in the medical community
Share the Jewish lens on medicine with the wider medical community
Provide a safe, enriching space for all Jewish healthcare professionals.
Combatting Antisemitism
Some of our current initiatives to combat antisemitism in the medical community include:
AJMA Response Arm
Identify, review and take a principled stand against cases of anti-Jewish harassment, intimidation, discrimination and hate in medicine. Take appropriate action to abolish such intolerable practices. If necessary, seek relevant legal advice and counsel for our members as a collective.
Professional Settings
Provide a unified voice against antisemitism in medicine, take positions and pursue legal action for select cases.
Educational Settings
Leverage our connections with medical schools across the country to combat antisemitism within medical schools and for trainees.
Education and Curriculum
Work with medical schools and healthcare facilities to facilitate education about antisemitism in medicine and how it affects health care. We are developing curricula, guidance and training to medical schools, postgraduate clinical training programs, and healthcare facilities about the history and impact of antisemitism as part of a “Return to Civil Discourse” curriculum. Help ensure that the next generation of medical professionals remains a safe space for all healthcare professionals and patients irrespective of race, gender or ethnicity.
Journal Articles
Prepare and publish journal articles to address the volume of antisemitic articles being readily published in medical journals, and to educate the medical community about the dangers of antisemitism and its impact on medicine.
Membership Drives
Grow our membership through recruitment of Jewish physicians and all Jewish medical professionals. Build a sufficiently large community to leverage our unified voice to combat antisemitism and secure a safe space for Jewish healthcare professionals.
Safe Space
Some of our current initiatives to provide a safe, enriching space for all Jewish healthcare professionals include:
Respond to DEI Policy Concerns
Efforts to change DEI policies within medicine and medical schools to include Jews as a minority and combat DEI efforts to shut out Jewish trainees and professionals from schools and hospitals.
Employee Resource Groups
Support AJMA members in establishing Jewish Employee Resources Groups or Jewish affinity groups in their professional and academic communities.
Jewish Lens
Some of our current initiatives to share the Jewish lens on medicine with the wider medical community include:
Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2024) – preparing materials on Jewish contributions to medicine to share across the medical community
Missions
Medical Missions to Israel (Coming Soon!)
Global Alliance
Global Alliance with medical professionals around the world, in partnership with the Israel Medical Association (IMA)
Webinars
Webinars on Jewish Medical Ethics and the Haggadah for Passover. Webinars from Israeli physicians responding since October 7
Ethics Committee
To help define issues, provide guidance and education - in particular as it relates to Jewish contributions to American medicine. Educate our membership and the wider medical community on Jewish medical ethics.