Nurse allegations led Jewish patients to hide religion, inquiry hears

Jewish patients in Australia have reportedly requested their religious affiliation be removed from hospital admission records following allegations that nurses made menacing comments about Israeli patients. This concern has been raised at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is examining education and training policies within the healthcare sector.

“

St Vincent's [Hospital Sydney], for instance, was taking calls from patients all through the hospital saying, 'please take my religion off my record.'

The inquiry is focusing on the measures implemented by the South Western Sydney Local Health District after two former nurses at Bankstown Hospital faced accusations in February 2025. They were alleged to have said they would refuse to treat Israeli patients. Both nurses have pleaded not guilty to charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend, with one also denying a charge of threatening violence.

“

After the story with the nurses there was real fear to the extent that even in my discussions with NSW Health, [it] was should we create a diversion or another way that people can get healthcare because they're too afraid to go to hospital.

Sydney Rabbi Mendel Kastel, who has served as a chaplain with NSW Health, told the commission that many Jewish Australians felt apprehensive about attending hospitals. He recounted instances where patients at St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney specifically asked for their religion to be removed from their records. Rabbi Kastel emphasized the fear that led to discussions about alternative healthcare access, but he stressed the importance of ensuring hospitals remain safe spaces for everyone.

“

My answer was absolutely not. We need to make sure that hospitals are safe and that people feel safe in hospitals.

During the hearings, Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell questioned Rabbi Kastel about the appropriateness of hospital staff wearing Palestinian and Israeli flag pins. Rabbi Kastel expressed his support for prohibiting such pins in the workplace, citing the current climate. He also spoke emotionally about the One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign, established after his brother-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, died in the Bondi Beach terror attack, as a way to foster interfaith collaboration and promote good deeds within the community.

“

Yes, I would support that.