Dr. Ted Rosenberg, long-time professor of family medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), is resigning, citing an anti-Semitic climate within his faculty.
In his letter of resignation to Dr. Dermot Kelleher, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, the professor laments the inaction of the institution, which, according to him, has ignored the concerns raised by faculty students after the circulation of a petition A call to action for Gaza.
According to the teacher, the petition expressed inhumane comments towards the Jewish and Israeli people.
In his letter, Ted Rosenberg mentions a toxic work environment that tends to arise from the polarization and politicization of the conflict in the Middle East.
A third of the medical students and several faculty members publicly expressed discomfort with my Jewish identity, the lecturer says.
Unfortunately, I have no hope in the face of a faculty that does not even recognize the existence of hatred against Jews or my right to work in a depoliticized climate.
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Dr. Ted Rosenberg has taught at UBC for around 30 years.
Photo: British Columbia College of Family Physicians
In a press release, university spokesman Kurt Heinrich reiterated that any form of anti-Semitism and discrimination was completely unacceptable.
In response to the concerns of the faculty and its members, the Faculty of Medicine will ensure that it strengthens its inclusive learning and respectful internal dialogue.