Melamed Founds New Medical Network

Dr. Michele Melamed is not only a healer, she’s a “doer.”

Melamed is the founder and president of the relatively new Jewish Medical Professional Network (JMPN), where medical professionals across the board come for engagement, support, and learning. JMPN fosters a vibrant community guided by Jewish principles, compassion, and integrity, offering educational opportunities, social support, and professional networking to enhance members’ personal and professional lives through meaningful connections and collaborative service.”

Two previous events started with 15 attendees, grew to 30, then, on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Toco Hills home of Dr. David Isaacs, more than 50 came to hear Rabbi Dr. Ira Bedzow’s, session, “Wearing a White Coat and Star of David: Embracing Your Identity in the Workplace Amid Antisemitism.”

Past events included topics like medical ethics, and balancing a career with the demands of life. Melamed, an emergency room physician who immigrated from South Africa in 1994, made this statement to her executive board: “I’m extremely grateful for your willingness to share input and time in helping this important network fulfill its mission and expand its reach. Our core principles are founded on the basis of quality educational opportunities based on Jewish tenets, the creation of a safe, social support group, and professional networking. Through a variety of events featuring well-rounded speakers, socials, and professional marketing for its members, it’s my goal to apply these principles in an impactful way.”

Melamed has plans for future events like a comedian, concert, family outings, sports, and website development coaching on how to market practices and get patient referrals. Though the majority of the attendees were medical doctors, all health professionals are welcomed, and there are no dues. Approximately 150 are on the current list.

Rabbi Bedzow is the executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, a core faculty member of Emory’s Center for Ethics, a senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, and the unit head International Chair in Bioethics.

He began by explaining that he doesn’t start with what’s right or wrong; but rather looks at context, “what you care about, what you want to do, and what’s worth doing. Three is no ‘one answer’ but prioritizing how we behave.”

His example was being lactose intolerant and tasting the cheesecake, “Do I struggle or abstain? Consequences?” He asked the group to raise their hands if they had encountered antisemitism in the workplace … hands went up!

Various physicians shared their own experiences. Dr. Paul Scheinberg, JMPN vice president, stated that a “real country Bubba” patient said, “I’m glad you are a ‘Jew’ doctor. My father said, ‘Jew docs are best.’”

Scheinberg considered it a compliment, others took offense. Another shared wearing a kippah in a suburban hospital, as someone remarked, “Why are you out here when the Jewish doctors are all at Northside?”

Melamud felt vulnerable when a patient suggested that “Palestine should take over the world.”

Rabbi Bedzow shared that he teaches non-Jews in the Candler School of Theology. “So, one dropped out of my class because I was Jewish. Is that antisemitism? Would I want to learn Torah from a non-Jew? Maybe not.”

Female practitioners spoke of misogynistic harassment, “not as bad as current antisemitism. This antisemitism is different. It feels more violent … post-Oct. 7, antisemitism seems more real than that of post Holocaust.”

Paul Scheinberg stated, “I fully support the establishment and growth of JMPN. Much of this (antisemitism in medicine) is attributable to the change in healthcare delivery models in which doctors, nurses … are employees of large corporate structures where they lost autonomy and environmental control. They are subject to bullying and offensive remarks from patients and coworkers with absent organizational support. They are also facing reduced percentage of Jewish colleagues in favor of so many foreign practitioners from countries and cultures with strong anti-Israel and anti-Jewish history.

“I hope that one of the benefits of JMPN will be increased self confidence in personal and group identity and autonomy. None of us should ever feel intimidated by anyone in our respective fields of expertise.”

Other JMPN Officers

Rabbinical Advisor: Rabbi Yossi Lerman
Quality Improvement Officer: Yehuda Jackson
Secretary: Robin Joseph
Financial Advisor-Treasurer: Casey Arundel
Legal Counsel: David Black
Recruitment-Membership: Rivkie Neuberger
Advisory Board: Dr. Ohad Kott, Dr. Joshua Winer, Dr. Jeremy Schube, Dr. Adam Levy