BACKGROUND: Letter about JEWISH MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM BRITISH MANDATE PALESTINE/ERETZ ISRAEL -THEIR FINAL MD EXAMINATION IN BERLIN DURING THE THIRD REICH, by Uri Freund Letter about JEWISH MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM BRITISH MANDATE PALESTINE/ERETZ ISRAEL -THEIR FINAL MD EXAMINATION IN BERLIN DURING THE THIRD REICH, by Gideon Eshel Letter about THE UNACCEPTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EDUCATIONAL MEDICAL SYSTEM IN GERMANY AND THE JEWISH PHYSICIANS DURING THE NAZI REGIME, by Gideon Eshel.

Erwin Oppenheim (1893-1975) was a successful dermatologist in Dresden, Germany. He with his family fled the country in 1939 because of National Socialism and settled in Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. The regulations of Australian universities and medical boards of that era in relation to refugee medicos hindered Oppenheim\'s registration as a medical practitioner. He was permitted to treat skin conditions, but not allowed to prescribe medications other than some topical preparations. In spite of these restrictions, Oppenheim soon established a busy private practice. He also contributed to dermatology by providing guidance to \"Ego Pharmaceuticals,\" a large company formed by Oppenheim\'s son and daughter-in-law in 1953 that produces a range of skin and other healthcare products for Australian and global markets.

Failure to deal with the issue of collective and social loss increases the risk of extreme nationalism. When taken too far, a repetition of manic defence can arise that manifests itself in the form of war. In this paper, the notion of the \"inability to mourn\" by the German Psychoanalysts A. and M. Mitshcerlich (1967) is discussed in relation to the problem of Japan\'s post World War II nationalism, and its silence on social matters. The process of confronting past atrocities committed by the state is then discussed from the perspective of structural theory.

This essay is dedicated to the memory of my father David Sompolinsky. As a medical student in Veterinary Medicine in Copenhagen, with the support of his professors and the Danish Resistance, David organised the rescue of 700 Danish Jews in October 1943, helping them escape Nazi persecution and find safety in Sweden.

Human rights may feel self-apparent to us, but less than 80 years ago, one of the most advanced countries at the time acted based on an utterly contrary ideology. The view of social Darwinism that abandoned the idea of the intrinsic value of human lives instead argued that oppression of the inferior is not only inevitable but desirable. One of the many catastrophic outcomes is the medical data obtained from inhuman experiments at concentration camps. Ethical uncertainty over whether the resulting insights should be a part of the medical literature provides a chance to consider the seemingly irreplaceable social construct of human dignity. Would any medical benefit justify the utilization of this illicit data? Would utilization even qualify as an insult to the dignity of the exploited subjects, or is this a question about intersubjective meaning? This work discusses the wisdom in blind adherence to human dignity, the possibility of retrospective insults, moral complicity, contrary viewpoints, and possible resolutions.

BACKGROUND: Two Jewish medical students who were forced to discontinue their study upon the raise of the Nazi regime, returned/ immigrated to Palestine and did their internship in Palestine. A third student, although faced with many procedural limitations, was able to continue most of his studies in Berlin including passing the MD examination. The first two students returned, after some years, to Berlin to sit for the Doctor examination which enabled them to gain a permanent medical license in Palestine. We describe the different backgrounds of the 3 students which enabled them to do the examination at Berlin\'s medical faculty during the Nazi regime. The follow up of the three, revealed glorious medical career during the British mandate and during the first years of the new state of Israel. The Dissertations were signed and supported by three leading Professors of the Berlin\'s Faculty. Two of them were found to have a National-Socialistic background.

BACKGROUND: In his important article, Prof. G. Eshel describes the story of three Jewish physicians who returned to Nazi Germany to complete their MD thesis despite laws prohibiting Jewish students from German Universities. The three physicians completed their MD thesis examination with the help of three German Professors who supported them regardless of the laws banning Jewish students. The three physicians risked their lives by returning to Nazi Germany, as did the three professors who supported them. The three physicians returned to Palestine upon completion of the requirement for their medical licensing and continued to contribute to the medical system for many years in the State of Israel. The determination of the three Jewish physicians and their courage teaches us an important lesson on the motivation of young doctors to complete their education and practice medicine. The support of the German professors created some lights in the great darkness of the Nazi regime. Generations of physicians took a stand on non-medical issues and contributed to social justice and the wellbeing of individuals beyond medical care. We should all continue this legacy.

Recent surges in antivaccine activism and other antiscience trends now converge with rising antisemitism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, authoritarian elements from the far right in North America and Europe often invoked Nazi imagery to describe vaccinations or at times even blame the Jewish people for COVID-19 origins and vaccine profiteering. Such tropes represent throwbacks to the 14th century, when European Jews were persecuted during the time of the bubonic plague. This article provides both historical and recent perspectives on the links between antiscience and antisemitism, together with the author\'s personal experience as a Jewish vaccine scientist targeted by both dark forces. New approaches to uncoupling antisemitism from antiscience, while combating both, are essential for saving lives and preserving democratic values.

Introduction  The early geneticist and psychiatrist Ernst Rüdin (1874-1952) became one of the key figures in the eugenics movement and in the German health system of the Nazi era. His connections in the international eugenics network have played an important role in the history of eugenics. Objective  To discuss the connections between Ernst Rüdin\'s scientific group in Munich and Otmar von Verschuer\'s group in Frankfurt during the Nazi era. Methods  Otorhinolaryngological materials from Ernst Rüdin\'s former private library are presented, and they show Rüdin\'s deep involvement in the international eugenics network. These materials provide insights into early medical genetics in otorhinolaryngology. Results  One result of the present study is that eugenics groups from Munich, Frankfurt, and New York certainly influenced one another in the field of otorhinolaryngology. Karlheinz Idelberger and Josef Mengele were two scientists who performed hereditary research on orofacial clefts. Later, Mengele became deeply involved in Nazi medical crimes. His former work on orofacial clefts clearly had, to some extent, an influence on subsequent studies. Conclusion  An international eugenics network already existed before 1933. However, it becomes clear that the weaknesses of many early genetic studies did not enable its authors to draw firm scientific conclusions, suggesting that scientists lacked an accurate concept of the genetic causes of most illnesses.

BACKGROUND: The report of the Lancet Commission on medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust, released in November 2023, calls for this history to be required for all health professions education, to foster morally courageous health professionals who speak up when necessary.
METHODS: The report was released a month after Hamas\' October 7 invasion of Israel, with the accompanying massacre of over 1200 people, taking of civilian hostages, and gender-based violence. These acts constitute crimes against humanity including genocide. Post-October 7, war in Gaza resulted, with a legitimate objective of Israel defending itself within international law. The authors discuss an accompanying Statement to the report condemning Hamas crimes and denouncing the perpetrators\' use of their own civilians as human shields, including in healthcare facilities, and with the Hamas attack unleashing immense and ongoing suffering in Israel and beyond. With some exceptions, the medical literature shows a marked absence of condemnation of Hamas atrocities and includes unsubstantiated criticisms of Israel\'s military. A significant surge in global antisemitism including on university campuses since October 7, 2023, has occurred; and health professionals, according to the Commission, have a special responsibility to fight antisemitism and discrimination of all kinds. In this context, the authors discuss the controversy and criticism regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion education programs (\"DEI\") including such programs failing to protect Jews on campuses, especially as the U.S. President Biden\'s \"The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism,\" released in May 2023, calls for the inclusion of issues of antisemitism and religious discrimination within all DEI education programs. The authors support an evidence-based approach to the Hamas massacre, its aftermath and its relevance to health professionals both within medicine and their global citizenship, including refuting the international community accusations and anti-Israel libel.
CONCLUSIONS: The report of the Lancet Commission on medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust has striking relevance to the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023 and its aftermath. This is further conveyed in an accompanying Statement, that describes the report\'s implications for contemporary medicine, including: 1) provision of skills required to detect and prevent crimes against humanity and genocide; (2) care for victims of atrocities; (3) upholding the healing ethos central to the practice of medicine; and (4) fostering history-informed morally courageous health professionals who speak up when necessary.