Rabbi Binyamin Shreiber Says Doctor Refused Him Treatment After Learning He Was a Rabbi

During a strengthening tour in the United States, Rabbi Binyamin Shreiber, head of a yeshiva and a prominent Torah leader, spoke on Saturday night in Lakewood before thousands of religious students. He is currently in the United States as part of a campaign by major Israeli rabbis.

In his address, Shreiber described a disturbing experience from one of his medical treatments in Israel. He said that when a doctor entered the room and realized he was looking at a rabbi, the doctor made an excuse, left the room saying he would return, and instead sent another caregiver in his place. Shreiber said it became clear that the doctor had refused to treat him simply because he was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi.

According to the article, Shreiber has been battling a serious illness in recent times and is undergoing complex medical treatments. He did not identify the doctor or the hospital, and the report says he deliberately withheld those details. The article says the incident reflects deep hostility toward Torah students and the ultra-Orthodox public.

Shreiber told the audience that the episode reminded him of dark periods in Jewish history. The report compared it to abuses associated with Soviet Russia and the Spanish Inquisition, and called it shocking that something like this could happen in Israel in 5786. The article adds that if identifying details were known, the newsroom would seek a response from the medical center over alleged discrimination and racism.