My Jewish name is really hurting my job seeking

What protections do you have in Australia? In the U.S., you are not allowed to ask about ethnicity, religion, or national origin in job interviews, and the questions you were asked would open up the hiring companies to discrimination law suits. My recommendation is to start recording these interviews, and reporting the companies if this occurs again. So sorry you have to deal with this.

It sucks, but it also sounds like a great way of making sure you don't end up working for antisemitic assholes.

Racist, yes, but do you really want your income to be at the whim of someone who's that antisemitic?

I say my name is Russian and that’s it. Think really Jewish name too

Come to Canada pls. We need doctors 😭😭

Asking about pronunciation is fine, asking about origin is a huge red flag and you shouldn’t have told them.

So.. lie. If you don't want to lie, say you don't know it's origins.

If they ask if you're Jewish, ask them why they want to know.

I know a family who changed their name for precisely this reason.

However.. I know a guy with the surname Kohen, who was entirely not Jewish

If someone asks about my last name, depending on the circumstances, I tell them it’s German. Which it is, albeit a very Jewish German name. Not sure if that’s an option for you.

So sorry you’re experiencing this.

Lie. The next time someone asks about the origin of your name make something up. I've survived the workplace by lying about my identity for years. Not saying it's okay but it's the only way to survive sometimes. I don't condone people's preconceived notions about certain things but I also need to eat and keep a roof over my head.

People don’t want to hire a Jewish doctor?!?! What a world! Not hiring a doctor because they’re Jewish is like not hiring a pastry chef because they’re French.

This is in Australia? Hope you find one

Use a different name on your resume. Once hired, you can keep using it or use your real name.

My name is very mizrahi but to an American, it just screams “not white! Possibly A-rab!” So I also had a lot of trouble getting jobs.

I straight up created anew name to apply under that was both gender neutral and super white, increased my responses dramatically. I figure if immigrants can have “American” names that aren’t their legal names, then so can I. I ended up getting a job at a Jewish organization so I’m fully “out” and use my real name but I was applying for jobs for like 2 years trying to escape a shitty employer so I got desperate for a second.

I don’t know if it’s common practice in Australia for being to go by more easily pronounceable names for business purposes, but if it is, I would recommend giving it a try.

This is why my father changed his last name as a teenager coming into the US from Ukraine. Antisemitism.

And now I understand why my maternal grandpa and his family changed their name during WW2.

This is a worry I have right now on the job market too.

Are you familiar with a site called Glassdoor? It allows you to report your interview experiences. I’d say call them out on Glassdoor, but first confirm it by making sure they don’t actually have any Jewish employees.

Almost 25% of American hiring managers don’t want to advance Jewish people in hiring processes, alarming survey on workplace antisemitism finds. I know OP is in Australia, just wanted to add some US info

Making the jump from one profession to another is VERY difficult and most people cannot think outside of the box they are in. I went from a career in manufacturing to tech and it was only because I met a guy named “Shlomi” who saw that I had the experience and creativity that was sorely missing in high tech. It’s probably not your name, what it is is institutional and industrial bias. You need to find the right guy, not change your name.

Have you thought about relocating to Queensland?

Thankfully we have (so far ) been spared the overt hostility that Sydney and Melbourne have faced.

The Brisbane Mayors wife is Jewish so the police and government response has been fantastic.

The pro Hamas events are dwindling in attendance and the general attitude towards them has never supportive.

I would also recommend reaching out to the AJA.

They have been a really good support when I've reached out.

I'm a recruiter in the US and am just shocked that the recruiters youre speaking to are legally allowed to ask you the origin of your last name. I highly doubt they are allowed to do so...

Be strong, Tzidkiyahu!

I had a similar problem. I abbreviated my very Hebrew sounding first name and only used my English middle name. Problem solved. I had job offers within a few months. USA HCOL area, legal field. It is what it is.

Work for a New York based VC/PE/HF.

You change your name and then what?

You get the job but face antisemitism in your workplace, hiding the fact that you are Jewish?

People don't understand that antisemitism is not a catch phrase.

It is plain racism.

Is there a gentile/English version of it you can use? That’s pretty common in the US.

My grandpop went by Herman...he was actually Hymie...ahem. I understand the people who are suggesting you not work for bigots but maybe take on a nickname? Roll with the nickname until you have to fill out your W2 or whatever.

I wonder if is worth contacting:

https://www.antidefamation.com.au/

If I felt I had to hide my Jewishness in order to make a living I'd be looking to move.

I’m in the US. I know a few people of other ethnicities here who use a pseudonym in their resume and then when they fill out the hiring paperwork they use their legal name. Just a thought.

Hiya, I work for a BB firm in Sydney (non-FO) and I know teams who cover healthcare. dunno if I would be of any material help but happy to try/connect you. Feel free to DM me.

Come to the States. We have plenty of room and food.

Canada has a shortage of doctors, so if you're willing to relocate, there's opportunities here.

Have you considered finding a job in the US and moving here?

You are talking to the wrong people. Don’t speak to recruiters they are low level . Your credentials alone will get any department head or CEO to answer or return your call.

I have a very Jewish first name and an English last name (father is Indigenous) and have been asked the same thing countless times when people ask/hear my first name and this is in Melbourne where the Jewish population is wayyyyy more…

I don’t really have anything to add but Antisemitism is on the rise like crazy here, two days ago a Jewish gym and Pilates studio was torched in Caufield…

I don’t know if there’s an opportunity for remote work, but Palantir in the United States has set aside almost 100 jobs for Jews. BTW… while the majority of American voters support Israel, we have tremendous antisemitism here. I work on a college campus where the anti-Semitism is so bad that some Jewish students had to move off of campus. Harvard and Colombia have been some of the most egregious campuses for antisemitism. Wishing you well.🙏

u/Omni____dragon I'm going to message you the name of someone

Hi, I am based in Sydney as well and have a very muslim name. I have had similar experiences with people’s demeanour changing. I would suggest you use like a “preferred” name or maybe acronyms. Good luck

Come to Israel my friend, you are more than welcome here

I don't see a problem with changing your English name, especially if you are youngish and hope to have a long career ahead of you. This will impact not only yourself but your ability to provide for your Jewish family members. Jewish folks have changed their English names for a variety of reasons, often just for the convenience of immigration officials who had trouble spelling the Old World Yiddish names. My grandfather changed his last name -- he says -- to avoid being drafted in the Czar's army. You can pick something similar to your Jewish name or at least reminiscent of it, and of course your Hebrew names will remain the same.

Sue! It’s illegal to not hire someone based on name, religion, sex/gender or nation of origin.

I guess Australia is not great for jews. Make aliyah, we need good doctors

Tell them it’s pronounced Smith.

ETA: Or the most common surname in Australia.

Yikes, I'm sorry to hear that. In the USA, you'd have a much different experience. Maybe move? There's a huge market here for someone with your credentials and you can probably make better money.

Rosenkugel

That sucks man. I used to hate that my last name does not sound Jewish. These days, though...

Is moving an option?

Idk where you are, but where I am asking such a question in a hiring process is very illegal.

Have had friends from all different cultures struggle with this. It unfortunately can make a real difference in success landing and advancing from interviews. Most friends from other countries have resorted to using easier to pronounce nicknames - or even choosing new Westernized nicknames for themselves. Some parents, especially in immigrant families in the U.S., will begin this process when children are young, giving them "American" names to use in school to avoid bullying and other drawbacks.

You need to be true to yourself, but throwing this out there as a strategy I've seen many deploy successfully. Do what feels right in your heart, though.

How is that not illegal wtf?

In America, many of our families had to change their names to not sound Jewish. Then Jews dominated the sectors you mentioned, so now it’s a plus.

Come to America, if you can! I live on the East Coast.

I have had several Jewish doctors and always had a good experience.

My current specialist is Jewish and very well respected.

I know that it’s not at all easy to just move to another country, especially with a medical license that probably won’t transfer - but I can’t imagine living somewhere where I couldn’t find work due to being Jewish (or where the environment is just generally so hostile). But, if it’s even remotely possible, you could consider moving to Israel. The process is a hassle but it is doable - you generally don’t have to repeat residency, as you most likely would in the US.

Out of curiosity (none of my business, but hey it’s the internet, I can ask) why don’t you want to practice? Job wise, my only advise is if you truly are looking for non-practicing consulting type gigs only you may be able to work remotely for a global company. And, in the future if someone asks you about your name I’d act slightly confused, like I didn’t quite understand the question (but friendly), then demur politely, then change the subject. Like “Yes, it’s pronounced Moshe Rothschild-Goldberg. It’s origin? Oh, it’s a family name. So, I’d love to ask a few questions about the position…” all said with a smile (force the smile because it really does change the tone of your voice). Like “it’s a family name” is so obvious I cannot imagine them even formulating a follow-up to that. If they do, I’d go with polite, friendly confusion again. Origin? I’m not sure what you mean. Why do you ask?

Hi, fellow Sydney Jewish person. Couple of suggestions. First, I recommend that you contact JBOD for advice/resources. It’s their role to advocate for the community against antisemitism. Also they might be able to refer you to an employment lawyer or other professional to explore practical options (which may not be litigation but just strategising how to approach things).

Secondly, do you have a lot of contacts in the Sydney Jewish community and is it an option to network more with in the community to seek a role at a Jewish community org or a company owned by members of the community etc, which would be a better cultural fit anyway. Join Jews of Sydney and other Facebook groups, seek out whatever formal or informal Jewish doctor groups are around.

The problem you’re facing seems primary with recruiters not the employer companies themselves because you aren’t even getting through to the next stage due to gatekeeping. 2 potential options there - are there roles you can apply to directly to the company without the need/use of a recruiter, and similarly to networking, can you find and reach out to Jewish or other trustworthy recruiters, exec search consultants etc who you know will be in your corner?

Finally, is your name actually hard to pronounce or do you think that recruiters are just using this as a pretext to ask questions about your background? My last name is actually difficult to pronounce but doesn’t immediately read as Jewish. I’ve had some new people I meet ask how to pronounce it but never recruiters and also never really had people follow up by asking details of my heritage. First thing, if they ask how to say your name, tell them and if they ask about your background you can be vague and just say “mixed”. Another thing I have seen people with long difficult to pronounce names do is to include a phonetic pronunciation of their name in brackets in their email signature. You could also do this in emails and/or on your CV. Then they’d have no pretext to call you and ask about your name and seague to your heritage from there.

I hope at least some of these ideas are useful. I’m sorry this is happening to you. There are a lot of pro pal loonies but also plenty of Australians and Sydney-aiders who are supportive of us, just maybe they are not as loud and vocal. Am Yisrael Chai.

This could be a little in your head. I've been trying to get into those fields from law and am getting similar ghosting and lack of follow-up and my name isn't Jewish at all. Those industries are actually just super resistant to people pivoting from other fields. Consulting I'm a little surprised about (because they love doctors) but why don't you just directly contact the MBB recruiters? They're listed on the recruiting page of Mckinsey etc, or at least as soon as you apply on the website, the recruiter will give you a call. I'm in Sydney too btw.

Well, I think you shouldn't change your name, and remain proud of being Jewish. However you could maybe look into other origins of your name. Like say my name is Natalia, if I say I'm from Italian descent, I may not get the job, but if I say I'm Mexican or Hispanic in some way, ha! I won. Lots of names have different origins, so if you can find an origin to tell people, then you can get the job.

I'm not sure so much if you mean your full name, first and last, but I'm sure there's something you can find. You could also go by a nickname.

I'm American, so this would work for me, but idk how smart Australians are, so you could lie about the origin

My Cohens changed their surname to Clifton after the war.

One of my Goldberg cousins, also an MD, changed his surname to Gilbert.

I don't know much about the VC situation in Australia, but if you can make it to California, we have lots of biotech and plenty of Jewish VCs.

I got laid off on Oct 13 (global day of violence against Jews), and I think my very Jewish name is causing problems here in the States, too. I haven't even gotten an interview. My last name is one that would be in the top 5 of names to block if you didn't want to hire a Jew.

I've thought about changing my name, too, but JFC what a massive pain in the butt.

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That's true Australia is very Pro-Palestine. I think there are no other solutions except to; deal with the situation and endure until you get a job, or change your name, or move to somewhere else.

Tell them your parents were LDS or Seventh Day Adventist 

do you have a nickname you can go by?

​

also--why the change from medicine to finance?

Move

Make aliyah?

If your last name is Ashkenazi just say its German, Polish, Russian, or something to get around it.

My father shortened his long Jewish name legally because otherwise my mother wouldn’t have married him

Are you able to immigrate? A job in Canada may be beneficial! We need doctors like crazy! Toronto, Montreal have decent Jewish communities, Winnipeg surprisingly has a big Jewish community as well. I’m from Calgary and the community is small, but there! (I didn’t know if living in a Jewish community was something that was important to you so I indicated them). I’m so sorry you’re going through this nonsense.

I would never change my Jewish last name, although I greatly empathize with your situation. I would just say I was adopted and dont know then pivot to my qualifications for the job.

Isn’t this going to present problems if they do preliminary research on you? In the US at least, it is dead easy to confirm a physician’s licensure. Seems to me that an inability to confirm that you are a doctor in good standing could cause them to ignore your application.

The only advantage of having g a Sephardic last name is no one but religious Jews know it is a Jewish surname. Of course, you can get caught be a Greek when they say that doesn’t sound Greek..you can’t win.

One thing I’ve learned by making enough mistakes and screening myself out of enough jobs by being too honest…

You don’t owe anyone any information about yourself other than what they absolutely strictly MUST know for legal reasons or for safety reasons.

You can interpret that however you want. Maybe it means you play dumb. *Hmm, I’m actually not sure where the name came from haha. Where’s yours from?”

Maybe it means you push back and use your backbone. “I’m not sure, is that something you need to know for the hiring process?”

Maybe it means you preemptively avoid it by lying until the HR paperwork comes through. “Hello, I’m Sam MacPherson, here’s my resume.” If HR raises any questions, you simply explain that you prefer the other name as it results in less discrimination. Communicate in writing. No HR person will want to be the one accused of discrimination at that point if you’ve already been chosen for the job. Just pick names similar to your actual name. You don’t owe anyone your heart or honesty beyond what’s required to do the job proficiently and with integrity.

AU is viciously antisemitic. I'm here with a not Jewish name, so get to hear what they say about us when they think they are in a room full of gentiles.

For the record, it's an issue in the US, too, as a recent poll shows.

Focusing on Jewish/Israeli-owned/led workplaces is the way to go. For me, too.

Can you try and contact someone from Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and see if they can introduce you to anyone?

Move to Israel they can use a doctor

Yeah in a more serious note i have the same problem, not yet in the workplace but just in daily life, sometimes people ask what ethnicity i am and i just dont want to reveal it because im not sure what their views are…but I feel trapped by the conversation. Lucky im in NY tho..

Change your name on your resume. When they make an offer let them know your legal name is really ______ but this is your knickname. For your last name just abbreviate it or slightly modify to be less jewish and say the same.

Tell them you are Persian and you will get the job.

I'm lucky in that regard. I have an Ellis Island name and no one is quite sure what it was before. And it is a last name shared by Germans, Jews, Italians and Norwegians.

Everyone here is telling you to make something up. I think it would be just as good telling them the truth: "You know, my dad had that name when he married my mom, and his dad had the name when he married my grandma. No idea who came up with it and when! Where does your name come from?" Play dumb and laugh while you are saying that. It's kinda cutesy and innocent, but puts the interviewer in the same awkward position and may indirectly send the message of "don't mess with me!"

If they ask other questions that fish for information on whether you are Jewish, just deflect in a fun way, too. "What does your average Friday look like?" – "I'd love to say I'm getting home after work, and start the weekend by enjoying nice food and a good book, but the truth is I'm a doctor, so I'm probably working!" Again, say that with an audible laugh. "Are you going to church on Sunday?" - "Are you offering me to have all weekends off? That's great! I've never heard of hospitals who do that and would love the opportunity to work for you!"

Good luck finding that perfect job.

Mmm I don’t think they should be asking. But for eg I have a Jewish name as well, which might not be obvious though to everyone but those who are Jewish. However, I’m not Jewish. I do have Jewish ancestry on my father’s side only. If they ask me, which no one does in the same sense it seems, only want to know where it’s from, I tell them my country of origin in Europe name. That’s it. If anyone really wanted to dig into it, I can tell them it has Yiddish origin. I’m pretty much an atheist anyway so don’t practice any religion and they haven’t really done anything that I know about it: if telling caused anything I’m not aware of it. In fact, the negative connotations I got were when Jews asked it and realised that I wasn’t Jewish. This happened a few times but not in relation to work. That’s apart of one person who told me my people stole their land. Who was at work but I was a customer and not getting a job. I don’t think that should’ve happened either but I let it go. And this is where I am, in Sydney too.

I grew up with antisemtisim while living in Melbourne.

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through.

Next time they ask, ask them how it is relevant to the job since religion and ethnicity under law is not allowed to be a deciding factor. Or something like that

Should stop them dead in their tracks and puts them in notice that you know they are trying to cross a line they aren't legally allowed.

You may still not get the job, but you aren't now. They will probably blacklist you anyway, so you might as well stand up for yourself.

Sorry you have to go through this. No one should.

Please come to Canada! You won't have that issue here and we're desperate for medical professionals.

First, getting a job or career profession is more important than living for a political cause. Yes, you have a right to practice your religion without persecution and be proud of your heritage, but you also have to make a living, survive and hopefully succeed in a modern economy. 

So if you are concerned about discrimination due to your last name, than abbreviate it. For example: Rosenbaum abbreviated to Rose, Hersh to Hers, Silverstone to Sil, etc. You only need to use your legal name when filing out paper forms & computer forms dealing with pay, benefits, licenses. However, for resumes/CVs, job applications, you can use abbreviations or knickknacks. Do not apologize to anyone for doing what you have to do to get a career!

I had to change the pronunciation of my first name after getting al sorts of hate for using the Hebrew pronunciation. So I anglicized it and even changed the spelling on name tags/employer ID badges. Anyone that gets on my case about it, I tell them to mind their own business!

Why don't you apply for more traditional jewish finance jobs in the payday loan market? You could perhaps become the manager of a payday loan office?