Top of the Hill – Wednesday, 25 March

Wednesday 25th March 2026

Dr Robin Howard

PLAGUE AND THE JEWS – A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE

Recurrent outbreaks of plague have torn through societies from antiquity through the medieval and early modern periods, leaving profound demographic, social, and economic devastation in their wake. Far from being confined to the distant past, plague continued to exert destructive effects well into the twentieth century, shaping public health responses, state authority, and medical thought. Within this long history, Jewish communities experienced particularly severe consequences. They suffered not only from the disease itself but also from persecution, scapegoating, and violence, as widespread fear and limited medical understanding led many to blame Jews for the spread of infection.

Yet this history is not solely one of victimhood. Jews played a significant and often underappreciated role in responding to plague. Jewish physicians, scholars, and communal leaders contributed to contemporary medical knowledge, public health practices, and practical strategies for disease management.

Robin Howard is a senior physician based in London. He has extensive experience in treating neurological disease and disability.

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