A West Village NYC medical doctor has come under fire from antisemitism watchdog groups after going on a tirade against Orthodox Jews, claiming they “don’t work, criminally steal welfare” and generally live a “criminally fraudulent lifestyle.”
A petition is currently being circulated calling for his employer to take action.
Robert Guarino M.D — who works for Northwell Health in NYC in the West Village and for Staten Island University Hospital — describes himself as a Roman Catholic Democrat on his Facebook page, the same page he utilized to post a tirade against Jews on influencer Miriam Ezagui’s page.
“All of your days are the same,” Dr. Guarino commented on a video Miriam posted.
Miriam is a labor and delivery nurse in NYC who shares her life as a mother and Orthodox Jew across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with close to three million followers across social media. According to Dr. Guarino’s screed directed at Miriam, Orthodox Jews “Don’t work, criminally steal welfare, food stamps/SNAP, section 8 housing, utilities [and] subsidies.” He also alleged Orthodox Jewish women are conspiring against the country to seem like single mothers on paper, the classic welfare-fraud libel.
Dr. Guarino also claims that they “Stay miserable in a loveless arranged marriage” and have multiple children to “seem like a single mother of 10 on paper.”
Dr. Guarino further doubled down on his appalling rhetoric, claiming that they “Don’t adhere to basic minimum standards of hygiene.”
Dr. Guarino — directing this screed at Jews in Miriam Ezagui’s comments section — continues his unhinged accusations.
“Basically you criminally, fraudulently, and illegally have found a way to live in this country for FREE by stealing from the government and the taxpayers, and god is watching. Why the FBI and IRS aren’t watching I can’t figure out (sic)?”
This isn’t the first time the doctor has voiced his opinions on Orthodox Jews.
Earlier in the year, Dr. Guarino commented on a video of Orthodox Jews in an airport and typed, to his public Facebook page, “I can’t imagine the BO [body odor] on that plane! There isn’t enough ventilation to solve that problem!”
According to his employer’s site, Dr. Guarino is a medical doctor specializing in anatomic and surgical pathology, with a focus on disorders of the breast at Staten Island University Hospital.
Brian Donnelly — a spokesman for Staten Island University Hospital — emailed Mazelit’s Corner shortly after we contacted them for comment, saying the hospital is investigating.
“With respect to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment on the specifics of this case. The hospital is conducting an internal review of the event, and the safety of our patients and staff remains our highest priority.”
Northwell Health, a direct partner of the hospital, sent Mazelit’s Corner a statement saying they do not tolerate offensive or discriminatory conduct.
“Thank you for contacting us. We have escalated your message to the appropriate leadership team for review and follow up. Please note that Northwell Health does not tolerate conduct that is determined to be offensive or discriminatory against any individual or group.”
The nation’s largest watchdog against Jew-hate in healthcare, Physicians Against Antisemitism (PAA), exposed Dr. Guarino on Friday before Shabbat.
“Dr. Robert Guarino really seems to have a beef with Orthodox Jews. There aren’t any living near Northwell, right? Oh, wait” the PAA asked in their post.
“We have grave concerns about this physician’s ability to be objective in his medical practice. His statements about Orthodox Jews reveal a deep-seated bigotry that simply cannot be ignored,” they added.
“What would happen if he examines a pathologic specimen, diagnoses a life threatening condition under his microscope, but notes that the patient has a Jewish sounding name?” they asked.
“Dr. Robert Guarino’s contempt for Jews raises questions: does he believe that Jewish patients deserve the same excellence in medical care as everyone else? Would he cause harm to a patient who he sees as unworthy of the same rights and dignities in America that he enjoys?”
Dr. Guarino’s main practice is listed as being located in NYC’s West Village.
Roughly 22% of households in Lower West Manhattan include at least one Jewish person, according to the UJA Federation of New York.
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