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Navigating transitions across community boundaries, such as former Haredim leaving their covenantal communities of origin to integrate into mainstream society, is a widespread phenomenon with profound societal implications. This study investigates the impact of current community affiliation and perceived social support on the sense of coherence (SOC) and community sense of coherence (ComSOC) coping resources of former Haredim. Conducted in 2022, the study surveyed 147 ex‐Haredim in Israel. Findings reveal that perceived social support and strength of community affiliation predict higher SOC and ComSOC levels throughout the disaffiliation process. ComSOC shows greater sensitivity to influence than general SOC and is its strongest predictor among the studied variables. Other significant predictors are involvement in the ex‐Haredim community, years since leaving, and family disconnection. In its salutogenic quality and focus on coping resources, this study offers insights for supporting individuals navigating disaffiliation challenges and similarly profound change processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodResultsDiscussionThe introduction of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in Israel has required a dynamic adaptation of the curriculum to the local social, cultural and religious context. The adaptation to the Jewish ultra-Orthodox community has been particularly rigorous and challenging. This article aims to analyse this process, its principles and steps, as well as the challenges and dilemmas it entails.The article employs a qualitative case study design, specifically, the instrumental case study. The adaptation procedure includes five steps: engaging local experts, organising focus groups, collaboration with communities, pilot testing in diverse communities, and iterative feedback loops. The article draws primarily on the perspectives of 45 community members, rabbis and health professionals who participated in four focus groups.The adaptation in ultra-Orthodox society addressed stigmatisation, silencing and concealment of mental health issues; gender segregation; educational gaps; and cultural misunderstandings of healthcare approaches. We demonstrate the need to modify the language, scenarios and examples in the curriculum, and engage with religious leaders and educational institutions. This process raises professional and ethical dilemmas, such as how MHFA should approach topics that remain unspoken in ultra-Orthodox communities.This case demonstrates that cultural adaptation is vital but may be insufficient. Attention should also be paid to social and structural forces, such as social hierarchies and systemic discrimination. A structurally competent approach should be adopted. This is the first case of accommodating MHFA for an insular religious group. It can contribute to adapting MHFA to other insular, encompassing, high-tension religious communities worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social egg freezing (SEF) is a new reproductive technology that is increasingly used within ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, stirring tensions between tradition and modernity. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study examined how ultra-Orthodox singles who employ SEF engage in social negotiations over gender- and body-related norms. Findings show that participants successfully assimilated SEF by establishing facts on the ground and discreetly spreading information while actively avoiding tensions that may threaten religious tradition. SEF did not push participants into modern individualism or dissolve their strong connection to the community. However they did modify social boundaries and articulated social criticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on experiences and perceptions of the Jewish ultra-Orthodox population in Israel—a religious minority—regarding premarital genetic testing. Semistructured interviews with 38 ultra-Orthodox individuals revealed four major themes. These themes reflect strong awareness of testing importance among Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox, along with a high frequency of testing, while low awareness of testing importance was evident among Sephardi ultra-Orthodox along with a very low frequency of testing. The study's findings also indicate the central role that the Ashkenazi rabbis have in the routinization of the premarital genetic testing among their communities. Study limitations are discussed, and future research recommendations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-orthodox Jews have a complex relationship with the internet. Many ultraorthodox indeed object to concepts of progress and modernity, but they do not reject internet use per se so long as they can filter its negative impacts such that the internet does not serve as a tool that might change them. The desire of the ultra-orthodox is to retain their traditional values versus the moral hazards involved in use of the internet while also ensuring their complete seclusion. As a rule, the ultra-orthodox (as well as other religious groups) relate to the internet as a tool with a significant hazardous capacity to destroy Jewish values, constituting a considerable moral danger. Therefore, they initially forbade any use of the internet within their community. But in time, some understood that considering the major technological advances it is not possible to completely disregard the internet, and they started using it for various purposes such as work, purchases, and even Torah lessons. At the same time, they restricted its use through various filtering systems. This article seeks to present the complex attitude of the ultra-orthodox to internet use in general (so no segmentations and statistics are noted) regarding different issues and how they deal with the problems, advantages, and disadvantages of internet use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tendency for women, relative to men, to more strongly prefer mates with good financial prospects has been reliably documented across a variety of cultures. Malovicki-Yaffe et al. (2018) provided data to the contrary, demonstrating that Haredi women of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel care little for a wealthy partner. They reported no significant sex difference in ratings of a partner's economic prospects, and a reversal for trait rankings, such that men rated a woman's earning capacity as more important than women did. These findings illustrate that status is culturally determined. The most conservative members of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel endorse a sociocultural agreement in which women enter the workforce as the breadwinner to enable men to devote their time to religious pursuits. As a consequence, little power can be earned by men for their wealth, but is instead presumed to be conferred by their status as a religious scholar. Women's preferences follow suit, with a strong desire to acquire a highly intelligent and educated religious scholar as a mate. This sociocultural arrangement is still practiced within the ultra-Orthodox community, but recent shifts toward modernization in religious beliefs among some sects provide an opportunity to build on past research in three ways (1) replicate the reversed sex difference in mate preferences for economic prospects with a larger and more religiously varied sample (N = 1414 via an online Haredi Panel, Study 1), (2) examine whether the sex-reversed effect is weaker among those who have shifted to more modern religious beliefs (Study 1), and (3) validate the underlying assumptions made by past work with respect to how Haredi men and women earn power (N = 949 via online convenience sampling, Study 2). The results document a sex reversal in mate rankings and ratings for economic prospects, demonstrate that this effect is strongest among the most religiously conservative Haredi people, and confirm that men's strongest source of power in the ultra-Orthodox community is their role as a Torah scholar—eclipsing the impact of wealth. Additionally, we demonstrate the stability of men's preferences for a young and attractive partner, and explore whether women's role as an economic breadwinner translates into power in the home or community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has ushered in new behaviors and digital practices. This study explores how digital media has advanced safer behavior among ultra-Orthodox Israeli adults during the pandemic in authoritarian societies. We explored the level of adherence to government-issued health guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic by conducting a public opinion survey among a representative sample of ultra-Orthodox Israeli adults (N = 500) during the second Covid-19 wave (Autumn 2020). The results show that digital media usage significantly contributes to higher levels of adherence to health guidelines. This offers new insight into the field of new media research, revealing the significant role of digital media in promoting safer behavior in times of emergency in authoritarian communities, possibly because it bypasses Internet censorship and disinformation. It also emphasizes the need for adapting risk communication to the media habits and cultural beliefs of different social groups, in turn contributing to well-being and life itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: "Parental Burnout" is a specific syndrome resulting from an imbalance between continuous exposure to chronic parenting stress and available protective resources. Mothers of children with special needs have an increased risk of Parental Burnout due to dealing with various difficulties from carrying out long-term childcare. Purpose: To examine difficulties, coping strategies, and PB (risk factors and protective resources), among ultra-Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish mothers of children with special needs with high or low levels of Parental Burnout. Methods: A qualitative study. Twelve mothers of children with special needs identified with high or low Parental Burnout via a quantitative study were interviewed. The constant-comparative analysis method was used to analyze the findings. Findings: Three themes and twelve categories emerged: 1. Difficulties involved in motherhood with six categories: (a) caregiver burden, (b) task overload, (c) physical and mental self-neglect, (d) environmental, couple-hood, family and social neglect, (e) recognizing the gap between their child with special needs and other children of the same age, (f) the environment's contradictory expectations from the mother; 2. Coping strategies with four categories: (a) practical, (b) spiritual, (c) social and (d) emotional; and 3. Parental Burnout, consequences and coping with two categories: (a) personal and environmental risk factors (e.g., fear of the future, difficulty in trusting others in taking care of their child), and (b) personal and environmental protective resources (e.g., sharing similar circumstances with other mothers, a belief in God). Conclusions and implications: The findings contribute to understanding the unique difficulties, coping strategies and differences in risk factors and protective resources of Parental Burnout among ultra-Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish mothers of children with special needs. In order to alleviate the difficulties experienced by mothers and thus also reduce Parental Burnout risk factors and provide effective protective resources, it is recommended to develop empirically based professional guidance for policymakers, child development specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, and informal caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the Israeli parliamentary elections in 2013, the No Voice, No Vote Facebook group was created, for the first time calling for women not to vote for ultra-Orthodox parties in Israel as long as they did not include women on their electoral list. This study, based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 ultra-Orthodox feminist women in Israel, examines the extent to which the Mizrahi identity of ultra-Orthodox feminist women has motivated the formation of the ultra-Orthodox feminist movement. The results show that the Mizrahi identity has a dominant presence in the ultra-Orthodox feminist movement and reveals parallels and similarities between Mizrahi feminism, Black feminism, and ultra-Orthodox feminism in Israel. As several key members of the movement are excluded from society due to multiple identity categories, the theory of intersectionality can explain the emergence of ultra-Orthodox feminism in Israel. Nevertheless, this article argues that intersectionality offers only a limited explanation in the case of the ultra-Orthodox feminist movement in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) is a pivotal tool for preventing a significant cause of cervical cancer. One particular culturally recognized context associated with negative attitudes toward the HPV vaccine is the religiousness of parents. However, relatively speaking, there remains a scarcity of studies that have focused specifically on religious groups, especially non‐Christian groups. Purpose: To better understand the basis for members of an ultra‐Orthodox Jewish community to object to the HPV vaccine and how such objections can and cannot be reduced, thereby improving cultural competence—namely, the cultural understanding and ethical addressing of HPV vaccination refusal. Methods: This qualitative study conducted semi‐structured interviews with ten Israeli ultra‐Orthodox mothers who are opposed to administering the HPV vaccine to their daughters. The content analysis addressed these results and extracted the major issues arising from these particular interviews. Results: Four main novel insights were found pertaining to the negative stance toward HPV vaccination among mothers in an ultra‐Orthodox Jewish community: (a) lack of knowledge about the HPV vaccine is not part of the reasoning against it; (b) rabbinical authority might have a lesser influence than expected for the moderation of HPV vaccine refusal; (c) complicated viewpoints regarding childhood vaccination may be the larger non‐moderating context for HPV vaccination refusal; and (d) cultural competence is important for the ability to change the negative attitudes toward HPV vaccination. Conclusions: The study may improve cultural competence regarding HPV vaccination and contribute to decreasing objections to the HPV vaccine in ultra‐Orthodox communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many studies that deal with the role of media and the motives for their creation. The present article explores the background behind the development of Ultra-Orthodox journalism. It examines the establishment of Ultra-Orthodox daily newspapers in Israel at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first by analyzing semistructured texts and ideas. The historical background and the way this journalism developed in general and specifically during those years reflect a strong social and censorial orientation. This study concludes that these newspapers can be seen as social definers that help preserve a community through censorship aimed at the general and other Ultra-Orthodox media. It helps communities and individuals self-define and can delineate an additional role for mass media as a social definer. The contention herein is that the establishment of Ultra-Orthodox newspapers in Israel serves as a mode for social definition; a definition that is arrived at by being part of the circle of the newspaper's readers, and the newspaper, in turn, defines itself by its censor board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research adopted both an individual and a sociocultural approach to expand previous knowledge of the mechanisms underlying reported variance in life satisfaction. Given the gratitude-oriented lifestyle and daily rituals of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, gratitude may serve as a central vehicle to its members' high reported levels of life satisfaction. Thus, Study 1 explored the mediating role of gratitude through a cross-cultural comparison between ultra-Orthodox and secular samples. Study 2 explored the moderating effect of optimism on the relationship between the sociocultural group and gratitude, which, in turn, affects life satisfaction. Based on two matched samples of ultra-Orthodox and secular individuals, the findings indicate that the relationship between cultural group and life satisfaction was fully mediated by gratitude. Moreover, optimism was found to moderate the relationship between cultural group and gratitude so that the difference in gratitude levels between the two cultural groups was higher for individuals with low levels of optimism. The findings hold significant conceptual and practical implications for a better understanding of life satisfaction and its contributors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internalization of costs of religious preferences fits the religious self-perception and ideology of many religious communities and is in their long-term interest. It also strengthens the external value of religious communities, norms, and institutions for the wider society. Many forces press religious communities to reduce the costs of religious preferences. Within a community, costs are reduced by limiting the available choices or shifted to its weaker members; outside the community, costs are shifted to other groups or the state. Incentives influence the allocation of costs, which in turn shape internal communal choices and the religious vitality and sustainability of the community. The allocation of costs also affects the external relations of communities. This article suggests that the allocation of costs is yet another aspect of religious and ideological communities in liberal states that deserves investigation at the constitutional, legal, and regulatory levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Disaffiliating from an ultra-Orthodox society is complex and challenging. The process includes dealing with culture shock, traumatic experiences, education gaps, and disconnection from familiar surroundings. Thus, ex-ultra-Orthodox individuals (ex-ULTOIs) may face loneliness, lack of belongingness, and loss of meaning, which may relate to high psychological distress such as depression and suicide ideation. In the present study, we sought to shed light on the distress of ex-ULTOIs in Israel and to understand the disaffiliation-related characteristics that may relate to their distress levels. Method: The sample comprised 755 participants, aged 19–54, who left their ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle and communities. Participants completed self-report questionnaires tapping depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, suicide ideation and behaviour, as well as demographics and disaffiliation-related characteristics. Results: Nearly half of the sample (N = 332, 45.9%) reported symptom intensity meeting the current criteria for major depressive disorder. Moreover, 46.7% reported symptoms meeting PTSD criteria, and 34.5% reported having suicidal ideations in the past year. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the intensity of past negative life events, the nature of motives for disaffiliation, and the longer duration of the disaffiliation process contributed to the severity of distress. Conclusions: The study's findings reveal that ex-ULTOIs suffer from high mental pain levels, particularly depression, PTSD, and suicidal risk. Importantly, experiencing disaffiliation as traumatic and longer durations of the process may facilitate greater mental pain and distress symptoms. These findings emphasize that ex-ULTOIs must be continually assessed, especially when their disaffiliation processes are experienced as traumatic. Ex-ultra-Orthodox Jews reported relatively high levels of depression, posttraumatic symptoms, and suicidal risk. Half of the sample met the criteria for major depressive disorder and PTSD, and more than a third reported suicide ideation in the past year. The intensity of negative life events in the past and a shorter duration of the disaffiliation process contributed to higher severity of mental pain among ex-ultra-Orthodox individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the differences in smoking rates between ultra-Orthodox Jews and non-ultra-Orthodox Jews and to understand the role of sex and socioeconomic status (SES) in predicting smoking among the two populations. The study population included all Maccabi Healthcare Services members aged 50 or older (N = 30,170) who lived in two cities in the center of Israel: Bnei Brak—a city with a high concentration of ultra-Orthodox, and Ramat Gan—a non-ultra-Orthodox city. After adjusting for age, sex, and SES, the prevalence of smoking in the ultra-Orthodox city was significantly lower than that in the non-ultra-Orthodox city. A significant interaction was found between sex and degree of religiosity in predicting smoking. The smoking differences between men and women in the ultra-Orthodox city were high compared with those in the non-ultra-Orthodox city. Similarly, a significant interaction was found between SES and degree of religiosity in predicting smoking. These results in the effects of sex and SES in predicting smoking between ultra-Orthodox Jews and non-ultra-Orthodox Jews require further research to better understand these differences and plan intervention programs tailored to different populations accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous trend of ultra-Orthodox ('Haredi') women enrolling in higher education institutions has not been widely investigated. The current study explored their reasons for pursuing an academic degree, their radical choice of physical education (PE) as a career, as well as their experiences and reflections on this process. Eighteen Israeli ultra-Orthodox female students aged 21–41 participated in the study. A mixed-methods convergent design approach was used for data collection. Religious affiliation and its intersection with social class were used as a theoretical framework for the interpretation of the findings. The analysis of the written data from the questionnaires and the focus group interviews showed that economic considerations dominated their motivations to attend college. Almost all of these women plan to use their studies in PE to improve their earning capacity. A passion for sports from an early age was their main reason for selecting this particular degree. Among the difficulties they faced were the heavy academic workload, as well as knowledge gaps due to their insufficient educational background. The women expressed varying attitudes toward openness to the secular society – mainly in reference to the younger generation, in light of the changes that their highly conservative community is presently undergoing. Future directions for research and educational policy are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Israeli ultra-Orthodox community is a segregated religious minority suffering from poverty, yet its youth do not receive financial education. This mixed-method research explores the effectiveness of a financial education program for affianced ultra-Orthodox men. 11 interviewees answered qualitative questionnaires, and 201 program graduates evaluated program effectiveness, financial conduct, and demographics, compared to 36 control-group participants. Qualitative results emphasize the program's importance for yeshiva students. Quantitative results demonstrate better savings behavior and more consultation willingness of graduates. Culturally-sensitive programming can lead to improved financial conduct; therefore, governmental investment is essential for Israeli economic welfare and for the ultra-Orthodox community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Journalists can play a pivotal role in promoting a population's security amid a health crisis such as a global pandemic. This role becomes of enhanced importance for marginalized populations as they face a compounded threat due to preexisting social inequalities and exclusion. This study focuses on the utilization of Twitter by ultra-Orthodox journalists during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. The study applies a thematic analysis of 23,110 tweets from the 20 most popular ultra-Orthodox journalists on Twitter. Findings reveal that ultra-Orthodox journalists utilized Twitter in an "ambassadorial" role to advocate their community's security through six strategies: (1) explaining the challenges endangering ultra-Orthodox Jews during COVID-19, (2) dispelling COVID-19 accusations directed against ultra-Orthodox Jews, (3) encouraging social distancing and health guidelines, (4) highlighting the social contributions of ultra-Orthodox Jews to the general public during the pandemic, (5) criticizing wrongdoers who violated the health guidelines, and (6) calling out acts of hatred and bigotry that have been directed toward ultra-Orthodox Jews. These findings reveal the professional ethos of ultra-Orthodox journalists and their aspiration to protect their community. Furthermore, these findings shed light on the vital role Twitter can play in journalistic work through inter-social interactivity and the enablement of capabilities, particularly the capability "to be secure." Lastly, this study expands the understanding of the social media resource contributing to policymakers tasked with formulating its fair distribution in society in accordance with the capabilities approach and its objective of promoting well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental love is often regarded as central to a child's well‐being, although the culture‐informed and context‐informed scholarship on this topic has been surprisingly limited. The present study was designed to highlight the concept of parental love from the unique perspective of Israeli Ultra‐Orthodox Jewish parents. It is based on a secondary qualitative thematic analysis of 27 interviews with parents that explore the constructions, experiences and meanings they associate with the concept of parental love. The interviews were selected from a study of Ultra‐Orthodox Jewish parents in Israel who were asked about child risk and protection. According to the findings, love was often contrasted to risk; it was viewed as having an immunizing effect and as being core to child well‐being, belonging and faith. Three major themes related to 'love' emerged: (1) the responsibility of loving your children, (2) the nature of love (or lack thereof) and (3) the religious and spiritual aspects of love. The study also stresses the importance of cultural and contextual analysis of core constructs such as 'parental love' and considers the implications of its findings for interventions with families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing power of the media to define social values and perceptions is a conspicuous feature of contemporary life. Radio is one such shaper of social reality perceptions. While much of the media research focuses on secular organisations operating in a Western, liberal context, not much attention has been paid to this tension between religion and modernity within media outlets. This article examines representations of Israel's Jewish ultra-orthodox minority in Israel's daily radio satire shows, a popular and intuitive medium. It shows that content is usually based on the broadcasters' spontaneous feelings contrary to other media. The findings in the article depict an isolated community out of touch with public consensus and mainstream society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sheds light on the phenomenon whereby groups experience adversity, following which they show signs of growth. We propose the conceptualization of post-traumatic growth as a phenomenon that also exists at the group level, "community post-traumatic growth" (CPTG). The concept of CPTG is explained using a case study on the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel following the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study describes shared characteristics of Israeli ultra-Orthodox society and the crisis it experienced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of physiological features such as the relatively high proportion of affected people and in terms of psychological characteristics such as the shut-down of synagogues and yeshivas, and the perceived discrimination they experienced from the general population in Israel. The present study views the sense of discrimination as a traumatic factor at the group level. In total, 256 participants completed online questionnaires examining three hypotheses: (1) sense of discrimination (trauma) will be correlated with level of CPTG; (2) the level of identification with the ultra-Orthodox culture will be positively related to CPTG, while the level of identification with Israeli culture will be negatively correlated with CPTG; (3) the level of life satisfaction of the individual will be predicted by CPTG. The results supported the hypotheses and are discussed at length in the discussion section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the findings of substantial research, Western professionals today perceive corporal punishment as a threat to child well-being. They also view it as a violation of children's rights. Nonetheless, many minority groups in Western societies still consider it to be a legitimate child-rearing practice. In response to this gap, this article presents qualitative findings from an exploratory context-informed study of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish fathers in Israel, regarding their perceptions and ascribed meanings of corporal punishment. Our exploration was guided by the following research question: What are the constructions, perceptions, beliefs, and meanings associated with corporal punishment among Ultra-Orthodox Litvak fathers in Israel? The thematic analysis of 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews yielded two central themes. The first is the view of corporal punishment as an educational tool with legitimacy based on religious sources and emotion-focused rationales. The second theme deals with different limitations on and guidelines regarding this legitimacy. Children were struck as a result of behavior that parents experienced as extreme, and striking the child in response to religious wrongdoing was viewed as problematic. The fathers interviewed stressed the need to suit the punishment to the child, in terms of the intensity of the blow, frequency, and the age of the child. The fathers also emphasized the importance of the child's subjective experience being one of education as opposed to humiliation. Implications from these findings illustrate the gaps between the Ultra-Orthodox community and professionals who espouse the Western view that prohibits corporal punishment; at the same time, they portray the fathers as expressing an intricate approach toward corporal punishment, with conditions and limitations, as opposed to absolute approval. This article advocates a context-informed approach toward dealing with corporal punishment in minority groups that legitimize the practice. Adopting such an approach may contribute to better cooperation between professionals and their clients from minority groups, and advance child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the argumentative writing characteristics of students from different sociocultural backgrounds. We focused on Jewish ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) students, educated in a segregated religious school for boys (yeshiva), who are now attempting to integrate in secular higher education in Israel. To better understand the unique characteristics of this population, we reviewed 92 essays written by Haredi students, and compared them with 76 essays by public education (PE) graduates. Our analysis was based on the cognitive and sociocultural perspectives of argumentation. Both bottom-up and top-down criteria were used to elicit the argumentative writing characteristics either emerging from the data or based on existing theories. Our primary findings indicate that Haredi students have distinct argumentative characteristics, including the use of more complex and dialectic arguments and unique persuasive tactics. These findings are discussed in light of previous research on yeshiva learning methods and recommendations are provided for adjusting the existing higher education curricula to suit both PE and Haredi students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluminous scholarship has shown that religious leaders play an important role in helping patients cope with health issues. There is, however, little research on the impact of religious leaders on parents' decision-making processes pertaining to childhood vaccination. Ultra-orthodox Jewish religious leaders (rabbis) are considered authorities on health issues, and most of them encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Yet, there have been several recent outbreaks of measles in the ultra-orthodox population in Israel, as well as in other countries. The aim is to study the role played by rabbis in the decision-making process of Israeli ultra-orthodox Jewish parents with regard to vaccination. In-depth interviews were conducted during 2019 with ten Israeli ultra-orthodox Jewish mothers who do not vaccinate their children. The interviewees acknowledged that rabbis generally advocate vaccination. Yet they do not consult them and at times even disregard their instructions. The interviewees search for information on vaccination for themselves (mostly online) and decide not to vaccinate their children based on their assessment of risk. Contrary to the scholarly literature that points to the central role of religious leaders in dealing with health issues, the ultra-orthodox mothers' decision not to vaccinate their children appears to have been made despite the rabbis' instructions and not for religious reasons. These mothers' decision-making process is similar to that of mothers who do not vaccinate their children in other countries with respect to the aspect of gender, the search for information, and the reasons reported. Contacting the ultra-orthodox mothers directly and addressing their concerns about risk increase vaccination rates among the ultra-orthodox Jewish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intersection of gender, sociocultural background, and argumentative socioscientific writing. It focuses on Jewish Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men and women who were educated in gender-segregated schools separated from the public education (PE) system in Israel. We compared argumentative essays written by these two groups to argumentative essays written by both genders of PE graduates who studied in coed schools. The methodology and analysis were based on both the cognitive and sociocultural perspectives, and relied on both preexisting ('top down') and data-derived ('bottom up') criteria to compare the argumentative essays of the four groups in 20 different aspects. The analysis revealed that gender differences in argumentation patterns and quality are culturally bound. While PE women and men share similar argumentative patterns and quality, in the Haredi group two distinct argumentative patterns and differences in quality were found. The findings demonstrate the complex intersections of gender, sociocultural background, and argumentation. We discuss these findings and present implications for research and teaching of argumentation and of socioscientific reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper focuses on the circumstances that have led to the high COVID-19 infection rates amongst the ultra-Orthodox population in Israel. The current study utilizes a qualitative design and is based on in-depth interviews, email correspondence and online records of 25 ultra-Orthodox individuals who either tested positive for COVID-19 or had contact with a verified COVID-19 patient. The data were analyzed through identification of main themes and an interpretation of their meanings. The findings showed that a wide range of causes led to the high infection rate, including aspects that derive from a structural element, a religious element and a social-ideological element—all of which are directly or indirectly connected to religion. These findings demonstrate the central role of religion in health outcomes among the ultra-Orthodox community in general and during pandemics in particular, and they shed light on the central role of religion in health outcomes among closed-religious communities. The findings further reveal the importance of cooperation between the state authorities and the religious ones, and of providing culturally adapted health service solutions in the fight against COVID-19 and promoting health more generally. Study limitations are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aims to describe the role that religion and belief may play in members of the Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish population hospitalized in the Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center and diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Religion was judged essential by the patients in the management of their illness. Forty percent of the patients perceive their illness as their destiny, 26.7% as an "affliction of love," and 33.3% as resulting from their sins. Sixty percent of patients explained that faith is a source of hope in their life, with 76.7% indicating that collective religious practices help them face their illness. Ninety percent expressed no conflict between consulting a psychiatrist and their religious beliefs. Collective religious practices were correlated with higher treatment credibility. The use of religious coping methods was correlated with lower anxiety and tension among women. Higher conflict between religion and consulting a psychiatrist was correlated with lower treatment credibility among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article illuminates the process by which the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) memory of the Holocaust has been transformed to enlist society in reconstructing consciousness of the tragedy into a carefully nurtured memory of idyllic ultra-Orthodox life in interwar Eastern Europe, with the assertion that there is a direct continuity between that vanished life and life in Israel today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating the needs of at-risk populations into national health care initiatives is essential. Israel has identified ultra-Orthodox Jewish, or Haredi, women, as at risk of increased morbidity and mortality, yet actual data on this insular community are lacking. We reviewed published research on Israeli Haredi women's health status, behaviors and health care access and examined methodologies. Of 273 articles identified, 14 publications and four government reports were included. More research is needed on this community, essential not only to Israeli health care policy, but to that of the USA and the UK, who share the largest percentages of Haredi Jews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past fifty years, images of women have been disappearing from ultra-Orthodox and eventually Orthodox publications. Despite their communities' restrictions on internet usage among their followers, ultra-Orthodox women continue to be presented publicly on the internet at the same time that women's images and identities in ultra-Orthodox communities have been subject to erasure. The public personas of these women as they appear online navigate their community standards of modesty, rabbinical authority, and their gendered religious identities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that individuals differ in the extent to which they seek activities that promote hedonic or eudaimonic well-being. Prioritizing positivity describes a strategy of pursuing happiness by seeking pleasurable activities or circumstances that can lead to naturally occurring positive emotions, while prioritizing meaning describes a strategy of cultivating well-being by purposefully seeking activities that are conducive to experiencing meaning in life. While these notions have been examined among the general population, little is known about how these prioritizing patterns are linked with well-being in closed religious groups, who often promote the benefit of the collective group in lieu of the individual's personal choices and interests. Based on a sample of 407 Ultra-Orthodox Jewish individuals (mean age = 33.58, SD = 8.89), 55.5% of which were women, the results demonstrated that prioritizing meaning and sense of community were positively associated with life satisfaction. Moreover, a significant interaction of sense of community × prioritizing positivity was found, indicating a positive connection between prioritizing positivity and life satisfaction for individuals with a high sense of community, but a negative connection for those with a low sense of community. Our findings suggest that even in extremely close-knit community-oriented societies, a strong sense of belonging to a community enables individuals to prioritize more hedonic aspects of their lives in order to promote their life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known scientifically about eating disorders (EDs) in the Haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) community. This paper aims to describe Haredi culture, review available peer-reviewed research on EDs in the Haredi community and discuss possible risk and protective factors for these disorders in a culturally informed way. A literature search for 2009–2019 yielded 180 references of which only nine were studies on ED in the Haredi community. We describe these and use them as a basis for discussion of possible risk and protective factors for ED in Haredi women. Risk factors may include the centrality of food, poverty, rigid dress codes, the importance of thinness for dating and marriage, high demands from women, selflessness and early marriage and high expectations from women. Protective factors may include faith, Jewish laws governing eating and food that encourage gratitude and mindful eating, and body covering as part of modesty laws that discourage objectification. Ways of overcoming the current barriers to research in the Haredi community should be sought to advance ED prevention and treatment in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the news broadcasts of the Israeli TV Channel 2. It focuses on coverage of instances in which Haredi 'Jewish ultra-Orthodox' individuals are accused of committing immoral acts such as child abuse, hit and run accident and rape. I argue that in all of these instances, the moral otherness of these individuals is linked to their Haredi identity, thus intensifying the negative-sectoral otherness of the entire Haredi community. I discuss tagging, visual devices and especially discursive strategies used to link individual moral otherness to sectoral otherness at various levels of directness. Additionally, I analyze online comments written by viewers of the items discussed, which indicate the identification and interpretation of implications and implicatures conveyed by this rhetorical linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a search for a theoretical framework that would structure and orient a comparative analysis of diverse Jewish theological responses to the Holocaust, the author reached for J.Z. Smith's discussions of comparative enterprise. The questions of similarity, difference and of the putative goal of comparison loomed large over her project. In J.Z. Smith's work, the author found helpful clues, illuminating insights as well as somewhat confusing and counterintuitive examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New media journalism has perturbed traditional reporting not only in mainstream-modern societies but also within religious-cum-insular communities. Focusing on the Jewish ultra-Orthodox community in Israel and in light of web journalists’ continuous struggle with leading clergy and an apprehensive public, this study grapples with the question, ‘How do ultra-Orthodox web journalists view their work mission as information brokers for an enclave culture?’ The study gleaned from 40 in-depth interviews with web journalists and discussions with community web activists. Results uncovered three major schemata that drive their praxis: (1) Communal-Haredi, (2) Western-Democratic and (3) Journalist Ecosystem. Findings suggest a rising archetype of fundamentalist web journalism that rests its professional ethos on writers’ practice, rather than on formalized training or communal dictums. Web journalists were found to strongly identify with their community, yet, often unintentionally, also act as a secondary form of authority and harbingers of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the anti- and pro-group forces through the dialectic of assimilation versus aloofness, in the context of ultra-orthodox society. The article illustrates these forces through the tension between speaking and keeping silent, manifest in such group phenomena as splitting into two subgroups and the "cautionary" social role. This is followed by a discussion of different styles of leading the group that enable a more dynamic movement between these two forces and that promote effective group work and an authentic and voluntary professional socialization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:The context of caregiving in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community is still an uncharted field. We sought to facilitate an in-depth understanding of caregivers in Israel through their views of their position as primary caregivers, their coping mechanisms with the challenges of caregiving burden, and their unfulfilled needs. Method:Data were drawn from interviews with 28 participants, serving as primary caregivers for at least a year. Results:Three major themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) burden of care as a universal experience, (2) the faith-based spiritual meaning of caring for parents, and (3) modest needs and expectations from the formal services – a total reliance on the familial-community service system, while there is some indication of unfulfilled needs that should be addressed by the formal service system. Conclusion:Intervening parties should be aware of the ‘cultural color,’ and not ignore the unique difficulties this population faces. Policy-makers should acknowledge the patterns of non-formal services used in this community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies one ultra-Orthodox group – Habad community, exploring its members’ attitudes towards four languages: Hebrew, Loshen Koydesh (LK), English, and Yiddish, and focusing on usage, affection for the language, ascribed importance, and holiness. Research questions were: (1) What are the attitudes of Habad members towards these languages? (2) Are there individual differences according to gender and/or age in the attitudes towards these languages within the group? One hundred forty-eight questionnaires were distributed to members of the community, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Attitudes towards the four languages revealed significant differences, showing, by and large, a preference for Hebrew, LK, and English over Yiddish in all dimensions, yet yielding a range of specific gender and age differences reflecting the sociocultural milieu’s influence on the development of these perceptions. Habad’s unique features came forth in its members’ linguistic choices and attitudes, providing further evidence of language as both reflecting and directing issues of identity, belongingness, ideology, and intergroup relations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study explores how women in two devout religious communities cope with the Internet and its apparent incompatibility with their communities' values and practices. Questionnaires containing both closed and open-ended questions were completed by 82 participants, approximately half from each community. While their discourses included similar framings of danger and threat, the two groups manifested different patterns of Internet use (and nonuse). Rigorous adherence to religious dictates is greatly admired in these communities, and the women take pride in manipulating their status in them. Their agency is reflected in how they negotiate the tension inherent in their roles as both gatekeepers and agents-of-change, which are analyzed as valuable currencies in their cultural and religious markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body image dissatisfaction (BID) is one of the most robust risk factors associated with eating disturbances. However, much remains unknown about it especially regarding a potentially protective factor, namely religiosity. As shown in hundreds of studies, religiosity has consistently been associated with better health and mental health outcomes. Utilizing a large, community-based study of adult Jewish women, we compare ultra-Orthodox and Secular Jewish women, two groups at opposite ends of the religious observance spectrum. Detailed telephone interviews were conducted with a broadly representative sample of adult women (mean age 44) in Israel from distinct religious observance groups. Frequency of 13 BID symptoms was assessed in addition to two clinical correlates, weight and self-criticism. Separate hierarchical regressions use bootstrapping to explore predictors of BID severity within each group. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences in body dissatisfaction emerge between rigorously religious and non-religious Jewish respondents. In addition, the findings reveal surprisingly similar patterns of predictors of BID severity with self-criticism making a noteworthy contribution for both groups. However, despite strong similarities, it is premature to dismiss potentially protective aspects of religiosity vis-à-vis BID without additional studies. In the interim, clinical prevention and treatment interventions that focus on reducing self-criticism may be extremely important for addressing BID issues among adult women-regardless of degree of religious observance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the social and political dynamics behind the various legislative proposals to establish a civic national service programme in Israel, and the role of Israel’s High Court as a catalytic force for changing policy on this controversial issue. The idea of civic national service for those not inducted into the Israel military has been a controversial issue in Israel since the early years of the state. While Jews and Druze were inducted into the armed forces, Israeli Arabs, religious women and ultra-orthodox yeshiva students were either exempted or deferred from service. Members of Knesset primarily from small parties in the opposition proposed private member bills to establish an alternative civic service for those not serving in the army; however, Israel’s governments rejected these proposals and only in the case of religious Zionist women did the government establish a voluntary programme. Political considerations and coalition politics as well as an interest in protecting the unrivalled predominance of the military (IDF) in Israeli society led successive Israeli governments to maintain the status quo. Only the intervention of the High Court obliged the government to review its policy and take action. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose -- Although childhood abuse is internationally recognized as a major problem, there is a dearth of data concerning potentially protective resources, including religiosity. While studies document religiosity's posi-tive association with general health outcomes, little is known about its relevance to abuse in childhood. A unique opportunity to explore the relationship is provided by a community-based study of religiously diverse, adult women within a single religious denomination, Judaism. A distinctive aspect of this research, which places women's voices and experiences center stage, is the context within which it was conducted. Israel is a deeply gendered society dominated by two patriarchal institu-tions, the military and religious establishments. Methodology - Detailed telephone interviews with a large, demographi-cally diverse sample assess a broad range of women's health issues including childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Prevalence rates are compared for observance groups at opposite ends of the religi-osity spectrum, rigorously devout ultra-Orthodox fHaredi) (n = 261) and nonreligious Secular Jews (n =181). Findings -- Unexpectedly, no significant differences between observance groups are found for any childhood abuse (45%), physical abuse (24%), or emotional abuse (40%). Childhood sexual abuse has the low-est frequency (4.8%) of all abuse categories with more reported by Secular than Haredi respondents (7.7% vs. 3.1% p = .05). Research implications - This study addresses a critical research gap with empirical evidence from adult women within a single religious denomination. To enhance generalizability, replication with other denominations and the inclusion of males is warranted. Social implications -- More religious involvement apparently does not mitigate the most prevalent forms of childhood maltreatment. These pre-liminary, yet persuasive findings warrant more policy and prevention efforts focused on childhood abuse in all families, religious as well as nonreligious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how the constitutional right to educational freedom penetrates to the schools of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) community in Antwerp, which is one of the largest Haredi communities in the world. The findings indicate that the constitutional educational freedom is altered by various legal rules, social norms, and implementing agents that transform it on the way down to the Haredi schools. The complex, illusive operation of the cogwheels of education policy demonstrates that education laws should be shaped with considerable thought, taking into account their long journey across the arenas of education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic offers a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the role of urban planning strategies in the resilience of urban communities confronting a pandemic. This study examines the relationship between urban diversity and epidemiological resilience by empirically assessing the relation between the level of neighborhood homogeneity and the probability of being infected by the coronavirus. We focus on the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel, a relatively closed community that was disproportionately and severely affected by the pandemic. The findings indicate a monotonic but nonlinear relationship between the level of ultra-Orthodox prevalence in a neighborhood and a resident's probability of contracting COVID-19. As the fraction of ultra-Orthodox individuals in the neighborhood decreases, the fraction of infected population decreases significantly and more strongly that can be explained without recourse to urban diversity considerations. This relationship is found to be significant and strong, even when other variables are accounted for that had hitherto been perceived as central to coronavirus distribution, such as housing density, socioeconomic level of the neighborhood, and number of people per household. The findings are important and relevant to many societies around the globe in which a variety of populations have a separatist lifestyle. • The study examines the relationship between urban diversity and epidemiological resilience • The Study focuses on the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, a relatively closed community • The UO community in Israel and elsewhere suffered from a high level of infections and mortality rates of COVID-19 • the research examines the relationship between the level of neighborhood homogeneity and the probability of being infected by the coronavirus • The research findings indicate a nonlinear relationship between the neighborhood's UOR and the probability of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the customary assumption that ultra-Orthodox memory of the Holocaust is a counter-memory, which confronts, consciously and unconsciously, the dominant secular, Zionist memory of the Holocaust. However, in the early postwar period, the memory of the Holocaust in ultra-Orthodox society was variegated and multifaceted. The article shows that not only did some members of ultra-Orthodox society adopt part of the Zionist narrative on issues such as the lessons of the Holocaust and the centrality of the Land of Israel but that they even took part in its creation and consolidation. During the 1960s some of the ultra-Orthodox spokesmen shifted their commemoration efforts to within their own community for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, the sectorial barriers between the secular majority and the ultra-Orthodoxy minority in Israel in the first decades were not as high or as rigid as they appear to be today. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the divergent attitudes toward mass media among the streams of Orthodox Jewry. According to most Ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders, media spread blasphemy, provoke gossip and slander, and steal time from religious studies, but Rabbi M. Schneerson, late leader of the Chabad movement, believed that the media should be exploited to spread the tenets of Judaism. Modern Orthodox rabbis generally favor limited access to media—filtering out its negative aspects, embracing its positive features, and using it to impart religious knowledge. Understanding these various attitudes may help media professionals deal with religion-based criticism and encourage media-borne moderate religious dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes obstacles encountered and strategies devised in planning and conducting a national telephone health survey (n = 459) of an insular, deeply traditional religious population, haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) Israeli women. The paper discusses how special characteristics of this population influenced study design, sampling, data collection, and interpretation. Sampling employed polling data to identify haredi concentrations. Despite haredim's reputation for low survey participation, we achieved a 71-74% response rate (depending on the unknown eligibility of 24 phones never answered) in interviews conducted in 2003-2004. We describe our systematic attention to special aspects of haredi culture such as: modesty and speech codes: the need for rabbinic endorsement; and the importance of female, haredi interviewers. This research was initiated and managed by a community-based women's health non-governmental organization, in partnership with trained researchers. Our experiences can guide others surveying insular communities, such as traditional Muslim and Christian societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper article on a study focusing on Israel's Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews) community, exploring its members' perceptions of Hebrew, Yiddish and English in terms of the language's importance, usage, holiness and related emotions. Questionnaires were distributed to 180 participants from five prominent subgroups within the community. Analysis revealed significant differences in the participants' attitudes towards the three languages, showing preference for Hebrew and Yiddish above English in all dimensions explored. Differences between subgroups correlated with their stance towards the Israeli majority and vis-a-vis one another - the greater the level of segregation, the more negative their attitudes towards English and the more positive their attitudes towards Yiddish, with Hebrew somewhere in between for most groups. These findings reflect the community's attempts to build symbolic fences to sustain and foster segregation on the one hand, and their bonding with the historical heritage on the other. Gender differences also emerged with women, who function as change agents far more often, showing more favourable attitudes towards Hebrew and English than men. In sum, attitudes towards languages emerged as an interesting lens from which to learn about broader ideological world views, reflecting the tension and conflict between the inner community world view and the surrounding world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]