Search

The article presents a study that examined the contribution of empowerment (personal, political, and abilities) and background variables (age, religiosity, and marital status) of social workers to promoting participation among two groups of clients: long-term residents of Israel, and new immigrants. The findings revealed that only political empowerment contributed toward promoting client participation among both of the groups examined. As for the impact of background variables, the findings indicated that gender (for long-term residents) and religiosity (for immigrants) contributed to promoting client participation only when there was an interaction with political empowerment. Background variables and maturity (in terms of age and marital status) also contributed toward promoting participation among immigrant clients. The article discusses the nature of empowerment and analyzes the relationship between empowerment of social workers and promoting client participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current social work theory distinguishes between the traditional pathology-oriented perspective and the strengths perspective. This paper posits that the working model of community social workers is grounded in a strengths perspective, which, in relation to community work, is compatible with and supplementary to empowerment models, providing a methodological base for the values and practice of the macro method of social work. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of each of these two perspectives towards community activity, and to examine the differences between them regarding the sense of empowerment and professional skills acknowledged by community social workers in Israel. The findings revealed that while the majority of community social workers adopt a strengths perspective in their work, they experience a greater sense of empowerment and of professional skills when adopting a pathology-oriented perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Israel, community programs have been set up with the purpose of improving the functioning and empowerment of school-age children (6-12) who are raised in recognized 'multiproblem' families. The most common are after-school programs that combine therapy and education. The community after-school treatment programs enable the children to continue to live at home; they spend the daytime hours in frameworks designed for them and return home in the evening. The purpose of the research is to examine whether there are differences among children at-risk who are treated in three different models of after-school treatment programs, in terms of variables related to their empowerment. Each model represents a different style of leadership: after-school programs led by women only, after-school programs run by a mixed-gender co-team (one man and one woman), and after-school programs held in private homes under the leadership of the woman of the house. The research findings indicate differences among the children treated in the three models of after-school programs in terms of the variables related to their empowerment. The after-school programs led by a man and a woman were found to be the most empowering. Three variables contribute to these differences: psychological empowerment, self-esteem, and satisfaction with the after-school program. No differences were found among the groups with regard to involvement of the children in the after-school treatment program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores empowerment among parents of children with disabilities. Specifically, it deals with how changes in parents' patterns of involvement and participation lead to empowerment. Parents of children with disabilities in Israel who are involved in voluntary organizations for the disabled were surveyed in relation to three components of empowerment: (a) family; (b) services; and (c) community. Four community variables-patterns of activity in organization, representation of the disabled and their families, participation in decisionmaking, and sense of belonging to the community-and two personal variables-self-esteem and mastery-were each found to affect at least one of the components of empowerment. The paper includes some recommendations for social workers with regard to the empowerment of parents of disabled children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past decade, there has been a proliferation of alcohol and other drug use in Israel. In order to combat this problem, the Israeli government, in 1988, created the National Anti-Drug Authority, a government agency whose responsibilities include the coordination of all prevention, treatment, and research activities that are directed towards the goal of fighting the war against drugs. As part of its mandate, the National Anti-Drug Authority created local anti-drug authority coordinators to fulfill its goals. The study described in this paper presents a preliminary picture of the role profile of the anti-drug authority coordinator worker in Israel. Five major direct practice role categories were revealed in the study with the community assessment and social broker role identified as the most active practice component followed by the community coordinator role, supervision and consultation, planning and conducting anti-drug prevention services, and assisting in community intervention the least active role component. In order to understand the findings, the role categories are classified according to their frequency of practice by the anti-drug coordinators along with the goals, focal systems, and the major tasks toward which each role category is directed. Finally, the study showed a high level of social work involvement as anti-drug authority coordinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examines job satisfaction among nonprofessional women workers in welfare service organizations. Nonprofessional women workers are in a special position in this regard on two counts: first, they are residents of the neighborhoods in which they work; and, second, they generally have had no previous work experience. In this study, variables identified in earlier research in the field are used in order to determine the effects of background characteristics, organizational factors, and role components on job satisfaction. The results of the present study support the view that role conflict and role ambiguity exert a negative impact on job satisfaction. Organizational variables make up one area where the findings of this study differ from those of previous research in the field. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study of 93 members of neighbourhood committees, from 31 urban, mainly lower-class neighbourhoods in the greater Tel-Aviv area, the roles played by neighbourhood representative organizations, as seen by organization activists, are examined. These roles are divided into expressive and instrumental, and, following Wandersman (1981), their correlations are examined with environmental factors and personal and participational variables of the respondents, and their sense of belonging to the community. Generally the Wandersman model fits the data, but the use of the expressive-instrumental division allows for some refinement and extension, and sheds light on the way community activists see themselves as residents and as parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research from a positive psychology perspective is conducted among different populations, few studies have examined the predictors of life satisfaction among young backpackers. The current study focused on young adults (ages 21-30), an age group for whom backpacking treks are a growing phenomenon, during their treks in the Far East and South America. Direct and indirect models were used to identify personal factors and environmental resources contributing to life satisfaction. After at least one month abroad, 318 young adults (M = 23.76) answered a self-report quantitative questionnaire. The findings show that personal resources, social support, and community participation were positively associated with life satisfaction, and risk-taking behaviors were negatively associated with life satisfaction. Social support and community participation partially mediated the association between risk-taking behaviors and life satisfaction and between personal resources and life satisfaction. The implications of the findings for the subjective well-being of young backpackers during their transition to adulthood include, among others, the need to help young backpackers maintain their personal and social resources as valuable assets for coping with challenges during their trips. It is also important to increase awareness of the possible wide-ranging negative effects of risk-taking behaviors during backpacking trips.

During emerging adulthood, individuals are primarily concerned with themselves. Community participation, however, may help one to mature, and community belonging is important for well-being. As such, the current study aimed to examine these two components among young-adult Israeli backpackers abroad. We examined the role of personal (mastery, self-esteem, and posttraumatic growth) and environmental (family and friends' support) factors in sense of belonging and community participation. A cross-sectional sample survey was distributed; data were collected from 332 Israeli backpackers abroad. The findings based on t-tests, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression analysis showed that mastery was associated with sense of belonging, not with community participation. Self-esteem and posttraumatic growth were positively associated with both dependent variables. Friends' support was also positively associated with both dependent variables; family support was not significantly associated with either. Personal factors had the greatest association with sense of community., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are comorbid consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV), and models explain this comorbidity via an intrinsic relationship between them. The current study posits that changes in both disorders may provide a clearer picture regarding the interrelations between them. We examined mutual contributions of changes in PTSD and depression to each other. The comorbidity was examined through known risk and protective factors related to both disorders among IPV survivors: perception of danger, helplessness, and peer support., Method: Sample included 146 female IPV survivors residing in 12 shelters in Israel between September 2009 and April 2014. Self-report questionnaires were completed upon entrance to the shelter and before departure. Analysis included 2 regressions, in which the change-score dependent variable of the first appeared as a regressor in the second and vice versa., Results: The regression designed to explore the contribution of changes in depression to PTSD-change explained 48% of the variance, while the regression designed to explore the contribution of changes in PTSD explained 67% of the variance. Changes in both PTSD (β = .14, p = .014) and depression (β = .014, p = .05) contributed similarly to changes in each other, suggesting covariance within IPV-related variables. In addition, the contribution of Arab ethnicity to changes in PTSD was significant., Conclusions: The current study's contribution is in identifying covariance between PTSD and depression along time within the context of variables related to IPV. Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Schools have a significant effect on students' development, and serve as important social agencies for interventions for students facing disasters. However, little is known about the effect of students' school experience itself on their resilience when facing extreme negative events. The present study focused on students who were exposed to terror-related homicide with the aim of investigating the contribution of school climate resources to their resilience. Since resilience is associated not only with fewer negative outcomes, but also with positive change, the contribution of schools was studied as both inhibiting post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and enhancing post-traumatic growth (PTG). A mixed-methods research design was used. The participants included 117 (52% girls) high school students (mean age = 14.54; SD = 1.49). Twenty-five of them were interviewed in addition to responding to the research questionnaires. Different aspects of the school climate were found to be associated with students' PTS and PTG, yielding two overarched factors explaining the school's role as a protective resource: sheltering and supporting. The former is associated with fewer PTS and the latter with higher PTG. The use of different resources for different forms of resilience is discussed., (© 2019 International Union of Psychological Science.)

The aim of the current study was to address a gap in the literature by determining prevalence, specific types of violence, and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) among Israeli born Arab women compared with Israeli born Jewish women. The following measures were compared: demographic and socioeconomic measures; measures relating to the characteristics of the violence, that is, the three types of violence (physical, emotional, and verbally threatening), sense of danger, and history of violence in childhood; family support levels; and perpetrator characteristics. The sample consisted of 154 Israeli born Arab women and 149 Israeli born Jewish women who were staying in shelters for victims of domestic violence in Israel. A comparison of the two groups revealed that the Arab women were exposed to more physical violence and received less family support than did their Jewish counterparts. The proportion of Arab perpetrators with access to weapons was higher than that of Jewish perpetrators, whereas the proportion of police complaints against Jewish perpetrators was higher than that against Arab perpetrators. Arab women were also younger, less educated, and less a part of the workforce than Jewish women. The contribution of the woman's age to the variance in levels of physical violence was negative and significant. In contrast, the contribution of her sense of danger, and various perpetrator characteristics, was positive. Moreover, the interaction between sense of danger × ethnicity contributed significantly to levels of violence. This study extends the existing knowledge about the contribution of ethnicity as one of many variables that play a role in the lives of women who are victims of domestic violence and highlights the need to develop, in particular, unique individual, community, and social interventions for Arab women in Israeli society.

Focusing on the unique social characteristics of closed communities, the current study examined the predictors of high-school dropout among Ultraorthodox Jewish youth, focusing on background variables [i.e., individual's age, family's religious group affiliation, and other high-school dropout(s) in family]; social resources (i.e., self-esteem and mastery); and parental conditional regard (PCR) and societal conditional regard (SCR), with reference to both positive regard and negative regard. The study was conducted in Israel with the participation of 261 Ultraorthodox Jewish males, ages 14-21 ( M = 17, SD = 1.17), who were at different stages in the dropout process. Path analysis modeling indicated that being a member of a newly religious family, or of a family in which another member had already dropped out of school, was a predictor of dropout. Surprisingly, personal resources were not found to be a predictor of dropout, whereas parental conditional regard and societal conditional negative regard (SCNR) were found to be the most significant predictors. Findings highlight the unique predictors of high-school dropout among youth from the Ultraorthodox Jewish community, and the role of PCR and SCR in this process., (Copyright © 2020 Itzhaki-Braun, Itzhaky and Yablon.)

This study examined whether there were differences in levels of depression between Arab and Jewish Israeli female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how various personal and environmental variables contributed to depression. A total of 303 women were selected. T tests were conducted, and no significant differences were revealed. Hierarchical regressions were also conducted. Background variables (violence in childhood and employment status) and psychiatric treatment contributed significantly to the variance in depression, and a negative contribution was made by personal and environmental variables (sense of mastery and social support). The interaction between ethnic origin and psychiatric treatment was also found to be significant. The discussion highlights the theoretical contribution and implications for practice in the field.

Researchers have found that intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with low self-rated health (SRH), which is correlated with increased medication usage, and has tremendous social consequences. IPV and low SRH are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and the current study examined the interrelations between these variables among 505 Israeli women in shelters. To assess mediation, three regressions were designed. Traumatic events, Russian ethnicity, and chronic illness all contributed to low SRH. The direct effect of depression on SRH was insignificant when PTSD entered the regression. Our findings suggest that PTSD is a more fundamental factor than depression when predicting SRH among IPV survivors.

The study used the ecological model of trauma and recovery (Harvey, 1996) to examine the rates of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among female victims of domestic violence. Five hundred and five participants completed questionnaires upon entering shelters in Israel. Analysis showed that 61% of the participants reported probable PTSD. Childhood exposure to violence, violence severity, and feeling helpless were all associated with high PTSD levels. By contrast, Ethiopian ethnicity, social support, and a stronger sense of control were associated with lower PTSD levels. However, the interaction between social support and violence duration showed that social support did not moderate PTSD when exposure to violence endured. The study emphasizes that resources deteriorate, and that policy-augmenting prevention programs would increase treatment potential to strengthen survivors' coping capacities., (© Copyright 2019 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

In the present study, ecological theory was used as a basis for predicting depression among women who survive intimate partner violence (IPV). The predictors examined in the study derived from three ecological systems: the microsystem (background variables and frequency of the violence), the ontogenic system (personal resources), and the mesosystem (support resources). One hundred twenty-five women who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union and 149 Israeli-born Jewish women filled in questionnaires when they entered shelters for victims of IPV. The research findings indicate that background variables, including immigration, did not contribute significantly to the women's depression. Frequency of violence contributed slightly to depression, whereas the women's sense of mastery and social support contributed most significantly. The results highlight the need to strengthen these resources when women are in shelters, and to conduct further research to determine whether these results also hold true for women who receive services for prevention of violence in the community.

Objective: The current study focused on tourists who were caught in the middle of Nepal's, 2015 earthquake, and survived. We examined the contribution of internal (coping flexibility and emotional regulation) and community resources (sense of belonging to the community) to tourist's level of post traumatic stress disorder symptoms., Method: A cross-sectional sample survey was conducted to collect data from 145 tourists between 2 week to 3 months after the earthquake., Results: The findings indicated first, that longer time which had elapsed since the earthquake was correlated with lower level of posttraumatic symptoms. In addition, higher versatility and cognitive reappraisal were associated with fewer symptoms of posttrauma, whereas higher expressive suppression was associated with a higher level of symptoms. Finally, the more the tourists believed they would get help from other Israelis, the lower was their level of posttraumatic symptoms., Conclusions: Tourists in a disaster area can be aided to develop a variety of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral strategies that will assist them in coping with the trauma. Furthermore, gathering tourists from the same country to conduct interventions on the community level can be helpful. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

This study examined the contribution of parental conditional regard (PCR) and societal conditional regard (SCR) - divided into positive and negative regard - to high school dropouts' adjustment (i.e., well-being, loneliness, and future orientation) along the different stages of the dropout process. Specifically, the current study focused on dropouts from a traditional community, where dropping out was accompanied by various social repercussions. The study, conducted in Israel among Ultraorthodox Jewish males, included 261 participants, ages 14-21 (M = 17, SD = 1.17), who were at different stages in the dropout process. Structural equation modeling indicated a negative contribution of parental conditional negative regard to adjustment, while societal conditional positive regard made a positive contribution to adjustment. Moreover, dropouts indicated higher parental and societal conditional regard than students at other stages of the dropout process. Findings highlight the importance of SCR and PCR in understanding the adjustment of dropouts in traditional communities., (Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is a scarcity of research exploring the experiences of foreign travelers exposed to natural disasters while abroad. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal among international travelers immediately following the earthquake. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli backpackers who were traveling in Nepal at the time of the earthquake. Thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: emotional turmoil, quick recovery, springing into action, and connection to the army. Findings suggest that foreign travelers initially respond with emotional turmoil to the disaster. Then they actively search for ways to effectively cope with the situation by problem solving, creating a community of action and support, and searching their own history for similar circumstances that can provide a sense of competence or clear directions for coping. Implications and limitations of the study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed., (Copyright © 2016 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.)

The present study compared secondary traumatization among child protection social workers versus social workers employed at social service departments. In addition, based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the study examined the contribution of working in the field of child protection as well as the contribution of background variables, personal resources (mastery), and resources in the workers' social and organizational environment (social support, effectiveness of supervision, and role stress) to secondary traumatization. The findings indicate that levels of mastery and years of work experience contributed negatively to secondary traumatization, whereas exposure to child maltreatment, trauma history, and role stress contributed positively to secondary traumatization. However, no significant contribution was found for social support and effectiveness of supervision. The study identifies factors that can prevent distress among professionals such as child protection workers, who are exposed to the trauma of child abuse victims. Recommendations are provided accordingly., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This qualitative study examined the intersection of sexual orientation and religion in the Jewish Orthodox community by exploring 22 Orthodox Jewish gay men's experiences living in secrecy. Analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with these men revealed four primary themes: emotional turmoil, ways of coping, impact on family relationships, and importance of the context. Findings from this study describe the daily struggles these men experienced keeping their homosexuality a secret. The findings suggest that in order to design effective interventions with this population, it is crucial to consider the larger community and religious context.

This study examined the contribution of personal variables and resources (age, mastery, tolerance for ambiguity, and stressors), environmental resources (support from family and friends, colleague support), and professional-organizational resources (size of caseload with trauma victims, organizational commitment) to secondary traumatization. The sample consisted of 217 social workers employed at social service departments in Israel who worked with families in situations of distress and crisis and with adolescent girls at risk. The findings indicated that tolerance for ambiguity contributed most significantly to explaining the variance in secondary traumatization, followed by stressors. The size of the social workers' caseload with trauma victims also contributed significantly to explaining the variance in secondary traumatization. In addition, an interaction was found between age and continuance commitment. Among younger social workers, a negative association was found between continuance commitment to the organization and secondary traumatization, whereas among older social workers the association was positive. However, the contribution of the other research variables (mastery, support from family and friends, and colleague support) to explaining the variance in secondary traumatization was not statistically significant. The findings highlight the important role of personal resources and professional-organizational resources in enabling therapists to cope with the negative implications of working with trauma victims.

The contribution of selected background variables (age, gender), internal resources (mastery, emotional maturity), external resources (parental and peer support), and emotional distress to alcohol and drug use among 160 Israeli Jewish urban high school students were examined. Analyzing the variables with hierarchical regression, emotional distress contributed most significantly to both alcohol and drug use, and the contribution of age was somewhat less significant for both of them. Emotional distress also contributed indirectly to drug use through an interaction with one's sense of mastery. Gender, internal resources, and external resources contributed differentially to alcohol and drug use. Whereas gender and internal resources contributed only to drug use, external resources contributed only to alcohol use. Specifically, peer support contributed positively to alcohol use whereas parental support contributed negatively. The discussion provides explanations for these research findings and their implications, and the research's limitations are noted.

Until recently, dealing with children at risk in Israeli hospitals was almost exclusively the domain of medical social workers. Suspected cases of abuse or neglect must be identified in real-time, during the child's short stay in the hospital, and the decision of whether or not to report the case, and to whom (law enforcement or welfare authorities), must be made. The recognition that effective treatment also demands the involvement of physicians led to the development of an intensive training program for hospital-pediatricians. The current study, based on in-depth interviews with the doctors who participated in the program and the social workers who work with them at 14 hospitals in Israel, examined the impact of the training on cooperation between the two groups, seeking to determine whether the doctors' increased familiarity with the social work profession enhanced team-work. Phenomenological analysis of the interviews revealed several themes, indicating greater collaboration between the doctors and social workers. However, the participants also noted increased friction between the two groups. Possible explanations and practical recommendations for enhancing the potential effectiveness of such collaborations are offered. The study has implications for designing similar training programs as well as for improving the dynamics between the two professions.

Both X-ray crystallography and electronic structure calculations using the cc-pVDZ basis set at the DFT B3LYP level were employed to study the explosive properties of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and diacetone diperoxide (DADP). The thermal decomposition pathway of TATP was investigated by a series of calculations that identified transition states, intermediates, and the final products. Counterintuitively, these calculations predict that the explosion of TATP is not a thermochemically highly favored event. It rather involves entropy burst, which is the result of formation of one ozone and three acetone molecules from every molecule of TATP in the solid state.

This article focuses on social workers and nurses who complement each other's work in providing health care services to their patients. The professional literature suggests that understanding the professional differences between social workers and nurses may lead to more collaboration between these groups. This study empirically compares empowerment, skills, and values of social workers (n = 213) and nurses (n = 152). Nurses reported higher scores in all empowerment and value variables. Nurses also claimed to use more therapeutic and communication skills, and social workers reported the use of more social action skills. The differences in empowerment, skills and values between social workers and nurses are discussed in light of their different professional roles and work environments.

Objective: Too often communities remain silent in response to cases of sexual assault of children. Members of the community are afraid to report such incidents and victims are reluctant to seek and accept treatment. The purpose of the paper is to examine whether application of a social marketing approach may serve as an effective means for motivating communities to report and victims to seek professional treatment., Methods: The paper is based on a case study of an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Israel, where an informal campaign of silence developed. Using content analysis of documents and in-depth interviews, the research examines the implementation of a social marketing approach by a multidisciplinary team of professionals in the community. It focuses on developments in the community's attitude to sexual abuse, especially with regard to reporting assault and seeking and accepting treatment., Results: The findings show a considerable reduction in the fear that victims and other members of the community felt with regard to exposing the issue; a change among the community leaders, some of whom initially objected to reporting and treatment; introduction of an alternative community dialogue that advocated reporting and treatment; and a rise in the number of reports and of people in treatment., Conclusion: The paper recommends the integration of principles of social marketing in community programs aimed at dealing with sexual assault. In particular, it suggests the identification of competing groups in the community, construction of specific programs for different segments, addressing the no-monetary prices that the change may incur on the different groups, location of appropriate places for distribution of messages, and use of effective personal, as well as public means of communication and promotion.

Objective: The primary aim of this article is to determine the effectiveness of community intervention in the case of child sexual abuse. The article describes and analyses an actual case in a small urban community in Israel., Method: After several incidents of child sexual abuse, much of it incestuous, were brought to light in the community, they were discussed openly, contained, and punished. A community campaign, in which community activists as well as all the service providers were involved, was organized by community social workers. Individual, group, and community interventions were used., Results: The continuation of the abuse has been checked, and, so far, there is no evidence to suggest its resurgence. Community apathy to child sexual abuse seems to have been halted and reversed. The involvement of community residents, particularly the activists, has increased, and this appears to be the major factor in changed community norms toward child sexual abuse., Conclusion: Implications of the individual, group, and community interventions are discussed. An integrated program of intervention practices is advocated to contain and prevent the incidence of child sexual abuse and incest.

The role of social workers working with HIV infected persons in hospitals is complex and laden with sources of professional stress, including those related to the hospital framework and environment and personal stress related to patients, their families, and the workers themselves. The paper identifies these factors of stress and discusses the functions of the supervision in avoiding or reducing them. The article is based on experience in Israel, but the analysis may be applicable elsewhere, as well.

The science of catalytic antibodies has undergone a rapid maturation process within its first nine years of existence. From initial 'proof of concept' and demonstration of fundamental, enzyme-like characteristics, antibodies have been shown to catalyze a remarkably broad scope of organic transformations, including difficult and unfavorable chemical reactions. Yet, the ultimate testing ground for new concepts in organic chemistry has always been the synthesis of natural products. Here we focus on several issues related to the applicability of antibody catalysis in organic synthesis. We show that (a) in the hydrophobic environment of the antibody active site, short-lived intermediates can be formed and reacted in a controlled way, thus allowing antibodies to catalyze reactions that are normally incompatible with aqueous media, (b) the intrinsic order of reactivity (chemoselectivity) in a series of structurally related enol ethers and ketals can be inverted from 1:10 in the uncatalyzed hydrolysis reaction to 1000:1 under antibody catalysis, and (c) an efficient total synthesis of alpha-multistriatin, an important, biologically active natural product can be achieved via antibody catalysis.

Several examples have been reported recently of antibody catalysis of reactions that are strongly disfavoured because of the high free energy of the transition state. Here we show that catalytic antibodies can be used to promote a particularly useful kind of reaction from a synthetic point of view: one involving an intermediate that is highly unstable in water. We show that an antibody elicited against the quaternary ammonium ion 4a (Fig. 1) catalyses the protonation of the enol ether 1 to form, with complete enantioselectivity, an oxocarbonium intermediate. This species is highly reactive in water, and would normally react with a water molecule to give the corresponding ketone 2. But the antibody provides a hydrophobic environment that allows the oxocarbonium ion instead to undergo an intramolecular reaction to form an enantiomerically pure ketal 3. This result shows that catalytic antibodies can exclude solvent molecules entirely from crucial steps on the reaction pathway.