Family therapy and ultra‐orthodox Jewish families: a structural approach

Abstract

Most ultra-orthodox Jewish families live in tightly knit communities in which there is religious and cultural congruence between the structure of their communal organizations, their families, and the way individual members construe their world. Without excluding other family therapy models, this paper points to striking links between strictly orthodox Judaism and aspects of structural family therapy which suggest the latter may be particularly applicable to members of this ethnic minority. Therapeutic issues are illustrated with examples.

Family size and psychological functioning in the Orthodox Jewish community

“…Most notably, older siblings (most typically daughters) serve as "secondary mothers" to the younger children and are very involved in all aspects of their care (Wieselberg, 1992). This division of labour reduces the burden on parents and is consistent with this culture's collectivist orientation (Cohen & Hill, 2007), and the centrality and siblings duty to the family is supported by both educational and religious institutions (e.g., schools provide more vacation time for girls around Jewish holidays).…”

Leisure activities preference of Israeli Jewish children from secular versus Orthodox families

“…Thus, when evaluating participation it is important to take into account the context or environmental factors which may influence it, including the lifestyle and values of the client's ethnic group (13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Negotiating the Pathways Into Care in a Globalizing World: Help-Seeking Behaviour of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Parents

“…Becoming a Talmid Chacham (someone who excels in Talmudic [central authoritative exposition of Jewish law] studies) is the ideal for boys (Greenberg & Witzum, 2001). Girls spend more time on secular studies and learn maternal skills from early childhood (Wieselberg, 1992). Some Jewish schools are state-subsidized, following a required secular curriculum.…”