Religious Minorities’ Perceptions of Official COVID-19 Health Guidelines: The Case of Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel

Block, Sima Zalcberg; Zalcberg, Sara

doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01662-x

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…), defined as lay helpers, informal helpers or middlemen, play a role in mediating various aspects of life for members of the ultra-Orthodox community, including healthcare. Though usually having no formal medical education, askanim advise members of the community concerning medical treatment and are viewed as a source of authority (Orr, Unger, and Finkelstein 2021b; Taragin-Zeller, Rozenblum, and Baram-Tsabari 2022; Zalcberg Block and Zalcberg 2023).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are many other sociocultural barriers to health in this society. For example, the ultra-Orthodox population is characterized by low levels of health-promoting behaviors such as physical activity (especially among men) and low awareness of healthy nutrition, which lead to high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and anemia (Gershoni, Gilboa-Feldman, and Spitz 2023; Leiter et al 2022; Zalcberg Block and Zalcberg 2023). Furthermore, certain diseases and disabilities are highly stigmatized and may be concealed and undertreated (Gershoni et al 2023; Orr et al 2021a; Pikkel and Gershuni 2023).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Barriers to the Healthcare System Faced by Ultra-Orthodox Religious Disaffiliates

Pinchas-Mizrachi,

Orr,

Zalcman

et al. 2024

Review of Religious Research

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Many religious disaffiliates, similar to immigrants, experience health vulnerabilities. Yet, few studies address their ability to access the healthcare system. This article contributes to filling this void by examining the case of Israeli Jewish ultra-Orthodox disaffiliates. The study analyzes the barriers that hinder these disaffiliates’ access to the healthcare system, adversely affecting their well-being. This research is based on 36 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ultra-Orthodox disaffiliates, analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Six barriers were identified: lack of health-related education and knowledge of the healthcare system, poverty and structural determinants of health, lack of respect for authority, communication gaps, lack of belonging, and stigmas, particularly in mental health. We recommend training healthcare providers and students to better understand and address these barriers and disaffiliates’ unique needs when providing care for them. Specifically, we suggest incorporating this overlooked subject in the frameworks of cultural competency and structural competency, encouraging collaboration between healthcare practitioners and religious disaffiliates to promote equitable and inclusive policies. Implications for community organizations include offering courses, simulations, peer guidance, and consultation for disaffiliates on health-related issues, as well as engaging disaffiliates in self-advocacy. We propose that this study is relevant to disaffiliates from varied insular, high-tension religious communities worldwide.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers to the Healthcare System Faced by Ultra-Orthodox Religious Disaffiliates

Pinchas-Mizrachi,

Orr,

Zalcman

et al. 2024

Review of Religious Research

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“…2003 ; Sharabi and Polin 2020 ) that expends extraordinary efforts to guard its members from the destructive consequences of “modernity” (Caplan and Stadler 2012 ). They not only reject “Western” culture and values, which they view as corrupt and corrupting, and seek to control and reduce the impact of the above via control of access to the internet and social media in particular (Kay and Levine 2019 ; Sharabi and Kay 2021 ), but are also, typically, suspicious of and resistant to government policies, such as those associated with COVID-19, that may somehow compromise current Haredi norms and beliefs (Block and Zalcberg 2022 ).…”

Section: The Israeli Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work Values of Working Women in Israel: A Comparison of Haredi Women with Those from the Secular and Traditional Segments

Sharabi

Kay

2023

Cont Jewry

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The Haredi (or Ultra-Orthodox) sector is the fastest growing population in Israel, but the ability to study their working world is limited, and as far as we know, the work values of Haredi women (who are usually the main breadwinners) have not been studied to date. This unique study compares their work values with those of secular and traditional Jewish-Israeli women. The Meaning of Work (MOW) questionnaire was administered to 467 employed Jewish-Israeli women (309 Secular, 138 Traditional, and 120 Haredi), addressing values, attitudes, and aspirations at the workplace. The findings indicate that, while secular women ascribe more importance to individualistic values related to interesting work and variety than do traditionalist and Haredi women, no significant differences exist among the three groups concerning the interest in good pay, autonomy, interpersonal relations, or job security. In addition, a higher level of religiosity was associated with the importance of convenient hours and inversely associated with the importance of learning new things. Further, Haredi women attribute more importance to promotion and congruence between their personal abilities and experience and the job requirements than did women from the other two groups. Overall, the background demographic variables had little impact on work values. The findings can be explained by the different cultural values (collectivism versus individualism) and the obstacles Haredi women experience in the labor market.

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“…This new voice may indicate that for some ultra-orthodox people, personal perception of health may outweigh obedience to religious authorities. [ 33 ]…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This new voice may indicate that for some ultra-orthodox people, personal perception of health may outweigh obedience to religious authorities. [33] Persons with severe mental illness Persons with severe mental illness (SMI), especially those diagnosed with schizophrenia, are at increased risk for COVID-19-related severe morbidity and mortality [34,35]. Persons with SMIs may be considered a high-risk group for severe COVID effects due to their multiple intersectional factors, including poor socioeconomic status, poor living conditions, difficulty in accessing and using health services and accompanying physical comorbidities [36].…”

Section: The Arab Palestinian Citizens Of Israelmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Israeli tapestry: the intersectionality health equity challenge

Shadmi

Khatib

Spitzer-Shohat

2023

Isr J Health Policy Res

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Background COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations, with greater representation and worse outcomes in low socioeconomic and minority populations, and in persons from marginalized groups. General health care system approaches to inequity reduction (i.e., the minimization of differences in health and health care which are considered unfair or unjust), address the major social determinants of health, such as low income, ethnic affiliation or remote place of residents. Yet, to effectively reduce inequity there is a need for a multifactorial consideration of the aspects that intersect and generate significant barriers to effective care that can address the unique situations that people face due to their gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic situation. Main body To address the health equity challenges of diverse population groups in Israel, we propose to adopt an intersectional approach, allowing to better identify the needs and then better tailor the infection prevention and control modalities to those who need them the most. We focus on the two main ethnic – cultural—religious minority groups, that of Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish ultra-orthodox (Haredi) communities. Additionally, we address the unique needs of persons with severe mental illness who often experience an intersection of clinical and sociodemographic risks. Conclusions This perspective highlights the need for responses to COVID-19, and future pandemic or global disasters, that adopt the unique lens of intersectionality and equity. This requires that the government and health system create multiple messages, interventions and policies which ensure a person and community tailored approach to meet the needs of persons from diverse linguistic, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Under-investment in intersectional responses will lead to widening of gaps and a disproportionate disease and mortality burden on societies’ most vulnerable groups.

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Religious Minorities’ Perceptions of Official COVID-19 Health Guidelines: The Case of Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

Barriers to the Healthcare System Faced by Ultra-Orthodox Religious Disaffiliates

Barriers to the Healthcare System Faced by Ultra-Orthodox Religious Disaffiliates

Work Values of Working Women in Israel: A Comparison of Haredi Women with Those from the Secular and Traditional Segments

The COVID-19 Israeli tapestry: the intersectionality health equity challenge

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