Social Work and the Haredi Community in Israel: From Rejection to Acceptance as Reflected in the Narrative of a Haredi Social Worker

Authors

  • Hester Fass Sapir College, Sderot, and Myers-Joint-Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem
  • Ronit Lazar Haifa University, Haifa, Israel

Abstract

The Haredi community, about 8% of Israel's Jewish population, is characterized by strict religious observance and relative isolation from modern influences. The Haredi community in recent decades has experienced major changes such as a rapid population growth, an increase in poverty levels and an increase in the severity and magnitude of social problems. Under these conditions, the traditional voluntary treatment of social problems inside the community is no longer effective. Yet, in previous years, relations between the Haredi community and the state welfare system were characterized by suspicion, hostility and lack of cooperation. The state welfare professional community has recognized the need to intervene in a culturally sensitive way and has developed unique models of social work intervention for this community. In this paper we discuss these models using the narrative of Sarah, a Haredi social worker who symbolizes the changes that Israeli social work has recently experienced.

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How to Cite

Fass, H., & Lazar, R. (2014). Social Work and the Haredi Community in Israel: From Rejection to Acceptance as Reflected in the Narrative of a Haredi Social Worker. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 17(4), 32–38. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/671

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General Submissions