Level Of Religious Observance Research Articles

Correlations of HPV vaccine uptake among eight-grade students in Israel: the importance of ethnicity and level of religious observance

ABSTRACT In Israel, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines are included in the national childhood immunization program for eight-grade students, but uptake remains relatively low. This article explores which demographic factors are correlated with HPV vaccination rates. HPV vaccination data for the school year 2017–2018 was assessed among members of Maccabi Healthcare Services, the second largest health service provider in Israel. By matching eighth grade students to their family members’ demographic data via an electronic medical records (EMR) system, we assessed vaccination rates by taking into account sex, socioeconomic status (SES), ethnic categorization, and maternal characteristics. In a total of 45,160 eligible students, 55.3 percent of girls and 48.5 percent of boys were vaccinated for HPV. In a multivariable model, students in Arab communities had a significantly (p < .001) higher odds ratio (2.02; 95 percent CI:1.55–2.64) of being vaccinated, while ultra-orthodox (UO) Jewish students were much less likely to be vaccinated compared to all other students (OR = 0.05; 95 percent CI:0.05–0.06). Ethnicity and level of religious practice are major determinants of HPV vaccine uptake in Israel. This should be taken into account when planning intervention programs in order to improve the uptake of the vaccine.

PENGARUH LINGKUNGAN MASYARAKAT DAN KEPRIBADIAN SISWA TERHADAP PERILAKU KEAGAMAAN SISWA SMP ASSAHAQIAH BEKASI

The community environment has a huge influence on children's development, especially in the behavior and personality of students. Personality is a mechanism that controls and directs a person's attitudes and behavior. If a person's personality is strong, then his attitude is firm, not easily influenced by the persuasion of factors that come from outside. Conversely, if the personality is weak, then a person will be easily swayed by various external factors and influences. Religious attitude is a condition that exists within a person who encourages him to behave according to his level of religious observance. The condition found at SMP Assahaqiyah Bekasi is that students still have weak personalities, as evidenced by their attitude when religious activities take place such as congregational prayers, they still need a warning from the teacher.The approach used in this research is a quantitative approach. Data was collected through questionnaires and documentation. The data analysis technique used was simple linear regression and multiple linear regression analysis. The population in this study were all students of SMP Assahaqiyah Bekasi which consisted of 3 classes totaling 40 children. And the sample used was 40 students.Based on the data analysis conducted, the research can conclude that there is a relationship between the community environment and religious behavior shown by thit of 3.854 and p-value 0.000 0.05, so H0 is rejected. Thus the community environment has a positive effect on religious behavior. The results of the study concluded that the relationship between students' personality and religious behavior indicated by thit was 3,057 and p-value 0.004 0.05, so H0 was rejected. Thus the student's personality has a positive effect on religious behavior.The results of the study concluded that when viewed from table B, the value of = 13,243 + 0.398 X1 + 0.457 X2. Seen in column sig 0.000 compared to alpha 0.05 the result is smaller, so H0 is rejected. Thus the better the community environment and the personality of students together they influence religious behavior. So, the influence of the community environment and the personality of students simultaneously both affect religious behavior by 56.5%. Keywords: Community Environment, Personality, Religious Behavior

Empowering Women in the Lessons of Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi

Abstract This paper examines the rhetoric used by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi in her weekly Torah portion lectures to women, in which she applies a feminine point of view. For eighteen years, Rabbanit Mizrahi has used her unique rhetorical style to attract a faithful, diverse audience of Jewish women in Israel and abroad. This study investigates her rhetoric in fifty videotaped lectures and presents five of her rhetorical tools: metaphor and simile, puns, syntactical-rhetorical repetition, humor, and slang. The study also examines how her rhetoric attracts women from all walks of life, irrespective of their level of religious observance, age, and socio-cultural background, and without proselytizing. Moreover, she uses her rhetoric in a direct way, avoiding any type of authoritative distance, to transmit a message of sisterhood through empowerment of women as she interprets the Torah portion.

Examining HIV-related stigma among African, Caribbean, and Black church congregants from the Black PRAISE study in Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT HIV-related stigma impedes adoption and implementation of effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies. It may also exacerbate racial/ethnic HIV disparities. Given high levels of religious observance within African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities and the social capital that faith-based organizations hold, these entities may be promising venues for stigma-remediation and effective partners in community-based, HIV-focused programing. However, more research is needed to understand HIV-related stigma in these institutions. This study examines HIV-related stigma among six ACB churches in Ontario, Canada. Surveys were distributed to ACB attendees (N = 316) and linear regressions determined relationships between HIV-related stigma and stigma subdomains with demographics, greater disagreement with same-sex relationships, HIV knowledge, and religiosity. Greater disagreement with same-sex relationships was the only variable associated with the HIV-related stigma scale and all of its subscales. Age, gender, HIV knowledge, religiosity, contact with persons living with HIV, and length of time in Canada were associated with varying aspects of HIV-related stigma. Findings can inform the development of HIV-related stigma interventions and the characteristics of individuals these efforts should target to achieve maximum impact.

Die Grabstätten meiner Väter: Die jüdischen Friedhöfe in Wien by Tim Corbett

Reviewed by: Die Grabstätten meiner Väter: Die jüdischen Friedhöfe in Wien by Tim Corbett Joseph W. Moser Tim Corbett, Die Grabstätten meiner Väter: Die jüdischen Friedhöfe in Wien. Vienna: Böhlau, 2021. 1041 pp. Vienna has a special relationship with its cemeteries, as immortalized in Wolfgang Ambros's 1975 pop song "Es lebe der Zentralfriedhof." This becomes even more significant in the case of Vienna's Jewish cemeteries, which are places of memory and reminders of a once vibrant and large Jewish community before the Holocaust, as well as markers of the Holocaust, and they illustrate the challenges of a diminishingly small Jewish community after 1945 that has struggled to take care of this heritage. Tim Corbett's meticulously researched and extensive volume on Vienna's Jewish cemeteries is more than just a study of the cemeteries, delving deep into the history of Viennese Jewry and thereby provides a history of Vienna's Israelitische Kultusgemeinde as well. The Jewish cemeteries are markers of Jewish identity and how this was and is constructed, specifically in the Viennese context. Across Central and Eastern Europe, the design of the headstone at a Jewish cemetery indicates a [End Page 158] lot about the level of religious observance and/or assimilation to the majority culture. Corbett starts his book with a reference to Arthur Schnitzler's Ehrengrab at the Zentralfriedhof's Tor 1. Corbett describes this space as a "sozial- und kulturhistorisch bedeutsamer Raum," (23) which indeed it is, and his first chapter focuses on Jewish spaces and cultures. Cemeteries are important to the Jewish faith, and Corbett situates this tradition within the Viennese context, also detailing the history of the Chewra Kadischa (sacred burial society). Probably one of the most fascinating historical Jewish sites in Vienna today is the cemetery in the Ninth District's Seegasse, which can only be accessed through the lobby of an old-age home, but whose history goes back to the second half of the sixteenth century and was closed in 1783. Corbett examines this in the third chapter of the book, drawing parallels to the Christian Sepulkralepigraphik on the headstones in Vienna's Stephansfreithof, some of which are still preserved in St. Stephen's Cathedral today. In the fourth chapter, Corbett examines the establishment of the Jewish Community as the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde, which was a long historical process starting with Emperor Joseph II's tolerance patents in the 1780s until the official founding of the Kultusgemeinde in 1890, a direct result of the Israelitengesetz (205). In this chapter, the author also examines the Jewish Währinger Friedhof, which still exists today, though a section of it was demolished by the Nazis. Today the Währinger Friedhof can only be visited with a rarely offered guided tour. This cemetery was marked by "Die Neomanie des 19. Jahrhunderts—Neoklassizismus, Neorenaissance, Neugotik" (219). Corbett compares this Jewish cemetery with the Christian St. Marxer Kommunalfriedhof, which existed roughly during the same time, from the 1780s to the closing in 1874, with the establishment of the Zentralfriedhof. The Zentralfriedhof was established in the 1860s, and more than three million people have been buried there since, thus about twice of the city's living population today. The founding of the first Jewish section at the Zentralfriedhof's Tor 1 provides at the subject for the fifth chapter. At Tor 1, a monumental Jewish ceremonial hall stood from 1879 until the destruction by the Nazis in 1938. This was the period in which Vienna's Jewish community grew the most. Indeed, the Jewish community was growing so quickly that the establishment of another section, Tor 4 at the southern end of the cemetery, became necessary by 1912, and Tor 4 was thus constructed during [End Page 159] World War I in 1917. Unlike Tor 1, the Kultusgemeinde gained the rights to run the Tor 4 section autonomously. The ceremony hall was completed in 1926, destroyed by the Nazis in 1938, and finally restored and rededicated in 1967; it is still in use today as Tor 4 is the currently active Jewish cemetery in Vienna. This is a complex history in itself, as Tor 1 remained active in...

Religious observance and perceptions of end-of-life care.

This study examines the impact of the level of religious observance on the attitudes toward end-of-life (EOL) decisions and euthanasia of Jews in Israel-where euthanasia is illegal-as compared to Jews living in the USA, in the states where euthanasia is legal. A self-reporting questionnaire on religiosity and personal beliefs and attitudes regarding EOL care and euthanasia was distributed, using a convenience sample of 271 participants from Israel and the USA. Findings show that significant differences were found in attitudes between Jews of different levels of religious observance with respect to patient autonomy, right to die with dignity, and dying in familiar and supportive surroundings. The USA and Israeli Jews have similar knowledge regarding EOL care and expressed similar attitudes and perceptions toward the issues of authority of medical staff and religious figures and patient's autonomy. Findings indicate that the level of religious observance has more potency in shaping their attitudes and perceptions of EOL decisions than the state law. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings with regard to multicultural health systems and providing practical recommendations.

How religiosity affects the attitudes of communities towards tourism in a sacred city: The case of Jerusalem

Sacred cities are not only venerable focal point for tourists; they also mainly attract believers to take up residence in them, creating potential tension between residents and tourists. This study examines the role of religiosity as an influence on the attitudes of communities towards tourism. We examine Jerusalem as a case study, a city sacred to three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We focus on the practical inevitability of Jewish resident interaction with a variety of tourists. A survey was used to gauge the impact of tourism on social, economic, and environmental conditions. Participants were asked to identify their level of religious observance. Of the 1776 Jewish residents who participated in the survey, 200 defined themselves as ultra-orthodox, 994 as orthodox or traditional, and the remaining 496 as secular. Socio-demographic variables were measured, including amount of financial benefit gained from tourism. Overall, subjects acknowledged tourism as a contributor to personal benefit and the prosperity of Jerusalem. As such, our findings indicate that religiosity exerts an important influence on community attitudes. Consistent with Social Distance Theory, we found that the more extreme the religious group, measured as self-segregation from external influence, the less affirmative they were towards tourism. The findings also suggest that individuals who profit financially from tourism were more affirmative towards tourism. This connection is explained according to Social Exchange Theory (SET). The latter variable interacts with religious characteristics, suggesting a more complex picture of Jerusalem residents. These results point to a major contribution of religiosity to perceptions of tourism, the implications of which should be considered when planning urban developments, especially those linked with sacred sites or landmarks.

Transcendental Spirituality and Acquaintance With the Activities of the Domestic National Transplant Center as Factors Shaping Attitudes Toward Organ Donation.

Organ donation has been shown to be perceived as inappropriate by religiously observant individuals. The impact of spirituality level on attitudes toward organ donation has not been broadly explored. To explore the contribution of ethnicity, spirituality, level of religious observance, and acquaintance with the activities of the Israel National Transplant Center (INTC) to forming attitudes toward organ donation among Jews and Muslim Arabs in Israel. A descriptive cross-sectional survey. Three hundred five (65.2%) Jewish and 163 (34.8%) Muslim Arab respondents living in Israel. Jewish respondents had more positive attitudes toward organ donation than Muslim Arabs. Muslim Arabs had a higher mean spirituality score than Jews. Gender, age, ethnicity, level of religious observance, education, 4 spirituality dimensions, and acquaintance with the activities of the INTC explained 41.5% of the variance in attitudes to organ donation. Transcendental spirituality, acquaintance with the activities of the INTC, and level of religious observance had the highest contribution to explaining attitudes to organ donation, while gender and age had a low contribution. Ethnicity, education, and the 3 other spirituality dimensions were not found to have a significant contribution. A multifaceted approach to improving attitudes toward organ donation among Jews and Muslim Arabs in Israel is important.

Nurses' and nursing students' attitudes towards late abortions

The aim of the present study is to compare the attitudes of nursing students and nurses working in maternity wards towards late abortions performed after the 16th week of pregnancy and to identify the factors influencing their attitudes. A quantitative design was employed in this descriptive study, using two convenience samples: 100 nurses working in the maternity ward of a large hospital and 100 nursing students from a nursing school in Israel. The self-report questionnaire was specially designed for purposes of this study. Results showed that the nurses had less prejudicial attitudes towards late abortions than the nursing students. Overall, the participants had a more positive attitude towards late abortions in the following cases: (1) risk of malformation or developmental disability, (2) pregnancy as a result of rape, and (3) danger to the life of the mother. There was a weak negative connection between the participants' number of children and their attitudes towards late abortions. In addition, there was a significant relationship found between the level of religious observance and attitudes towards late abortions, as negative attitudes increased with higher religious observance. Indeed, the level of religious observance was found to be the most significant predictor of the participants' attitudes towards late abortions. Differences in attitudes were found between nursing students and nurses providing care to patients undergoing late abortions. Their personal religious beliefs, as well as the reason for the abortion, were found to be influential in determining their attitudes.

Observance of the Laws of Family Purity in Modern–Orthodox Judaism

This research is a follow-up to a previous study measuring the observance of the ritually unclean period (Niddah) among Modern-Orthodox Jews. A total of 267 participants completed an online questionnaire comprised of a list of 16 "strict" and "lenient" forbidden behaviors. Participants reported whether they had engaged in these behaviors during Week 1 (the actual menstrual period) and during Week 2 (the "clean days" following the cessation of bleeding). Results showed that laws were being violated, with more transgressions during the second week than the first week. Additionally, more "lenient" laws were being broken than "strict" ones. Level of religious observance was significantly negatively correlated to the number of transgressions. However, there was no significant correlation between the number of transgressions and the age at marriage, sex, or how long one had been married.

Religious ideology, a neglected variable.

Comments on an article by J. T. Jost, which presented interesting data relating some personality dimensions to voting patterns in the last three U.S. presidential elections. R. K. Unger is surprised that in his extensive review of the role of ideology, Jost ignored the role of religious ideology in political attitudes and voting behavior. There is ample evidence that level of religious observance (sometimes labeled religiosity, hierarchical religious beliefs, or religious fundamentalism) played a role in 2004 and earlier presidential elections. The relationship between religious ideology and political attitudes is correlational, and one needs to look further for an explanation of their impact. A number of studies indicate relationships between religious fundamentalism and what Jost has termed "system-justifying ideologies." Unger suggests that religiosity has been largely ignored by psychologists interested in social and political behaviors. It is quite possible that religiosity is related to the various personality dimensions discussed by Jost. But we cannot learn more about these potential connections if we continue to ignore the importance of religious ideology as a psychological variable.

Ethnic differences influence care giver's estimates of pain during labour

The present study compared the childbirth experience of two different ethnic groups living in the same area and sharing the same medical facilities. We investigated the influence of ethnic differences between patient and care provider on the interpretation of pain. The subjects were 225 Jewish and 192 Bedouin parturients, who were prospectively evaluated for their labour pain experience. The pain intensity level was assessed by the parturient (`self-reported pain') and by a Jewish doctor and midwife (`exhibited pain') in the initial active phase of labour, using the visual analog scale (VAS). On the day after delivery, the women were asked to evaluate the present pain intensity level. Although the means of the self-assessments of pain intensity levels at the initial active phase of Jewish and Bedouin parturients were similar (8.55 and 8.53 respectively, P=0.25), the Jewish medical staff interpreted Bedouin women to experience less pain than Jewish women (6.89 vs. 8.52, P<0.001). On the day after delivery, the Jewish women's evaluation of their pain intensity levels again resembled that of the Bedouin women (2.02 and 2.11 respectively, P=0.52). The Pearson correlation coefficients between the measures of self-reported and exhibited pain, were higher for Jewish than for Bedouin women (0.74 and 0.63, respectively). In a multiple linear regression analysis, both self-reported and exhibited pain scores were associated significantly with ethnicity and parity. In the model predicting exhibited pain, the level of religious observance was negatively associated with pain intensity scores. We conclude that the ethnic background of the care provider is an important determinant in estimating the suffering of the patients. It is important for the clinician to be aware of the wide spectrum of factors that might influence pain expression and interpretation. The knowledge that there are inter-ethnic differences might prevent a stereotyped response to the patient in pain.

Decision-making in the critically ill neonate: cultural background v individual life experiences.

OBJECTIVES: In treating critically ill neonates, situations occasionally arise in which aggressive medical treatment prolongs the inevitable death rather than prolonging life. Decisions as to limitation of neonatal medical intervention...

Caring for dying Jewish people in a multicultural/religious society.

Despite an increased emphasis on racial awareness in health-care settings, religious customs that disrupt routines still unsettle nurses and other health workers. Providing education about the beliefs of different ethnic minorities and the significance for the different parties of practising specific death-related rituals could both prepare nurses for what they may encounter and increase their understanding of the responses of patients and their relatives. This article explores Jewish beliefs and practices relating to caring for dying and recently deceased people as an example of such death-related rituals. It is suggested that nurses should not be afraid of asking direct questions about levels of religious observance of the relatives of the dying Jewish person. Good communication skills and an openness to accept differences are essential if nurses are to respond appropriately to reduce the distress bereaved people from ethnic minorities experience when carrying out religious practices.

High School Headmasters’ Evaluations of Teachers Trained at Universities and Theological Colleges

In the present study religious high school headmasters were requested to compare theological (yeshiva) teacher training college graduates with university teacher training department graduates on five significant factors, namely, feelings towards students, moral, national and Zionist values, level of religious observance, pedagogic skills and headmasters’ preferences. The yeshiva graduates were rated by the headmasters to be superior on the religio‐social factors of feelings towards students, moral, national and Zionist values and level of religious observance. On the other hand, university graduates were adjudged by the headmasters to have significantly superior pedagogic skills. Regarding the last factor ‐‐ headmasters’ preferences ‐‐ the religious high school headmasters significantly preferred to employ teachers who graduated from yeshiva teacher training colleges rather than employ university trained teachers. This preference was explained in the light of a trend towards religious extremity apparent w...

Secularization and the Diminishing Decline of Religion

framework for an analysis of the influences on the religiosity offour JewishIsraeli groups, two Middle Eastern (Moroccan and Iraqi) and two European (Polish and Rumanian). A process of secularization, as measured by intergenerational declines in the performance of the mitzvot (commandments), occurred in all four groups, but the intergenerational declines were greater in those groups whose older generation displayed high levels of religious observance. The relative importance of the independent variables influencing religiosity, such as father's religiosity, socio-economic status, and number of years lived in Israel, depend on the level of observance of the group. These generalizations are modified by attention to differences in the religio-cultural traditions and social locations of Israelis from Middle Eastern and European origins.