A Jerusalem Synagogue Coping During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities

Overview

Journal J Relig Health

Publisher Springer

Specialties General Medicine
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2021 Jan 3

PMID 33389438

Citations 8

Authors

Ephraim Shapiro

Livia Levine

Avi Kay

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A diverse Modern Orthodox synagogue in Jerusalem continued to serve its congregants and maintain community despite closures and restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Members were surveyed in April 2020. There were minorities of members who were experiencing mental health issues, especially those less acculturated and no one surveyed received any professional mental health help. About a quarter of the members said that regular check-ins were important but some said they were not receiving enough of them. Synagogues can potentially serve as coping resources for congregants both during periods of crisis as well as during regular periods of operation.

Citing Articles

Pilgrimage to Luján in Argentina with Special Consideration to Argentines of Polish Descent During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Spiritual Aspect.

Ziolkowska-Weiss K J Relig Health. 2024; .

PMID: 39556155 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02186-2.

The Scientist, the Therapist, and the Conspiracy Theorist: Three Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the Ultra-orthodox Jewish Revival Movement in Israel.

Sharabi A J Relig Health. 2024; 63(4):2633-2653.

PMID: 38750242 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02057-w.

Pandemic-Induced Depression Among Older Adults with a History of Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Bird M, Li G, MacNeil A, Jiang Y, de Groh M, Fuller-Thomson E Cancer Manag Res. 2023; 15:937-955.

PMID: 37700810 PMC: 10493151. DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S421675.

Health and Well-Being Among Those Aging in Place in a Jerusalem Religious Community.

Shapiro E, Paz A, Henn Amir S, Sendler Elharar O, Kirzner R J Relig Health. 2023; 62(5):3137-3157.

PMID: 37462892 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01868-7.

Mental Health and Care Utilization Among Ethiopian-Israeli Immigrants During the Period of COVID-19.

Shapiro E, Mekonent S, Tanami N J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023; 11(2):739-754.

PMID: 36930452 PMC: 10022572. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01557-x.

References

Rosmarin D, Krumrei E, Andersson G . Religion as a predictor of psychological distress in two religious communities. Cogn Behav Ther. 2009; 38(1):54-64. DOI: 10.1080/16506070802477222. View

Litwin H, Schwartz E, Avital D . Religiosity and Well-Being among Older Jewish Israelis: Findings from SHARE. J Relig Spiritual Aging. 2017; 29(2-3):208-223. PMC: 5612486. DOI: 10.1080/15528030.2015.1132491. View

Itzhaki Y, Cnaan R . Determinants of sense of community in congregations. J Community Psychol. 2019; 47(5):1210-1224. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22181. View

Foege W . Positive and Negative Influences of Religion, Culture, and Tradition in Public Health. Am J Public Health. 2019; 109(3):378. PMC: 6366526. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304921. View

Hsieh H, Shannon S . Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qual Health Res. 2005; 15(9):1277-88. DOI: 10.1177/1049732305276687. View

Brammli-Greenberg S, Glazer J, Shapiro E . The Inverse U-Shaped Religion-Health Connection Among Israeli Jews. J Relig Health. 2018; 57(2):738-750. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-018-0577-3. View

VanderWeele T . Love of Neighbor During a Pandemic: Navigating the Competing Goods of Religious Gatherings and Physical Health. J Relig Health. 2020; 59(5):2196-2202. PMC: 7218704. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-020-01031-6. View

Pargament K, Koenig H, Tarakeshwar N, Hahn J . Religious struggle as a predictor of mortality among medically ill elderly patients: a 2-year longitudinal study. Arch Intern Med. 2001; 161(15):1881-5. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.161.15.1881. View

Stroope S . How culture shapes community: bible belief, theological unity, and a sense of belonging in religious congregations. Sociol Q. 2011; 52(4):568-92. DOI: 10.1111/j.1533-8525.2011.01220.x. View

10.

Trinitapoli J, Ellison C, Boardman J . US religious congregations and the sponsorship of health-related programs. Soc Sci Med. 2009; 68(12):2231-9. PMC: 3167875. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.03.036. View

11.

OBrien B, Shrestha S, Stanley M, Pargament K, Cummings J, Kunik M . Positive and negative religious coping as predictors of distress among minority older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2018; 34(1):54-59. DOI: 10.1002/gps.4983. View

12.

Beal C . Loneliness in older women: a review of the literature. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2006; 27(7):795-813. DOI: 10.1080/01612840600781196. View

13.

Arredondo E, Elder J, Haughton J, Slymen D, Sallis J, Perez L . Fe en Acción: Promoting Physical Activity Among Churchgoing Latinas. Am J Public Health. 2017; 107(7):1109-1115. PMC: 5463215. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303785. View

14.

Campbell M, Hudson M, Resnicow K, Blakeney N, Paxton A, Baskin M . Church-based health promotion interventions: evidence and lessons learned. Annu Rev Public Health. 2006; 28:213-34. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.28.021406.144016. View

15.

Derr A . Mental Health Service Use Among Immigrants in the United States: A Systematic Review. Psychiatr Serv. 2015; 67(3):265-74. PMC: 5122453. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.201500004. View

16.

Levin J . Religious differences in self-rated health among US Jews: findings from five urban population surveys. J Relig Health. 2015; 54(2):765-82. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9998-9. View

17.

Powell L, Shahabi L, Thoresen C . Religion and spirituality. Linkages to physical health. Am Psychol. 2003; 58(1):36-52. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066x.58.1.36. View

18.

Manea L, Gilbody S, Hewitt C, North A, Plummer F, Richardson R . Identifying depression with the PHQ-2: A diagnostic meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2016; 203:382-395. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.06.003. View

19.

Benjamins M, Ellison C, Krause N, Marcum J . Religion and preventive service use: do congregational support and religious beliefs explain the relationship between attendance and utilization?. J Behav Med. 2011; 34(6):462-76. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-011-9318-8. View

20.

Koenig H . Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2013; 2012:278730. PMC: 3671693. DOI: 10.5402/2012/278730. View