Judaism is believed to be the oldest monotheistic religion known around the world. Almost 4,000 years ago this religion was founded in the Middle East. The people who practice Judaism identify as Jewish, to be Jewish their mother usually practices Judaism. The estimated number of people who practice Judaism is about 14 million people who are located mainly in the United States and Israel. The Jewish people believe in only serving one God, and this God has yet to come to Earth but will one day. They study the Torah which is their equivalence of the Christian Bible.
Family plays an important role in Orthodox Judaism. In this religion both the man and woman have equal value and participate in some of the same roles. Outside of their home both man and woman are allowed to participate in working domestic jobs and both raise their children. Parents should also help educate their children and ensure they receive the best education possible. The children are raised to respect their parents and will learn to care for their parents once they are elderly. The oldest son should begin studying the values and beliefs of the Judaism religion around the age of three.
The grandparents also play a large role in raising the children by passing down previous experiences and help teach them important values. “Grandparents can help pass down, and create, Jewish experiences for their grandchildren. Focusing our impact takes planning and thought. When grandparents discuss Judaism, it should be natural and relaxed.” (Pomerantz., 2002-2019) Learning from grandparents allows the children to understand that despite age you can always continue to learn and grow in your faith and religion.
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Healthcare is one of the most important needs under the Judaism religion. In Torah it is stated, all communities are obligated to provide healthcare to anyone in need, despite their income status. When a patient seeks help from a physician if they are unable to pay the balance then the physician is expected to lower the rate for this patient. If a Jewish physician is caught denying treatment to anyone, due to any reason, it is viewed the same as shedding another person’s blood.
The Judaism religion aims to create an entire healthcare system which will see all patients as equals and will provide equal treatment to anyone who seeks it. One limitation on their healthcare beliefs is any hygiene treatment must be completed by a physician of the same sex as the client. As female this could pose a complication for me while treating a male client, to overcome this complication I could ask for assistance from a male coworker.
Mental illness is a common diagnosis throughout the world, including the Jewish community. One in five Americans are diagnosis with a mental illness each year. Although mental illness is a common occurrence, the Jewish community finds it embarrassing and difficult to discuss with others outside of their family. The Jewish community often addresses mental illness in legal terms to decide whether or not their client is mentally competence, also to understand if this individual able to complete obligated tasks for their religion. If a Jewish person is classified as mentally incompetent, then they are referred to as “shoteh”. A shoteh displays manic and psychotic behavior, behaving in an irrational and inappropriate behavior around others. Some restrictions of being classified a Shoteh include being unable to get married or even be a witness in legal cases.
Death is a complicated aspect in Judaism and has specific requirements when dealing with medical conditions. This can prove death to be a complex period and must be handled with the up most respect towards the client and their family. According to the Judaism religion, Jews have the responsibility of accepting any medical treatment which has the ability to extend their lives.
The only acceptation to this responsibility is if the treatment only artificially prolongs their life, such as being on a ventilator or being brain-dead. If this occurs the decision falls on the family and they are allowed to use their opinions to make the decision. The patient’s quality of life is not extremely important if they are able to extend their life without the use of heroic effects. If a patient is paralyzed, they must accept the treatment to remain alive unlike a brain-dead patient although they will not have a quality of life like their previous state. Before death, Jews believe you will enter a new state, known as “goses”.
Once you enter this state you are no longer allowed to change treatment actions. During this time all friends and family gather around the patient to say their goodbyes. It is important to disturb the family as little as possible and make any provisions necessary for the family. Because Jews are unable to accept treatment to hasten or even delay death, a majority of Jewish groups refuse to talk about death and view these conversations as sinful activities. They believe in not worrying the patient into premature death.
Although as a practitioner we will treat patients with opposing beliefs we must always respect their beliefs and aim to gain their trust. Gaining the trust of a patient is extremely important in building a professional relationship to benefit our treatment. It is also important to avoid insulting a client’s religion because you are uneducated on what is acceptable for them. To avoid insulting actions as a practitioner if you are aware the client’s diverse religion, such as Judaism, it can prove to beneficial to do some research on their customs.
Being knowledgeable in the client’s religion shows you care about their beliefs and aim to build their trust. The act of shaking the hand of a Jewish person has a gradient attitude towards it. You never want to walk up to a Jewish person and shake their hand, always ask their permission before engaging in physical contact. You must also engage in eye contact as much as possible to demonstrate effective listening.
Beliefs can often interfere with how we are able to deliver our services to the client. Under the Judaism religion, on the Sabbath day clients are forbidden to engage in certain task. The sabbath day begins Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown. On this day the client would not be permitted to engage in Occupational Therapy or any excises we could provide for them. If the client needs a task done, they cannot ask someone to do it for them, but they can hint at needing something done for them. In a highly populated Jewish community automatic opening doors are often removed from the local hospitals.
These automatic doors are removed from part of the hospital because on the Sabbath day it is against their faith to use doors that are using an electrical system. This is often a problem when family members want to come visit their hospitalized family on the Sabbath Day. If these doors must be replaced, then you will be able to locate a very large Hebrew sign indicating a manual door. If there is a life threating event or an emergency then they are permitted to use these automatic doors, but for no other reason.
Important Occupations vary between patients but Jewish patients value occupations which can improve their ability to engage in their religion and improve their spiritual dimensions. “Mundane occupations such as eating, dressing, and toileting in which occupational therapists commonly try to restore function are imbued with powerful personal and cultural meanings.” (Frank et al., 1996)
Occupations can provide a deeper meaning for Jews and binds them more closely to God when practicing. Some important occupations in Judaism include child rearing, home establishment and management, religious and spiritual activates and expression, and community. Child rearing is an occupation important to women, so they are capable of taking care and providing for their children. Home establishment and management is also more important to females rather than males.
This allows the patient to maintain a clean home and be able to cook for their family. Community allows the client to engage in activities in their community and promotes successful interaction with their neighbors. This also allows the client to engage in organizations and help in their church. The most important occupation in this religion is religious and spiritual activities and expression. This occupation allows the client to stay connected to their religion and provides them with a purpose.
