“All Glorious is the Princess within Her Chamber”: Ideological-spiritual fulfillment of Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish women in the changing employment environment

Abstract

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish (hereinafter: UOJ) society, as a faith-based community, is a traditional Jewish society based on the principles of Torah and Jewish law. Traditionally, the objective of women’s employment is to financially support their husbands’ Torah study. In recent years, however, there have been many changes and the fields of work have expanded, so that many UOJ women have acquired academic or professional education in new fields that were previously uncommon among this unique society. Women’s desire for self-fulfillment, professionalism, and work has become a main source of self-expression, beyond the fulfillment of the traditional roles of UOJ women. In the current study, 203 UOJ women in Israel answered a questionnaire comprised of occupational, familial, and ideological-spiritual fulfillment items. Findings indicate the existence of positive correlations among ideological-spiritual fulfillment, self-expression, job satisfaction, family size, age, and occupational experience. In addition, study findings indicate a complex picture in UOJ women’s lives – the preservation of tradition alongside change. On the one hand, the findings reflect some stability in UOJ women’s ideological-spiritual principles; yet on the other, they also reflect several changes, especially in relation to job satisfaction and self-expression. These findings are discussed both in practical and theoretical contexts.

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