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Cultural variance represents a significant challenge to policy designers and, in practice, to employers in the varied employment spaces. Providing workplace accessibility for the integration of various cultural groups requires deep thinking and creating unique possibilities for each group in accord with its particular heritage. Ultra-Orthodox society in Israel is a religious minority group that has undergone significant changes, from a desire to maintain total separation, to gradual integration into a variety of areas in Israeli society. In light of these changes, we sought to examine what policies should be adopted in order to improve ultra- Orthodox integration.

Methodologically, we examined the cultural variance of ultra-Orthodox academics in their workplace using combined methods. The study included 745 ultra-Orthodox academics who responded to an online questionnaire that examined the issue in question from various aspects. In addition, four focus groups were convened, in which discussion examined issues.

The study findings reveal that the integration policies of the various workplaces were above and beyond the expectations of the cultural diversity management approach. Although the study focused on the personal perspective of the ultra-Orthodox employees who integrated, the employers' open and accepting attitudes were very prominent. The participants' comments showed that the employers showed great consideration for their needs and exceptional cultural sensitivity towards the employees' temperament. This dialogue constitutes the basis for managing variance in a multicultural society. The understanding by the employer of the background and cultural legacy from which the worker has come, alongside the difficulties he must cope with constitutes, in itself, the basis for building a stable relationship between employer and worker and for optimal integration of a minority group in society.

The findings indicate that cultural adjustment is required in four areas: a. Adaptation from the social and cultural aspect in the workplace. b. The definition of different areas of employment specific to gender. c. Consideration of the employees' halachic needs d. Professional preparation for employees prior to their absorption.

This study is a pioneering one, examining the integration of ultra-Orthodox academics in the Israeli economy. This process is very significant in a political entity with different cultural identities. The acquisition of a higher education in ultra-Orthodox society in Israel and subsequent integration into the Israeli economy has a decisive cultural and economic impact on both the ultra-Orthodox and general societies simultaneously. An examination of the issue of integration of the ultra-Orthodox minority in employment is intended not only to investigate the character and nature of the process, but also to examine the place of multiculturalism in Western societies and the interaction between a minority group and the majority group, with an emphasis on employment.

This study aims to explore intergroup relations between two Jewish religious groups in Israel, namely, ultra-Orthodox and national-religious communities, by using an integrated model that combines two psychosocial concepts: perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies.

Data were collected from a representative sample of 402 ultra-Orthodox and 388 national-religious Jews living in Israel, of age 18 and over. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences in perceiving in-group and out-group collective narratives and in patterns of identity strategies. Further, partial correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the relative contribution of perceptions of collective narratives and patterns of identity strategies.

Willingness to compete with and to separate from the out-group was related to the tendency to reject its collective narrative while endorsing the in-group one. In the same vein, the opposite pattern was found in the relations between willingness to integrate and unite with the out-group and the perceptions of collective narratives. The results also indicate group differences: the ultra-Orthodox exhibited stronger tendencies to preserve their in-group collective narratives and to reject the out-group, as well as stronger endorsement of identity strategies of competition and separation compared to national-religious.

The results suggest that it might be useful to encourage dialogue between both groups to clarify each side’s narratives and rationale underlying the endorsement of specific identity strategies. Such an open dialogue could help each group understand the other group’s needs and might also reduce their sense of threat as well as anxiety about losing their religious and social uniqueness. One possible opportunity for such dialogue is workplaces in which members of each group can gradually uncover stereotypes, enhancing reconciliation and willingness to accept the “other’s” collective narrative and choose to adhere more to the similar than dissimilar characteristics.

This is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to examine collective narratives and identity strategies as powerful indicators of intergroup relations between two minority groups of the same religion. Within such a unique context, the power struggle exists and the separation and competition strategies are apparent, but the main conflictual issue is related to similarities and discrepancies of religious ideologies, values, norms and worldviews that shape one’s daily life and his/her encounter with the similar but different “other”.

The purpose of this paper is to study examine the social identity of Ultra-Orthodox students enrolled in institutions of higher learning in Israel, and specifically the ways in which the identity of Ultra-Orthodox students who interact with other groups on campus compares to the identity of self-segregated Ultra-Orthodox students. Traditionally, Ultra-Orthodox students have preferred self-segregated educational institutions. Today, however increasing numbers of Ultra-Orthodox Jews are enrolling in regular academic institutions. Although they study in separate, homogeneous classrooms, they interact with secular students within the framework of the institution.

A four-part questionnaire dealing with attributions, feelings, personal identities, and social proximity was administered to the Ultra-Orthodox students.

As hypothesized, the students in self-segregated institutions exhibited a different identity than the students in secular institutions. Contrary to the hypotheses, the self-segregated students had positive feelings toward secular Israeli students and a greater desire for social proximity than the more integrated group. Explanations center on structural identity theory.

In this naturalistic study, the encounters between Ultra-Orthodox students and other students in their academic institution were random, unplanned, and unmonitored, unlike previous studies of intergroup relations in institutions of higher education. These students were not involved in cooperative tasks, which theoretically could help improve the relationships between Ultra-Orthodox and secular students.

Religious minority groups often enjoy strong support systems and high levels of trust, providing for volunteering within the community, but under what conditions are members of these groups likely to volunteer outside their community? Or, would they prefer the security, intimacy and commitment to their own communities. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

To answer this question, the authors examine the motivations of ultra-Orthodox young men who volunteered for National Civil Service in Israel, and compare the choices of volunteer frameworks: separatist-religious volunteering within the community compared to volunteering in secular institutions outside the community.

The authors associate the interest and motivations with different types of social capital, “bonding” and “bridging.”

Research based on one case study.

Guidelines for encouraging volunteering among closed groups.

Understanding of motivations and concerns among religious groups.

An original study of a relatively new phenomenon.

The current study explored the process of emotion regulation among Ultra-Orthodox female teachers in Jewish educational system in Israel.

The study employed a semi-structured interview comprising 13 Ultra-Orthodox female teachers in single-sex education for girls.

The teachers preferred to suppress their positive and negative emotions rather than displaying them in their interactions with students, emphasizing the importance of self-restraint and self-control in their professional work and in their religious society.

The paper sheds light on the connection between traditional societies whose culture is grounded deeply in their religious faith and teachers' modes of emotion regulation. The findings may enhance the understanding of cultural and contextual influences on teachers' emotion regulation and shed light on the ways in which female teachers balance their personal feelings with emotional rules in the religious society in which they live and work.

Recycling facilities are not available in most Ultra‐Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish neighborhoods in Israel. Servicing Ultra‐Orthodox communities would offer significant relief for rapidly bloating landfills. Haredi communities have highly religious lifestyles, very large families and tend to cluster together in communities, posing significant challenges in urban planning and policy. With careful planning and education these communities have the potential to be high‐yield recyclers, as the act of recycling plastic, paper and glass is not religiously prohibited. The purpose of this paper is to determine the feasibility of installing recycling facilities in two Ultra‐Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

Data were collected by administering a short questionnaire to neighborhood residents and asking them questions about recycling behavior as well as demographic information.

Ultra‐Orthodox communities have a unique recycling narrative which determines the materials they are most likely to recycle. Rabbinical leaders and monetary incentives are instrumental in garnering support for recycling programs.

The findings shed light on demographic variables which influence recycling behavior such as age, gender, household size and religiosity/ethnicity.

The rich data have significant planning and policy implications. As this study relies on statistically significant data, it is highly likely that the conclusions drawn are applicable to other Haredi neighborhoods and beyond.

As a whole, Ultra‐Orthodox attitudes and behaviors exposed in this study reveal, for the first time, a religious ethnography of recycling or a recycling narrative.

As a result of continuous reforms, increased emphasis has been placed on participative leadership as a means to improving school and teacher outcomes. However, along with the benefits of participative leadership comes the potential for strain and burnout, which stem from work intensification. Applying the implicit leadership theory and the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose that differences in school’s cultural attributes will influence the emergence of participative leaders and their influence on teachers’ outcomes of job satisfaction and burnout.

Data were collected by survey from a sample of 367 teachers in Israel.

First, the results of general linear model (GLM) analysis indicated significant differences in the teachers’ perceptions of participative leadership between schools characterized by different cultural attributes. Second, the results of GLM indicated significant differences in the effects of participative leadership on teacher burnout across schools characterized by different cultural attributes.

This study has implications for policies involving the design and implementation of leadership tools for school management. Although research has emphasized the relationship between stressful job conditions associated with shared decision making and teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction, the volume of comparative work in the educational field shedding light on the impact of school’s cultural attributes on this question is limited. This study may assist principals in making their schools both more effective and more responsive to teacher expectations.

The utilization of social networks is known to have an impact on micro-enterprise success. This study aims to examine the contribution of social networks in acquiring resources and their role in the enterprise’s success.

A business’s success is influenced by its network structure and the network’s resources. The authors examine whether unique religious-cultural characteristics affect the social networks contribution to a business’s success. This model examines the network utilization of women entrepreneurs who own micro-enterprises in ultra-religious groups. The sample consists of 123 surveys completed by Jewish ultra-Orthodox women entrepreneurs in Israel. Data collection was conducted between February and June 2013. The authors used a snowball sampling approach where interviewees were asked to refer us to other entrepreneurs. In the hour-long interview, a questionnaire was used with open and closed questions.

Findings indicate that strong personal ties provide a micro-enterprise with social legitimacy, emotional support and assistance in the management and operation of daily activities. However, contrary to the existing literature, network utilization did not contribute to enterprise success. That is, in religious communities in particular, social networks enable the existence of businesses, but do not contribute to their success.

The practical implications of this paper are the mapping of the social network resources used by the business owner, such as financial consultations or professional assistance, as well as distinguishing between strong and weak ties, which reflect the intensity of the contact for better use of the social network by the entrepreneurs.

This study examined social networks’ contribution to the acquisition of resources, as well as the part they play in the success of ultra-orthodox women micro-entrepreneurs and perhaps other religious and minorities groups.

This study aims to examine the long-term effects of an Israeli digital literacy government program for disadvantaged populations, as they are perceived by participants of the program one year after completing the course.

Participants in the program were interviewed about the effects of participating in the program, their experiences and satisfaction, in retrospect, a year after they completed the program.

The main reasons for joining the program included cognitive motivations, mainly interest to become familiar with internet applications, followed by employment aspiration. Positive benefits from participation included accumulated knowledge, confidence in using technology, empowerment and enhanced sense of self-efficacy. Interviewees also reported that as they could not practice or communicate with instructors once they completed the program, a significant portion of the accumulated gains faded.

Social and practical implications: Digital technologies constitute key infrastructure to facilitate public participation, as well as for gaining social, political and economic capital. Therefore, there is a significant social value in reducing digital inequality by increasing digital literacy of disadvantaged populations, i.e. citizens with low socioeconomic status and low digital literacy. This study sheds light on the benefits gained from such programs, as perceived by past participants.

While previous studies evaluating digital literacy programs focus on specific technical improvements and short-term gains, this study investigates the long-term effects and shortcomings of the program as perceived by participants.

Minority teachers is a growing phenomenon that is encouraged as part of a quest to diversify teaching staff. Among minority teachers, there exists a group of boundary-crossing teachers whose “otherness” contrasts with the different student population and/or staffroom composition. The study aims to examine parent, teacher and student attitudes toward teachers crossing two types of “borders” that are central to Israeli society: the Jewish-Arab rift and the religious-secular rift.

A representative sample of 182 Jewish Israeli parents, 201 Jewish Israeli students grades 10–12 and 101 Jewish Israeli teachers completed questionnaires regarding their attitudes toward boundary-crossing teachers.

The overall attitudes toward cross-boundary teaching were positive. Attitudes were found to be associated with political affiliation, religiosity and age. The more left-wing participants were, the less religious and older the more they supported boundary-crossing teaching. Students were significantly less supportive of teachers crossing the Jewish-Arab divide compared with adults. The attitudes toward boundary-crossing ultra-orthodox teachers in a secular school showed a distinct pattern, as it received support from all divides of the research participants.

The findings point to the vicious cycle of segregation in Israeli society whereby the lack of contact between Jews and Arabs leads to intergroup anxiety which in turns leads to less support in further contact through boundary-crossing teaching, especially among high school students.

The minority teachers’ literature often refers to the need to diversify the teaching staff or examines teachers and their relations with students. This study if the first to examine how other stakeholders’ view the idea of minority teachers.