Reflections on jewishness and its implications for family therapy

Abstract

Abstract Family therapy as a field has increasingly recognized the importance of families' cultural backgrounds in understanding family systems and conducting effective therapy. Although some families' ethnicities fade with assimilation and time, even families who consider themselves marginally Jewish are often deeply influenced by Jewish cultural background. Purely statistical studies of Jewish characteristics are hampered by significant differences in Jewish sample populations (such as Eastern European and Mediterranean Jews) and the inadequacies of current measuring techniques. This article links Jewish cultural traits to specific elements of Jewish history, traditions, and theology; helps familiarize family therapists with the implications of a Jewish cultural background for families entering family therapy; and provides suggestions for treatment interventions.