In the second episode of our new ‘Social work around the world‘ miniseries, we continue the conversation with Yohai Hakak, senior social work lecturer at Brunel University, London, who shares some fascinating insights about his time as a mental health social worker in Israel.
In episode two, Hakak, who was born and raised in Israel, discusses the differences between social work in Israel and in England. He talks about his work at a psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem, as well as discussing his PhD, which was focused on Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.
He describes how certain communities, such as Mizrahi Jews, Palestinians and Ultra-Orthodox Jews, are often marginalised in Israel and how those groups made up most of his patients.
As well as this, Hakak discusses a journal article he wrote about social services’ involvement in interfaith relationships in Israel.
A must listen!
About The Social Work Community Podcast
The Social Work Community Podcast explores the issues that matter to social work practitioners in their working lives. Careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin and fellow host Kirsty Ayakwah, our senior careers editor, interview experienced and inspiring guests, including frontline social workers who speak from the heart about their jobs, the sector and society.
It was nominated in the podcast category at the 2024 BASW Social Work Journalism Awards, following its first season, which ran from October 2023 to April 2024.
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To whet your appetite for season three, check out our podcast page to listen to previous episodes from season one and two.
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So many words but the one that dares not speak its name: racism, not mentioned. Good to know there are Palestinian cleaners in psychiatric hospitals though. And how inspirational that Palestinian patients learn to sing Zionist songs during their hospital ‘treatment’ regime. There was an opportunity here but we learnt nothing of the conditions that drive the particulars of social work practice in Israel. Now do social work in Gaza and the West Bank, that would be of interest to this secular British Jew.
Hi Simon, thanks for your comment, noted. We interviewed a Palestinian social worker from the West Bank, Riad Arar, last year – you can listen to his interview here:
https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/04/25/how-the-israel-gaza-war-has-affected-social-workers-in-the-uk/
I did and respectfully suggest comparing the tone and content of that to this is disingenuous. The article and others also interviewed for the Arar piece emphasises anti-Semitism, as they should have, several times but this one with Hakak barely acknowledges islamahobia never mind the racism endemic towards Palestinians, Muslims or Christians, in Israeli society. That’s my point.