ETHNIC-BACKGROUND AND ANTECEDENTS OF RELIGIOUS CONVERSION AMONG ISRAELI JEWISH OUTPATIENTS

This study explored the association of ethnocultural background (Ashke nazi vs Sephardi origin) with antecedents of religious conversion amon g Israeli Jewish penitents who applied for psychiatric help in an outp atient clinic. A basic assumption underlying the comparison was that S ephardic Jews in Israel are more inclined toward Jewish tradition and collectivistic than Ashkenazim. The interview data indicated that for both groups emotional factors were more dominant in the conversion pro cess than cognitive ones; however, cognitive factors were more strongl y present in the conversion process of the Ashkenazim whose prepeniten ce cultural orientation had been more secularized and individualistic. In both groups a high prevalence of problematic relations with the fa ther (but not with the mother) during childhood was noticed. Over-all, conversion tended to be gradual rather than abrupt and devoid of myst ical experiences.