Death, bereavement and traumatic loss in Israel: A historical and culturalperspective

In the present article, we focus on the experience of bereavement and traum atic loss in Israel and examine the main influences that continue to shape them. For the Jewish population the main features are: religious aspects st emming from Jewish tradition and its variants; the secular and contemporary traditions, the ethos of the Israeli state, and the influence of the strug gle to reestablish the Jewish people in its homeland. In an increasingly mu lticultural society, significant changes are occurring. A series of vignett es of grief and mourning illustrate current issues and practices among reli gious, secular, kibbutz, Russian and Ethiopian segments of society. The rem ainder of the article discusses emerging patterns of response to bereavemen t that are socially constructed and historically situated. We follow the va riations in these patterns, from shifting forms of memorialization on the c ollective level to changes in expressive mood on the individual level, whic h are mediated by the cultural mosaic of the society. Mental health profess ionals would benefit from an understanding of the multifaceted fabric of be liefs and cultural-specific customs that shape the mourning rituals and the ir meanings for the bereaved.