Episodios

  • The Hostage's Permanent Psychological Damage Explained

    The Hostage's Permanent Psychological Damage Explained
    May 24 2024
    Please click on this link to contribute whateveryou can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching the million mark-andan archival library numbering in the thousands, the Yeshiva of Newark Podcast has been striving to continuously upgrade our content, and professionalize our audio sound, along with altering approaches in light of much appreciated listener feedback. A niche has been carved out that resonates with many on the wide spectrum of Observant Jews. This explains why we continually rank high in independent on-line lists of top Yeshiva podcasts. This proud edifice is in real danger of toppling and disappearing. We need the help of our listeners to continue to record and edit, and to promote a product that has been a balm and instructive to somany. Just 36 dollars, a minimum donation, from a thousand of you out there will keep us afloat as a New Ark of straight, intelligent,and humorous discussion, lectures, debate and inquiry - while thedestructive waters of ignorance and politics crash around us. Rehabilitation Challenges of Gaza Hostages and Traumatized Battle Veterans Trauma shakes up the personality and,sometimes, the very essence of its victims. Interpersonal trauma, moreover,often harms the capacity for healthy social and personal relationships which persists long after the traumatic episode. Prof. Juni explains the dynamics of these lasting effects of trauma by noting that the life of an infant is usually construed by the growing child as a very threatening existence fraught with colossal danger, interspersed by facets of ultimate pleasure and safety/security. This fixes the infant into a chronic state of anxiety where the stakes are most extreme. The concomitant behavioral stance of the child devolves into a fight vs. flight modality, as the other is perceived dichotomously as devoted friends vs. ferocious foe, demon vs. and saint vs.devil/angel. As the child develops, behaviors,stances, and attitudes moderate. Gray usurps black vs. white polarities, and extremist percepts are defensively repressed as they recede into the unconscious -- to find expression only in the dreams of older children and adults. Alas, subsequent trauma has the capacity to disrupt the mature defensive ego structure and often results in regression into the original terror-filled world of danger and extreme dichotomy. Juni likens the rehabilitated traumatized soldier or hostage to a recovered alcoholic who might slip right back to full-blown alcoholism – even many years later -- if his/her defensive wall is breached when forced to have “just one drink.” Hostages who experience threat and abuse in close quarters with perpetrators have been noted to exhibit the Stockholm Syndrome. Dr. Juni delineates the hallmarks of this syndrome which prompt somevictims to “side with their captors.” Such dynamics may include identification with the aggressor and acceptance of abuse as justified. Juni agrees with Rabbi Kivelevitz that such a stance may sometimes be psychologically rooted in an effort to minimize the perceived threat one experiences. It is clear that this syndrome will make it difficult for a hostage to adjust functionally to social and family functioning. Rabbi Kivelevitz points out a number of parallels between the reactions of soldiers and hostages to those of holocaust victims (who went on to be prominent political leaders, clergy, and visionaries), arguing that such observed resilience should be expected among traumatized soldiers and hostages. Dr. Juni, while agreeing with the parallel, nonetheless insists that despite the potential for adequate functioning among these groups, there is an underlying intrinsic damage to personality and egostructure which remains as a weak link which may unravel in stressful contexts. Drawing from his clinical work with spousal abuse, Juni shares an additional dynamic specifically relevant to hostages who were forced into sexual intimacy with their captors. In situations of conflation between extreme threat and sexuality, there is apparently abreakdown of specificity in interpersonal relationship functioning whichresults in a positive attachment to the perpetrator. This accounts for the marked difficulty of abused domestic partners to leave their abusers, just as it results in positive affinity of abused hostages toward their traumatizers.Rabbi Kivelevitz points to the Biblical story of Dinah, whom the Midrash describes as adamantly professing her “love” of her abuser, Shechem. Juni mentions a cultural parallel in contemporary Arab culture, citing a recent court case in an Afghani court where an abuse victim sued that her rapist be forced to marry her. Juni discusses a novel manifestation of the Stockholm syndrome he has observed, where family members of killed hostages have become proponents of the perspective of the Hamas perpetrators.Dynamically,...
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    43 m
  • Treating Types of War Induced Trauma

    Treating Types of War Induced Trauma
    Nov 12 2023
    The Psychiatric Trauma Effects of War ; Coping Styles of Different Israeli Cohorts Prof. Juni delineates the internal defensive coping approaches available to Israeli Jews. Confronted by profound threat to their safety – especially as it may contrast with the safety of Jews in other countries – they basically have three options: 1) To convince themselves thatJews in other countries are not any safer, pointing to antisemitism, reported events threatening protests and/or theorizing about imminent catastrophes in the diaspora; 2) To convince themselves that they are actually safe, relying on various spins about the situation; 3) Resorting to identification with the greater Israeli Jewish population, nationalism, and Zionism,arguing that Jews are safest in our own country where we can defend ourselves – often coupled with religious conviction that G-d has our back. Dr. Juni explains how prolonged tension and repeated trauma can lead to total personality breakdown. Painting the entire world black and dangerous can have debilitating consequences on the ego, well-being, and relationship capacity. In terms of theological effects,Juni adds that people under prolonged stress will start doubting their basic beliefs and commitments – a reaction which makes them feel guilty and disoriented. He points out,however, that such reactions are a very normal part of a positive adjustment which usually passes and often results in a commitment to values which is stronger that it was before the crisis. Juni presents three distinct groups who show different anxiety reaction patterns to the current war and traumatic events: Native Israelis, Dual citizens, and 2 nd -generation Holocaust survivors. Native Israelis are not here by choice and have no escape options – and are forced to“face the music.” Dual citizens – especially those who chose to stay – are apt to start second-guessing their decisions and their resolve, and might feel guilty for endangering their loved ones for an ideal as they second-guess their beliefs and resolve. Second generation Holocaust Survivors may well become convinced that their “never Again” mantra was a sham as they identify with their parents and feel they are re-living the Holocaust they thought they had left behind in past history. More poignantly, these survivors may vilify themselves for betraying their children whom they raised in Israel with the implicit promise that they will be protected from a repetition of anything resembling the Holocaust. For each cluster, Juni outlines the phenomenology of their reactions, the logic and pseudo-logic they engage in, their attitudes,and the stances that help them cope, as well as the effects of their beliefs, their self-image, their fears, and their harrowing anticipations. In terms of intervention, Juni stresses that the main first-line option for these anxiety reactions is psychotropic medication – specifically anxiolytics. What we are dealing with is a chemical/physiological reaction to trauma (anxiety). There is no feasibility of using psychological therapies for people who are in panic mode. Behavioral therapies and talk therapies are often helpful as well, but only after the acute reactions are first brought under control medically. In conclusion, Rabbi Kivelevitz relates his recent experiences in Israel. Having met a number of terror victims’ families, he saw firsthand the amazing bravery of spirit and national identification among various sectors of the population which brought out the best in Israelis. Prof. Juni is one of the foremost research psychologists in the world today. He has published ground-breaking original research in seventy different peer reviewed journals and is cited continuously with respect by colleagues and experts in the field who have built on his theories and observations. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, and in Yeshiva University as a Talmid of Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. Dr. Juni is a board member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists and has regularly presented addresses to captivated audiences. Associated with NYU since 1979, Juni has served as Director of PhD programs, all the while heading teams engaged in cutting-edge research. Professor Juni's scholarship on aberrant behavior across the cultural, ethnic, and religious spectrum is founded on psychometric methodology and based on a psychodynamic psychopathology perspective. He is arguably the preeminent expert in Differential Diagnostics, with each of his myriad studies entailing parallel efforts in theory construction and empirical data collection from normative and clinical populations. Professor Juni created and directed the NYU Graduate Program in Tel Aviv titled Cross-Cultural Group Dynamics in Stressful Environments. Based in Yerushalayim, he collaborates with Israeli academic and mental health specialists in the study of dissonant factors and tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict and those ...
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    33 m
  • "Yesh מ׳ז׳ל׳ BiYisroel"-Speaking frankly about teenage male sexuality in the Frum World-Responses to Doctor Shloime Zimmerman's From Boys to Men-with Rabbi Shmuel Skaist LPC, CSAT-c

    "Yesh מ׳ז׳ל׳ BiYisroel"-Speaking frankly about teenage male sexuality in the Frum World-Responses to Doctor Shloime Zimmerman's From Boys to Men-with Rabbi Shmuel Skaist LPC, CSAT-c
    Aug 27 2023
    This episode has serious Adult Content Episode 75: The Sexual Miseducation of Religious Adolescents Spurred by Dr. Shloimie Zimmerman’s recent book titled “From Boys to Men,” Rabbi Kivelevitz chairs this panel discussion with Pro. Juni and Rabbi Shmuel Skaist who is a noted educator, mentor, and psychotherapist specializing in sexual addictions. Dr. Zimmerman’s underlying premise, which the panelists fully endorse, is that adolescents will persist in some sexual behaviors (especially masturbation) regardless of any educational efforts. R. Kivelevitz applauds the book as a valiant effort to deal with the “guilt spirals” which youngsters experience around masturbation, especially as the book could potentially result in a backlash from the organized religious educational establishment. Prof. Juni notes that such reactions have been commonplace toward researchers who broached sexual taboos even in academia (e.g., the Kinsey Reports). Juni’s main critique of the book highlights its narrowness of focus. His specific points are: 1) Masturbation should not be stressed to the exclusion of other challenges of adolescent sexuality (e.g., pornography); 2) The book should not be limited to boys while excluding girls; 3) The issue of homosexuality cannot be ignored; 4) The book should not have been addressed to parents / educators; rather it would best be addressed to adolescents; 5) Since the intent is to minimize tension and maladjustment of adolescents, the main focus should be on sexual development issues rather than Halachic challenges. Expanding on the latter point, Juni notes the emotional difficulties around sexual development among religious youth does NOT revolve around the violation of religious percepts. Rather, they are driven by erroneous assumptions by the young person that s/he is different from his/her peers and that there is something wrong with her/him – which is often verbalized as “I must be crazy.” These issues are identical to those of irreligious youth. Thus, claims Juni, all that is needed here is a very precise message which stresses statistical normality rather than Halachic percepts. That message – The behaviors you engage in related to sexual curiosity -- including masturbation, sexual exploration with others, and porn watching -- are behaviors which ALL of your peers (including your religious peers) engage in very frequently. That message would dispel the erroneous assumptions which drive the guilt spiral and emotional pathology among youngsters, even when they are taught that these behaviors violate Halacha. R. Skaist argues forcefully that what is needed to deal with the decompensatory results of miseducation is a concerted effort to teach what is normal, rather than being limited to teaching what behaviors are not desirable. Adolescents need to know that sexuality should be part of a general emotionally positive relationship with another individual which includes much more than physical interaction. R. Skaist also deplores the differential tracks in sex education of boys vs. girls, which then potentially portends relationship problem in marital couples. Juni amplifies this position by noting that members of each gender often end up with a negative perception of their spouses as they conflate their negative views of sexuality with their partners. R. Kivelevitz explores the Halachic stance toward masturbation with Dr. Juni and R. Skaist. Apparently, some authorities view the ban on masturbation as applying solely to cases where it is used as a method of birth prevention by a married couple. Knowing that some authorities are not categorically opposed to masturbation may suffice to minimize the overwhelming guilt which some religious adolescents experience. R. Kivelevitz raises the issue of pornography viewing. R. Skaist dispels some erroneous ideas of how explicit sexual material might be used in psychotherapy. He argues that the real danger of pornography is that it leaves viewers with false ideas and unrealistic perceptions of what sexuality entails, with the chief deficit being that it eschews the crucial interpersonal component in an emotional relationship. Taking this a step further, Prof. Juni argues that the accurate depiction of sexuality does NOT constitute pornography unless it enhances sexual depersonalization, one-sidedness, or abuse. Since both of the panel’s experts agree that misinformation is behind sexual maladjustment which occurs during adolescence, R. Kivelevitz raises the argument used by some that co-education minimizes distortions about the other gender and enhances cross-gender relationship capacity at this crucial developmental stage. While the panelists agreed that youngsters raised in co-ed environments have a better sense of the other gender at an earlier age, these youngsters are still described as subject to the vagaries of misinformation. As R. Skaist puts it, “they still have problems, although the problems may be different ...
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    48 m
  • Hitlerian Hilarity-Comments on Mel Brooks' 1983 film-To Be or Not to Be

    Hitlerian Hilarity-Comments on Mel Brooks' 1983 film-To Be or Not to Be
    Aug 9 2023

    Episode 76: Antisemitism, Humor, and the Holocaust:
    Lubitsch Vs. Brooks

    (Except for the introductory initial analysis of
    Shakespeare’s Shylock in the combined contexts of Antisemitism, Feminism, and the Jewish Humor Genre, this podcast will be of interest primarily to movie buffs who have seen the Ernst Lubitsch Classic comedy “To Be or Not To Be” starring Jack Benny, as well as Mel Brooks’ remake.)

    A lively debate is presented featuring two enthusiastic Rabbinic movie aficionados– Rabbi Joseph Kolakowski and Rabbi Avramel Kivelevitz – along with Yacov
    Freedman, Senior Podcast Producer at Turner Classic Movies -- as they contrast critically the cinematic virtues of the two comedy productions of To Be or Not
    to Be: the 1942 original directed by Ernst Lubitsch, co-starring Jack Benny with Carole Lombard and the
    1983 version produced by Mel Brooks, co-starring
    Brooks and Anne Bancroft. R. Kivelevitz introduces the screenplay as a daring approach to the Holocaust, the Nazis, Jewish persecution, and antisemitism.
    Before the movie buffs go at each other, Prof. Juni structures the session by demarcating the salient psychosocial factors which render Mel Brooks’ humorous treatment of a garb-bag of sensitive issues problematic. Juni’s first focus is on Shylock’s famous soliloquy: “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?
    If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Basing himself on Harold
    Bloom’s (1998) “Shakespeare: The Invention Of The Human,” Juni argues that, given Shakespeare’s
    antisemitic credentials, Shylock is intended to be played as an out-of-line villain and not as a sympathetic advocate for human rights. As such, Shylock is a money grubbing human caricature, who has grown too big for his britches – upon whom Shakespeare (on behalf of Christianity) then wreaks revenge that dwarfs the misery heaped upon
    Tevye the Milkman by the Gentile world. Juni then draws parallels to the depiction of Negro slaves as sub-human in the classics, and to the contemporary vilification of Women’s suffrage advocates. Another theme highlighted by Juni is the devaluation of women portrayed so boldly by Brooks’ casting of Anne Bancroft, his primary co-star, as a loose women
    with marginal values. Indeed, Brooks comes close to objectifying her as an object akin to that of Ann Dawson’s role in King Kong. The major flashpoint for Juni,however, is Brooks’ use of humor in dealing with Nazi atrocities – specifically,
    as he transforms evil inro buffoonery (continuing his approach from “The Producers”).
    Based on his extensive research on humor, Juni argues that the intent of humor is to
    tone down disapproval, instead of explicitly expressing unbridled frontal aggression. Reflecting the stance of a number of critics of Holocaust Humor,
    Juni argues that Brooks diminishes the atrocity of the Holocaust by portraying it as part of a cinematic farce. The Nazis and their heinous collaborators do not
    deserve the “kid gloves” finesse of humor, they should be subjected to the scorn they deserve.

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    56 m
  • Shadow of Lincoln-Putin as Patriot?-Your Perspective has been Programmed

    Shadow of Lincoln-Putin as Patriot?-Your Perspective has been Programmed
    Jul 7 2023
    Putin as Lincoln or Korach? A Case of Cross-Cultural Bias & Prejudice Prof. Juni brings a fresh, though disorienting, skepticism about “self-evident” perspectives on good vs. evil, proposing that our world views are totally blinded by our own ideology. Our international prism thus lacks any relationship to reality. Dr. Juni advances his provocative point of view,based on interpersonal psychology, that our perceptions and judgments are secondary to our needs and agenda. Is Putin a patriot or a villain? Juniargues that our individual perspectives – whether you live in New York or in Moscow – have been programmed by sociocultural factors and lack objectivity. While most of us have some humility to question our own egoistic needs, culture maintains the virgin holy grail of self-righteous ethnocentricity –where we are absolutely correct and all else is dead wrong. What will it take for all of us to appreciate narratives that differ from ours? To hundreds of millions, Putin and Lincoln are Patriots. Both were presidents of colonial powers. Both defended their amalgamated states against secession. Both engaged in warfare and justified killings based on nationalist values. And both were vilified by those who saw things differently. R. Kivelevitz points out that propaganda and associated media have done near-perfect jobs brainwashing constituents into respective official ideologies. Taking the Western position, he points out that Ukraine is an independent country – in contrast to the Southern States who were part of the United States.On the other hand, Juni points out that the USSR federation was not as conceptually distinct as one might believe from the organizational structure of the USA, and the secession of the southern states was not that different than the disbandment of the USSR. Moreover, hundreds of millions of the world’s population argue – with supporting documentation -- that the disbandment of the USSR was explicitly conditioned on continued collaboration between the republics and promises to never join anti-Soviet alliances (e.g., NATO). The betrayal by Ukraine and its severance of alliance with the republics can be seen as legitimate rationale of military action against them – especially since Ukraine arguably consists of millions of ethnic Russians who would rather be under Soviet rule. How different is this divide from the American North-South divide in the 1860’s? Donning his Civil War Historian aficionado hat, R. Kivelevitz notes the uneven appreciation by Americans – and even among Republicans -- of Lincoln. While historian Harry Jaffa portrays Lincoln as the sagacious ultimate noble human being, he was decried by many as an unscrupulous dictator and tyrant who wantonly suspended habeas corpus, illegally invoked the War Powers Act, and usurped private property by freeing slaves. R.Kivelevitz notes that many Northern Republicans did not oppose slavery,and that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was not motivated by moral values. Rather, it was a tactical move aimed at eliminating the slaves as a free labor reservoir for the Southern war effort by prompting slaves to be uncooperative or to escape – let along not enlisting as Confederate troops –and perhaps creating a pro-Union Fifth Column in the South. Yes. Atrocities are being committed, just as they were committed by all combatant nations. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings certainly were colossal events which are nonetheless seen as justified by many. R. Kivelevitz drew the parallel between Korach and Putin, citing various rabbinic sources (including Zohar) which feature silver linings about Korach and his constituents. Noting that history is written by the winners, Juni muses, “What would the Chumash look like if Korach had prevailed?” Prof. Juni is one of the foremost research psychologists in the world today. He has published ground-breaking original research in seventy different peer reviewed journals and is cited continuously with respect by colleagues and experts in the field who have built on his theories and observations. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, and in Yeshiva University as a Talmid of Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. Dr. Juni is a board member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists and has regularly presented addresses to captivated audiences. Associated with NYU since 1979, Juni has served as Director of PhD programs, all the while heading teams engaged in cutting-edge research. Professor Juni's scholarship on aberrant behavior across the cultural, ethnic, and religious spectrum is founded on psychometric methodology and based on a psychodynamic psychopathology perspective. He is arguably the preeminent expert in Differential Diagnostics, with each of his myriad studies entailing parallel efforts in theory construction and empirical data collection from normative and clinical populations. Professor Juni created and directed the NYU ...
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    27 m
  • Important "Women" in our lives-Siri and Alexa

    Important "Women" in our lives-Siri and Alexa
    Jun 2 2023
    Alexa, and Friends as Ladies in Waiting Created by Men: Implications & Fallout The common assignation of the feminine gender to these entities which essentially manage the households of so many is the take-off point of a socio-cultural discussion of the history of gender choices for various family roles. Recounting that war directives to fighter pilots as well as propaganda (Tokyo Rose) usually made use of a femaleradio broadcaster addressing soldiers, R. Kivelevitz notes the sexist aspects of some of the implicit stereotypes and the feminist reactions to them. Prof. Juni outlines the developmental logic of stereotyping women as nurturing and forgiving while men are typically placed into authoritative capable, and punishing roles, noting the consistency of this role division in Victorian and Protestant literature. Expanding the analysis to GPS and Smart Homes, R. Kivelevitz notes there has been feminist pushbacks which have tried to promote gender-neutral personas in the voice apps -- even as some have advanced a tone of impersonality to enhance an authoritative tone -- but that these efforts have not gained traction. R. Kivelevitz outlines a number of negative repercussions of these Ladies in Waiting, ranging from invasion of privacy, to incursions on personal autonomy and agency on one’s own life-space,to loss of personal boundaries, to rendering people into lazy beings to the atrophy of initiative / creativity to a diminution of veritable interpersonal interactions/ relationships. He also notes the harmful effects engendered by consumers abusing these “assistants” as a means of expressing harmful antisocial motifs which they would otherwise self-censor. Dr. Juni takes an opposite approach from a psychodynamic lens, seeing such “negative interactions” as a form of psychodrama where people can vent their frustrations in a relatively acceptable venue. Prof. Juni is one of the foremost research psychologists in the world today. He has published ground-breaking original research in seventy different peer reviewed journals and is cited continuously with respect by colleagues and experts in the field who have built on his theories and observations. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, and in Yeshiva University as a Talmid of Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. Dr. Juni is a board member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists and has regularly presented addresses to captivated audiences. Associated with NYU since 1979, Juni has served as Director of PhD programs, all the while heading teams engaged in cutting-edge research. Professor Juni's scholarship on aberrant behavior across the cultural, ethnic, and religious spectrum is founded on psychometric methodology and based on a psychodynamic psychopathology perspective. He is arguably the preeminent expert in Differential Diagnostics, with each of his myriad studies entailing parallel efforts in theory construction and empirical data collection from normative and clinical populations. Professor Juni created and directed the NYU Graduate Program in Tel Aviv titled Cross-Cultural Group Dynamics in Stressful Environments. Based in Yerushalayim, he collaborates with Israeli academic and mental health specialists in the study of dissonant factors and tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict and those within the Orthodox Jewish community, while exploring personality challenges of second-generation Holocaust survivors. Below is a partial list of the professional journals where Professor Juni has published 120 theoretical articles and his research findings (many are available online): Journal of Forensic Psychology; Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma; International Review of Victimology; The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease; International Forum of Psychoanalysis; Journal of Personality Assessment; Journal of Abnormal Psychology; Journal of Psychoanalytic Anthropology; Psychophysiology; Psychology and Human Development; Journal of Sex Research; Journal of Psychology and Judaism; Contemporary Family Therapy; American Journal on Addictions; Journal of Criminal Psychology; Mental Health, Religion, and Culture. As Rosh Beis Medrash, Rabbi Avraham Kivelevitz serves as Rav and Posek for the morning minyan at IDT. Hundreds of listeners around the globe look forward to his weekly Shiurim in Tshuvos and Poskim and Gaonic Literature. Rav Kivelevitz is a Maggid Shiur for Dirshu International in Talmud and Halacha as well as a Dayan with the Beth Din of America. The common assignation of the feminine gender to these entities which essentially manage the households of so many is the take-off point of a socio-cultural discussion of the history of gender choices for various family roles. Recounting that war directives to fighter pilots as well as propaganda (Tokyo Rose) usually made use of a femaleradio broadcaster addressing soldiers, R. Kivelevitz notes the sexist aspects of some of the implicit stereotypes ...
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    31 m
  • Witness or Footnote-What Senior Citizens attendance at Young Persons' Weddings Signifies

    Witness or Footnote-What Senior Citizens attendance at Young Persons' Weddings Signifies
    Mar 9 2023
    Recognizing that there are no events without conflicting facets, R. Kivelevitz anchors the analysis of the emotional impact of the family wedding by zeroing in on the experiences of the “older generation” at the celebration. Belying the overt joy, he argues, there is an undercurrent of “the passing of the torch” with a sense that life is passing these folks by in favor of the new generation. Though not evident in the parents of the new couple because of their immediate involvement in the nuts and bolts of the event, these feelings are more palpable for the older generation. Prof. Juni, concurring with this stance, points out its particular salience for families of immigrants and Holocaust survivors who were self-established and then witness their children's and grandchildren’s marriages. Inasmuch as these “youngsters” had it much easier than they did and some were handed their lives “on silver platters” some disparagement and resentment is inevitable. Conversely, R. Kivelevitz points out that the presence of the older generation at these celebrations is not truly necessary from the younger generation’s perspective. Other than perfunctory respect and adulations, the party would pretty much be just as celebratory without them. As such, the event is merely an opportunity to memorialize then into the wedding album which will outlive them in the family folklore. Dr. Juni points out that the Western youth-centered cultural perspective actually promotes the perspective that – instead of children thriving by standing on the shoulders of our parents – they actually progress by stepping on their head as they reject their values and minimize their relevance. R. Kivelevitz points out a revealing contrast between traditional weddings, where the bridal couple are the stars of the day, to the weddings in Chassidic courts where the main attraction is the Rebbe who is “marrying off” his descendants and the bridal couple is perfunctory at best. Pushing the duality of the wedding experience to a tangential area, R. Kivelevitz explores religio-cultural options as he tries to come to grips with the Chasidic tradition where the bride and groom hold hands as they parade publicly from the wedding canopy – a behavior which defies Chasidic mores and even Halacha. R. Kivelevitz challenges Juni to explain the extravagances of the typical Jewish wedding which often drive the parents into significant debt. Juni notes that – in psychoanalytic theory extreme emotion-related behavior usually indicates the presence of an underlying discordant emotion which is being repressed (as per the defense mechanism dynamics of Reaction Formation). Thus, the extreme message that “I am so happy that this is happening” is intended as a counterweight to the nascent despair of being left behind in the dust. Prof. Juni is one of the foremost research psychologists in the world today. He has published ground-breaking original research in seventy different peer reviewed journals and is cited continuously with respect by colleagues and experts in the field who have built on his theories and observations. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, and in Yeshiva University as a Talmid of Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. Dr. Juni is a board member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists and has regularly presented addresses to captivated audiences. Associated with NYU since 1979, Juni has served as Director of PhD programs, all the while heading teams engaged in cutting-edge research. Professor Juni's scholarship on aberrant behavior across the cultural, ethnic, and religious spectrum is founded on psychometric methodology and based on a psychodynamic psychopathology perspective. He is arguably the preeminent expert in Differential Diagnostics, with each of his myriad studies entailing parallel efforts in theory construction and empirical data collection from normative and clinical populations. Professor Juni created and directed the NYU Graduate Program in Tel Aviv titled Cross-Cultural Group Dynamics in Stressful Environments. Based in Yerushalayim, he collaborates with Israeli academic and mental health specialists in the study of dissonant factors and tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict and those within the Orthodox Jewish community, while exploring personality challenges of second-generation Holocaust survivors. Below is a partial list of the professional journals where Professor Juni has published 120 theoretical articles and his research findings (many are available online): Journal of Forensic Psychology; Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma; International Review of Victimology; The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease; International Forum of Psychoanalysis; Journal of Personality Assessment; Journal of Abnormal Psychology; Journal of Psychoanalytic Anthropology; Psychophysiology; Psychology and Human Development; Journal of Sex Research; Journal of Psychology and ...
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    32 m
  • Psycho Drama-Theater as a Medium of Self Awareness

    Psycho Drama-Theater as a Medium of Self Awareness
    Jan 10 2023
    The discussion begins with a review of a recent production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” by a Modern Orthodox Jewish cast and crew at the Jerusalem Theater. Prof. Juni had organized a sizable group of friends and colleagues who attended the play and then participated in a focus group with the producer, crew, and key actors. The discussion is enriched by R. Kivelevitz’s encyclopedic mastery of the world of cinema and theater and its history. The discussants compare and contrast the dynamics of the intended message (if any) which is evident in Method Acting vs. those one observes in such popular critically acclaimed fare as The Marvelous Miss Maisel and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Juni argues that – in the latter – Larry David actually manages to bring Method Acting to a new high as he merely assigns specific roles and scenarios allowing each actor to improvise their lines while the camera rolls. R. Kivelevitz manages to maneuver Juni into sharingsome of his personal experiences as a “ham actor” in a number of performances –and to relate them to his current psychoanalytic perspective. The main focus of the discussion between Juni and Rabbi Kivelevitz was on the pros and cons of Method Acting, with particular attention to its potential as a means to insight and self-discovery. Whereas the Stanislavsky approach was designed with attention to the psyche of the actors, Juni is a proponent of using theater as a vicarious therapeutic emotional experience for the audience. Elaborating on his approach, Juni grounds hisposition on several postulates: A. Freud’s idea of Polymorphous Perversitywhich asserts that we all have unresolved conflicts in every feasible conflictarea; B. Jacob Moreno’s hypotheses that actionengenders latent underlying emotions; C. Cognitive Dissonance Theory which claimsthat feelings will be created artificially when one behaves in a dramatic manner. Juni combines these diverse ideas as he argues that theateraudience members will inevitably be “dawn into” identifying with the protagonists if they leave themselves open to the experience. R. Kivelevitz points out that classic authors of fiction capitalize on this very orientation as well asin the construction and wording of their narratives. Juni extolls the psychological virtues of Method Acting (in contrast to the Classical Shakespearean Style which stresses context and the Objective Approach). R. Kivelevitz introduces the “Jewish connection”into the discussion by pointing to Stella Adler’s adaptation of Method Actingand its pivotal role in shaping Yiddish American Theater. He also engages Juni as they critique the confabulation of modern theater and the worldview of Orthodox Judaism – as the pair explore the dissonance that may be experienced by Modern Orthodox directors, actors, and audiences which elicits visceral responses to their presentations. R.Kivelevitz concludes by lauding a novel contemporary approach in self-discovery known as Improv Therapy, relating its rationale to a number of the points and dynamics raised in the discussion. Prof. Juni is one of the foremost research psychologists in the world today. He has published ground-breaking original research in seventy different peer reviewed journals and is cited continuously with respect by colleagues and experts in the field who have built on his theories and observations. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, and in Yeshiva University as a Talmid of Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. Dr. Juni is a board member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists and has regularly presented addresses to captivated audiences. Associated with NYU since 1979, Juni has served as Director of PhD programs, all the while heading teams engaged in cutting-edge research. Professor Juni's scholarship on aberrant behavior across the cultural, ethnic, and religious spectrum is founded on psychometric methodology and based on a psychodynamic psychopathology perspective. He is arguably the preeminent expert in Differential Diagnostics, with each of his myriad studies entailing parallel efforts in theory construction and empirical data collection from normative and clinical populations. Professor Juni created and directed the NYU Graduate Program in Tel Aviv titled Cross-Cultural Group Dynamics in Stressful Environments. Based in Yerushalayim, he collaborates with Israeli academic and mental health specialists in the study of dissonant factors and tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict and those within the Orthodox Jewish community, while exploring personality challenges of second-generation Holocaust survivors. Below is a partial list of the professional journals where Professor Juni has published 120 theoretical articles and his research findings (many are available online): Journal of Forensic Psychology; Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma; International Review of Victimology;...
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