Auto-Emancipation: Decolonial Perspectives on Autonomous Political Mizrahi and Sephardic Organizations in Israel, 1948-1967

326 p.This research is based on the contemporary theoretical premise developed especially among Latin-American social scientists, named by some as "the decolonial turn". The research uses the decolonial perspective and terminology in order to examine the historical political activity of Mizrahi and Sephardic autonomous organizations in Israel. The study is based on historical documents and newspapers of different organizations. It examines a broad range of organizations, but focuses primarily on the activity of the Council of the Sephardic Community of Jerusalem, under the leadership of Eliahu Eliachar. The research outlines an autonomous Mizrahi sub-political sphere that had a unique dynamic of its own, which sometimes diverged from the Ashkenazi one in its interpretations of the social reality and in its reaction to Middle Eastern political developments. Within this sphere, the dissertation analyzes the discourse and practices of independent political organizations, focusing on the way they related to Middle Eastern politics and to Israeli Palestinian Arabs, as well as on their constructions of a Mizrahi and Sephardic collective identity. The research also examines the multifaceted ways in which the colonial power structure of the Zionist regime weakened the activity of these organizations and restricted their decolonial potential. The dissertation aims to contribute to the development of the decolonial theoretical perspective in the context of the Middle East, and to the construction of a legacy of such thinking in Israel today

Auto-Emancipation: Decolonial Perspectives on Autonomous Political Mizrahi and Sephardic Organizations in Israel, 1948-1967

326 p.This research is based on the contemporary theoretical premise developed especially among Latin-American social scientists, named by some as "the decolonial turn". The research uses the decolonial perspective and terminology in order to examine the historical political activity of Mizrahi and Sephardic autonomous organizations in Israel. The study is based on historical documents and newspapers of different organizations. It examines a broad range of organizations, but focuses primarily on the activity of the Council of the Sephardic Community of Jerusalem, under the leadership of Eliahu Eliachar. The research outlines an autonomous Mizrahi sub-political sphere that had a unique dynamic of its own, which sometimes diverged from the Ashkenazi one in its interpretations of the social reality and in its reaction to Middle Eastern political developments. Within this sphere, the dissertation analyzes the discourse and practices of independent political organizations, focusing on the way they related to Middle Eastern politics and to Israeli Palestinian Arabs, as well as on their constructions of a Mizrahi and Sephardic collective identity. The research also examines the multifaceted ways in which the colonial power structure of the Zionist regime weakened the activity of these organizations and restricted their decolonial potential. The dissertation aims to contribute to the development of the decolonial theoretical perspective in the context of the Middle East, and to the construction of a legacy of such thinking in Israel today

Prenatal Diet Quality, Intake of Ultra-Processed Foods, and Gestational Weight Gain

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC) established guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy to maximize positive health outcomes for mothers and their offspring. However, in the US, about half of all pregnant women exceed these recommendations. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with various negative outcome for mothers and their children. Research in recent years has begun to explore the relationship between both diet quality and ultra-processed food (UPF) intake during pregnancy with gestational weight gain (GWG). However, research is scarce, especially pertaining to UPF intake and GWG. Additionally, there is no research which explores these relationships among Latina women living within the US. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between prenatal diet quality, measured with the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI), and intake of UPF, based on the Nova classification system, with the adequacy of GWG among a predominantly Latina sample of adult pregnant women living within the US. Additionally, the association between social determinants of health with diet quality and with UPF intake were also explored. The study is a secondary-data analysis of data from a longitudinal study. The sample analyzed includes 118 pregnant women between the ages of 18-45 years old (mean = 29.9, SD = 6.1). Mean pre-pregnancy body mass index (pBMI) for the total sample was 25.8 kg/m2 (overweight). 67% of the sample identified as Hispanic/Latina. Overall, 22% of the sample were classified with inadequate GWG; 17% with adequate GWG; and 61% with excessive GWG. The mean total HEI score for the sample was 54.1 out of 100, where higher scores reflect higher diet quality and adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. There was a statistically significant difference across GWG groups (inadequate/adequate/excessive) in mean total HEI scores (p < .05). The adequate GWG group had the highest total HEI scores and the excessive GWG group had the lowest total HEI scores. Variables that were found to be univariately associated with excessive gestational weight gain included: average total HEI score, pBMI, ethnicity; education; and income (p < .05). A 1-point increase in mean total HEI scores was associated with a 5% lower chance of excessive GWG (p = .02). However, after adjustment for covariates (maternal age; pBMI; income; education; race and ethnicity), the association between average total HEI score and excessive gestational weight gain was attenuated and no longer statistically significant. There was a statistically significant difference across GWG groups (inadequate, adequate, or excessive) in their scores of two HEI components: Greens and Beans (p < .01); and Seafood and Plant Proteins (p < .01). The adequate GWG group had the highest scores and the excessive GWG group had the lowest scores in these HEI components. In simple logistic regressions of excessive GWG versus adequate GWG on HEI components, the Greens and Beans scores and the Seafood and Plant Protein scores were significantly associated with excessive GWG. After adjustment, the Greens and Beans scores and Seafood and Plant Proteins scores indicated strong estimated negative associations with excessive GWG, OR = 0.61, 〖 χ〗_1^2= 8.07, p < 0.01 and OR = 0.60, 〖 χ〗_1^2= 7.84, p < 0.01, respectively. A higher score on these components was associated with a lower risk of excessive GWG. The mean percentage of energy intake from ultra-processed foods (PEI-UPF) was 51.2%. There was no statistically significant difference in the PEI-UPF across GWG groups (inadequate, adequate, or excessive) and the PEI-UPF was not associated with odds of excessive GWG. However, the adequate GWG group had the lowest intake of PEI-UPF (49.2%) and the excessive GWG group had the highest intake of PEI-UPF (52.1%). Social determinants of health were not associated with the mean PEI-UPF, but results suggested a positive relationship between social support and total HEI scores (p = .08). Deeper analysis of the social support measure revealed a statistically significant relationship between the appraisal subscale of social support and HEI scores, Β = 0.13, F(1, 102) = 7.11 (p = 0.009). Overall, dietary intake during pregnancy may influence the adequacy of gestational weight gain. Achieving recommended intake of greens and beans, as well as seafood and plant proteins, may play a particularly important role in reducing the risk for excessive gestational weight gain. In addition, greater levels of social support, particularly access to another person who can offer advice and guidance with personal problems, may enhance diet quality during pregnancy

THE THEORY OF AUTOCHTONOUS ZIONISM IN POLITICAL DISCOURSES IN ISRAEL 1961-1967

The premise of this investigation conceives of Western colonization as the central factor shaping modern history and contemporary geopolitics. In a local context, it perceives of the Zionist project from its inception as colonial, created by European Jews, supported by western powers and based upon perceived civilizational supremacy of western modernity. The Zionist movement affected not only the fate of Palestinian Arabs, but also the native Jewish population and Jewish migrants from Muslim countries to Eretz Israel/Palestine. This research follows political organizations consisting of non-European Jews, autochthonous in the Middle Eastern region, named here Oriental and Sephardic Jews. This research examines Sephardic and Oriental political debates that resisted the colonial postulates of the Zionist state. First, the genealogy of these debates since the beginning of Zionist settlement at the end of the 19th century is presented. This is followed by a description of the fragmentation that the establishment of the state of Israel, as a European enclave in its region, caused these autochthonous Jews. Together these elements form the historical layout of sociological inquiry into a particular discourse of autochthonous Zionism in the 1960s, as it developed on the pages of “In the Battle”, a cultural-political journal

04. Experiential Integrative Approaches to Heart Health

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Experiential Workshop This session will highlight two of the most important, yet frequently overlooked, determinants of heart health: mind-body interactions and nutrition. These areas will be explored through didactic and experiential learning. The session will begin with a short presentation by Dr Adi Haramati on the physiology of stress and the scientific basis for mind-body approaches to de-stress, followed by an experiential autogenic exercise that will allow participants to track their own vascular response to a relaxation exercise (using skin thermistors). Dr David Eisenberg will then provide a short presentation on national and global trends in the areas of nutrition, obesity, and diabetes and will discuss the relationship between health professionals’ personal self-care behaviors and the frequency with which they advise their patients about these same behaviors. A cooking demonstration will showcase simple techniques that healthcare professionals can use and share with their patients to convey the fact that healthy foods can also be easy to make, convenient, affordable, and “craveably” delicious. Dr Stephen Devries will complete the presentation with a review of recent clinical studies highlighting the efficacy of nutrition and mind-body interventions on heart health. Practical recommendations for incorporating integrative strategies into heart care will be emphasized