israel | Social Policy Institute | Washington University in St. Louis

Tackling Disparities in Child Education Amidst COVID-19 Recovery: Lessons from Israel

By Social Policy Institute • November 6, 2023November 6, 2023

Yung Chun, Oren Heller, Jason Jabbari, Yaniv Shlomo, Ayala Hendin, Fanice Thomas and Michal Grinstein-Weiss The COVID-19 pandemic made significant and wide-ranging impacts on child education by disrupting learning process and exacerbating existing inequalities across continents. School closures intended to curb the virus’s spread, resulted in reduced instructional time and limited access to crucial resources […]

Israeli student visiting WashU wins $3,000 in thesis competition, donates it all to IDF (Links to an external site)

STL Jewish Light • October 13, 2023February 14, 2024

Avnor is a Ph.D. clinical neuropsychology student at the University of Haifa and she is associated with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.

COVID-19-Related Fear among Youth in Israel

By Social Policy Institute • July 31, 2023August 1, 2023

Abstract The present study sought to expand the now expansive research on COVID-19 by examining COVID-19-related fear among adolescents in Israel, focusing on demographic variables, COVID-19-related variables (e.g., exposure and vaccination), psychosocial variables (e.g., adolescent wellbeing and perceived social support), and technology usage (e.g., amount of time spent on social media). Data from parents were […]

Social mobility as a priority will open doors for Israeli children – opinion (Links to an external site)

The Jerusalem Post • November 28, 2022November 30, 2022

Social Policy Institute research was cited in this opinion piece on social mobility and its impact on children in Israel.

Prevalence of Long-COVID Among Low-Income and Marginalized Groups: Evidence From Israel

By Social Policy Institute • November 28, 2022April 5, 2023

Abstract Objective: To identify the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the prevalence of self-reported long-COVID symptoms. Method: We examined the association between acute-COVID (SARS-CoV-2) and long-COVID symptoms, by a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained on a prospective online-survey, conducted from November to December 2021 on a nationally-representative sample of the Israeli population (N = 2,246). Results: Findings […]

Household Spending Patterns and Hardships during COVID-19: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and Israel

By Stephen Roll, Assistant Research Professor, Yung Chun, Data Analyst III, Mathieu Despard, Faculty Director and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Director • July 27, 2022April 5, 2023

Abstract The combined supply and demand shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have created the largest consumer behavior shift in recent history, while exposing millions of households to material hardships like food insecurity and housing instability. In this study, we draw on national surveys conducted early in the pandemic to investigate the pandemic’s effects on self-reported […]

Financial Hardship Increases During Ramadan in Israel

By Social Policy Institute • July 11, 2022April 5, 2023

Oren Heller, Postdoctoral Research Associate, and Daniel Yeshua, Program Manager Financial hardship among the Muslim Arab community in Israel increases during Ramadan, a survey from the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis finds. This study, the first to examine the economic impact of Ramadan on the Muslim Arab population, can provide insight […]

Public perceptions and the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19: Lessons from Israel

By Social Policy Institute • March 18, 2022May 4, 2022

Abstract Objectives To explore the associations between vaccine hesitancy and demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as perspective towards the COVID-19 and its vaccines. Methods Data were collected through four online surveys on Israel’s representative sample in March (3/2 to 3/7, n = 1517), August (8/10–8/11, n = 925; 8/18–8/22, n = 1054), and September (9/22-9/24; n=1406), 2021. We employ a […]

Public perceptions and the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19: Lessons from Israel

By Social Policy Institute • February 11, 2022February 17, 2022

Study shows spike in COVID-related depression, anxiety among Israeli teens (Links to an external site)

The Cleveland Jewish News • January 11, 2022February 22, 2022

The Cleveland Jewish News highlighted results from a recent SPI study which found an increased number of children suffering from anxiety after the pandemic.

Eating Disorders, Depression Increased Among Israeli Teens During Covid-19 Pandemic, Study Finds (Links to an external site)

The Algemeiner • January 11, 2022February 22, 2022

The Algemeiner shared a recent SPI study showing a significant increase in anxiety in children following the pandemic.

Timely research from the Social Policy Institute influences policy in Israel (Links to an external site)

Global • January 10, 2022February 22, 2022

Researchers at SPI have worked hard throughout the pandemic to study the socioeconomic effects of COVID-19, both in the U.S. and in Israel. Global highlights how this work has informed public policy.

‘People Feel Protected’: Why Are 1 Million Israelis Not Getting the Booster Shot? (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • December 15, 2021January 7, 2022

Haaretz interviewed Dr. Oren Heller, SPI research associate, about hesitancy in Israel to get the COVID-19 booster shot.

“It’s not burning anymore”: what motivates a million Israelis who refuse a third vaccine (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • December 14, 2021February 7, 2022

Haaretz cites an SPI survey explaining why many Israeli citizens are not receiving the COVID-19 booster shot.

What we can learn from Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination of children (Links to an external site)

Brookings Institution • December 10, 2021February 7, 2022

As many parents are still unsure whether or not to immunize their children against COVID-19, regardless of whether they themselves have received the shot, Oren Heller, Yaniv Shlomo, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss discuss the need for increased governmental transparency to increase the number of vaccinated children.

Food insecurity in Israel during the COVID-19 economic crisis: Prevalence and associations with children’s behaviors

By Social Policy Institute • November 19, 2021February 7, 2022

Results from SPI’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey in Israel suggested a relationship between the pandemic and rising rates of food insecurity. To explore this, SPI launched another survey, with the results linking food insecurity to behavioral problems in children.

Israel approves vaccines for kids 5-11, will parents give kids the jab? (Links to an external site)

World Israel News • November 14, 2021February 7, 2022

World Israel News shares SPI’s findings that only 37% of Israeli parents were likely to vaccinate their kids in light of Israel’s approval of the vaccine for children.

Israel greenlights COVID vaccines for kids aged 5-11 (Links to an external site)

The Jerusalem Post • November 14, 2021February 7, 2022

The Jerusalem Post shared SPI findings on parents’ willingness to vaccinate their kids after Israel approved the vaccine for children.

COVID-19 Among Youth in Israel: Correlates of Decisions to Vaccinate and Reasons for Refusal

By Social Policy Institute • October 24, 2021January 10, 2022

The primary aim of the present study is to examine the reasons for adolescents’ refusal to get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and examine correlates of vaccination among adolescents aged 12–18 years in Israel. A total of 150 youth aged 12–18 years participated in the study. Following parental consent (30% response rate) from an online internet […]

Did government benefits help Israeli households avoid hardship during COVID-19? Evidence from a national survey

By Social Policy Institute • October 19, 2021April 5, 2023

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Israel quickly introduced aggressive social distancing measures to curb the virus spread and adapted its unemployment insurance program in response to rising unemployment rates. This study examines the relationship between household income and the experience of material hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel and […]

Israel has to find solutions for its poor education results – opinion (Links to an external site)

The Jerusalem Post • October 11, 2021October 24, 2023

The Jerusalem Post shared SPI research that 17% of families in Israel cannot afford the food they need, posing a risk to children’s physical and mental health.

Pandemic isolation increasing negative behaviors among children in Israel

By Social Policy Institute • October 1, 2021October 19, 2021

Isolation as a result of COVID-19 exposure is a key public health protocol to mitigate the spread of the virus; however, new survey results indicate increased isolations are associated with anger, violence, difficulties sleeping, and prolonged screen time.

Food insecurity surged with COVID-19, harming Israel’s children most (Links to an external site)

The Jerusalem Post • September 25, 2021February 8, 2022

The Jerusalem Post shared SPI findings that 17% of Israeli families suffer from food insecurity, negatively impacting the physical and mental health of Israeli children.

Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19: Israel

Survey in Israel

A survey was fielded in Israel to examine the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey collects data on approximately 2,300 respondents in each wave and consists of both a cross-sectional and a panel component, allowing researchers to analyze robust samples of households in each wave and track outcomes within households over time.

Interview on Isolation in Israel (Links to an external site)

Channel 13 • September 13, 2021October 28, 2021

Channel 13 interviewed Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, about the effect of isolation on children in Israel.

The game is not yet over, and vaccines still matter: Lessons from a study on Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination (Links to an external site)

Brookings Institution • September 13, 2021February 8, 2022

In a new SPI study released through Brookings, researchers aimed to better understand vaccine hesitancy in Israel by examining demographic and socioeconomic factors correlating to vaccination.

Radio interview: vaccine incentives in Israel (Links to an external site)

Kan • August 21, 2021September 2, 2021

Kan interviewed Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, on the usage of incentives to encourage vaccination. Hebrew: האם כסף יעודד את הסרבנים להתחסן?

Why are 11% of Israelis still not vaccinated?

By Social Policy Institute • August 16, 2021August 17, 2021

A new nationally representative survey from the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis (SPI) indicates that among the 11% of Israelis who are not vaccinated, 75% do not plan to get vaccinated.

Who are the Israelis who have not been vaccinated yet – and is there a chance that we will be vaccinated soon? (Links to an external site)

The Marker • August 15, 2021February 8, 2022

The Marker discussed SPI findings of vaccination rates in Israel, which also looked at motivations behind not receiving the vaccine. Of the 11% that have not been vaccinated at all, the majority do not intend to receive the vaccination.

A Fifth of Israelis Think COVID Is a Government, Pharma Conspiracy, Poll Says (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • August 3, 2021August 12, 2021

Haaretz discusses a recent finding from the Social Policy Institute that shows that a fifth of Israelis believe that the vaccine is a government or pharma conspiracy.

20% of Israelis: The corona is a conspiracy of governments and pharmaceutical companies (Links to an external site)

The Marker • August 3, 2021February 8, 2022

The Marker covered our latest findings that 20% of Israelis believe that COVID-19 is a conspiracy by governments and pharmaceutical companies. These findings are the latest results from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 in Israel. Hebrew title: 20% מהישראלים: הקורונה היא קנוניה של ממשלות וחברות תרופות

Only half of Israelis want a third COVID-19 vaccine shot – Survey (Links to an external site)

The Jerusalem Post • July 30, 2021February 8, 2022

Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post about research findings that only 52% of Israelis who received the original vaccine would take a third shot. This finding comes from the latest data from SPI on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in Israel.

Only half of Israelis want a third COVID-19 vaccine shot – survey

By Social Policy Institute • July 30, 2021August 12, 2021

Why are Israeli parents of 12-15-year-olds hesitant to vaccinate their children?

By Social Policy Institute • July 22, 2021August 2, 2021

By Yaniv Shlomo, Senior Fellow; Oren Heller, Postdoctoral Research Associate; Daniel Yeshua, Program Manager; and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Director Download a PDF to read this text in Hebrew: מדוע הורים לבני 12 עד 15 מהססים לחסן את ילדיהם? While most Israeli adults are vaccinated, 62% of parents are hesitant to vaccinate their 12-15-year-old children. The findings […]

Israel’s next president has long-standing relationship with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University

By Social Policy Institute • June 10, 2021April 5, 2023

With Isaac Herzog set to become Israel’s 11th president later this summer, the Social Policy Institute (SPI) reflects on its long-standing partnership with the future president. SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, began working with President-elect Herzog in 2010 to generate national support to create the first universal child development account program (CDA) in the world. Grinstein-Weiss, […]

Covid-19: Israel drops the mask, but the damage remains deeper (Links to an external site)

Ouest France • April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

As Israeli students return to schools and Israel drops its national mask mandate, Ouest France reflects on how the first country in the world is starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Israel’s Schools Return to Normal on Sunday (Links to an external site)

Hamodia • April 19, 2021April 19, 2021

Hamodia covers students return in-person to schools in Israel starting April 19th. They share recent findings that 1 in 5 children suffer from symptoms of anxiety from Michal Grinstein-Weiss as well as partners IDC Herzliya and Hebrew University.

Research: One in five students in Israel suffers from anxiety symptoms due to COVID-19 (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • April 16, 2021April 16, 2021

Haaretz covered SPI research discovery that the mental distress of the children in Israel increases the lower the parental income. When considering ethnic and religious groups, the lowest anxiety rates were recorded among the ultra-Orthodox.

Study: 1 in 5 Israeli kids have clinical anxiety symptoms amid a pandemic (Links to an external site)

The Times of Israel • April 16, 2021April 16, 2021

SPI survey finds ultra-Orthodox children mostly unaffected and that a majority of kids had difficulties with online classes.

COVID-19 pandemic caused ‘mental crisis’ among Israeli youth (Links to an external site)

Jerusalem Post • April 15, 2021April 16, 2021

The Jerusalem Post discusses SPI research finding that Israeli children are experiencing a “mental crisis.” The report, based on a study conducted by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, and Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya together with Prof. Rami Benvenisti of Hebrew University, showed that one in five children – 21% and three times more than before the coronavirus crisis – are suffering from symptoms of anxiety.

Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout Is Slowing at a Critical Moment. That’s a Warning for the Rest of Us (Links to an external site)

The Times • March 22, 2021March 23, 2021

What does vaccine hesitancy in Israel mean for the United States? Michal Grinstein-Weiss was interviewed by The Times on SPI’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 survey and how vaccine hesitancy in minority populations in Israel reflect many of the same characteristics of minority groups in the United States.

Comparing pandemic spending patterns in U.S. and Israel (Links to an external site)

The Source • March 10, 2021March 23, 2021

The Source: A study from SPI finds Israel early on offered better social policies and income support to its struggling households than the United States.

Israelis Flocked to Get the COVID Vaccine, but Will They Vaccinate Their Children Too? (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • March 9, 2021April 1, 2021

Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca are in advanced stages of trials for under-16s, and Israel’s coronavirus vaccination drive is set to expand. But recent SPI data indicates that parents may be less willing to get their children inoculated.

Fear of safety and mistrust cause vaccine hesitancy in Israel

By Social Policy Institute • February 26, 2021March 1, 2021

SPI asked respondents about their inclination to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as their perspectives toward the vaccine and pandemic overall. The results indicate certain religious groups are more hesitant to receive the vaccine than others, though the reasoning differs.

Household Spending Patterns and Hardships during COVID-19: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and Israel

By Social Policy Institute • February 22, 2021February 24, 2021

The combined supply and demand shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have created the largest shift in consumer behavior in recent history, while exposing millions of households to material hardships like food insecurity and housing instability. In this study, we draw on national surveys conducted early in the pandemic to investigate the COVID-19’s effects on self-reported […]

There are three groups of Israelis who fear the vaccine. How can we change the image? (Links to an external site)

The Marker • February 11, 2021February 19, 2021

Interview with SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss in Hebrew based on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 Survey in Israel. A return to almost-normalcy relies on the vast majority of Israelis over age 50 getting vaccinated for COVID-19, but it isn’t happening. New studies explain who isn’t getting the shot, and why.

Hundreds of Thousands of Israelis Have Said No to the COVID-19 Vaccine: Why Are They Waiting? (Links to an external site)

Haaretz • February 11, 2021February 11, 2021

Interview with SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss based on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 Survey in Israel. A return to almost-normalcy relies on the vast majority of Israelis over age 50 getting vaccinated for COVID-19, but it isn’t happening. New studies explain who isn’t getting the shot, and why

Channel Kan 11 interviews Michal Grinstein-Weiss about the vaccine in Israel (Links to an external site)

Kan 11 TV • February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, was interviewed by Kan 11 about findings from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey in Israel related to the vaccine.

Study: Women with young kids vanishing from the workforce in Israel (Links to an external site)

i24 News • January 11, 2021January 11, 2021

Director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, was interviewed by i24News.

Women with young children are disappearing from the Israeli workforce

By Social Policy Institute • January 6, 2021January 6, 2021

Women with young children (0-14 years old) are twice as likely to experience unemployment as compared to men in the same situation, according to the longitudinal Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey in Israel, administered by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.