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.
Category: News
Israel’s Schools Return to Normal on Sunday (Links to an external site)
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.
After about 13 months of part-time studies, the education system will fully open tomorrow (Links to an external site)
Haaretz discusses findings by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, as well as IDC Herzliya, and Rami Benvenisti of Hebrew University that one in five Israeli children currently show signs of anxiety as schools resume to full in-person learning.
Coronavirus: To vaccinate or not vaccinate children? (Links to an external site)
The Jerusalem post covered SPI research findings that less than half of vaccinated parents will also vaccinate their children. Israel is likely to be the first country to grapple with the ethics of whether vaccinating children to achieve herd immunity is worth the risk.
Research: One in five students in Israel suffers from anxiety symptoms due to COVID-19 (Links to an external site)
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)
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)
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.
Cameras Are Being Used To Punish Students, Not Stop School Shooters (Links to an external site)
Forbes recently described a study by Jason Jabbari, SPI researcher, and Odis Johnson, SPI faculty affiliate. The study found increase security meant to protect students has led to high suspensions schools with decrease math achievement and college admission.
Inclusive Growth Feature: Jorge Riopedre on Why Inclusive Growth Matters
Author: Jorge Riopedre, executive director of Delmar Divine and advisor of Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event series. St. Louis has historically been segregated, with people of color living in areas that were purposely removed from economic opportunities. In my work at Delmar Divine, I can see firsthand why inclusive growth matters. The disregard for […]
SPI & McDonnell Academy award new round of seed grants to address Covid-19-related challenges
For a second year, the Social Policy Institute and the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis partnered to provide joint seed grants to advance international policy-relevant research. Three new projects were selected to receive seed funding of up to $30,000 each. The recipients include researchers from both Washington University and McDonnell […]
The Complete Financial Lives of Workers: A Holistic Exploration of Work and Public and Workplace Benefit Arrangements (Links to an external site)
What does a complete look at the financial lives of workers reveal? A new report from Aspen Consumer Insights Collaborative via Aspen Financial Security Program illustrates how work arrangements and benefits together determine if workers will have a reasonable shot at financial security. Learn how SPI’s research helped develop key insights in the report.
‘Like paying for a luxury car’: Childcare costs in Miami are holding families back (Links to an external site)
Even before the pandemic, South Florida working families struggled to find safe, affordable and convenient childcare. As seen through SPI’s data in the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 survey, the situation has worsened. While South Florida is vaccinating and emerging from restrictions, childcare remains a significant obstacle to upward mobility.
Grinstein-Weiss addresses U.N. session on status of women (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss spoke at an event at the civil society forum for the UN session on the Commission on the Status of Women. Learn more from The Record and view the event.
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)
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: 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)
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.
Women can’t be stopped: Applying resiliency of pandemic struggles to acquire new, high-quality job opportunities
International Women’s Day marks one year since the COVID-19 crisis began. Over the past year, the pandemic drastically cut women from the workforce in the United States and beyond. However, despite all of this, there is a chance for a new opportunity. Women around the world have an opportunity now to apply their resiliency to acquire new skills and re-enter the workforce in industries where they have been historically under-represented.
Improving Access and Minimizing Obstacles for Medicaid Buy-In Participation
Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) has received public and policymaker attention in recent years as an option for states to expand access to healthcare. “Eligibility can be so confusing and complicated it presents an obstacle for providers and government alike to communicate clearly, never mind promote Medicaid buy-in for working people with disabilities.” Kimberly Lackey, Director of […]
Childhood in the time of COVID (Links to an external site)
Save the Children shared results from the Social Policy Institute’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey were shared in a report on childhood hardship in the United States during the pandemic. Their report found that millions more children are going hungry, missing out on learning & falling into poverty.
Fear of safety and mistrust cause vaccine hesitancy in Israel
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.
Does one size fit all? Exploring provider behavior interventions and best practices alignment to improve healthcare for all
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the United States to reassess public health as we know it. In a time where providers were forced to wear trash bags as personal protective gear and alarming ICU rates across the nation, it is clear we are witnessing a shift in the future of healthcare services. But to what […]
Food assistance (SNAP) recipients were disproportionately forced out by landlords during the pandemic
Previous analysis of the Social Policy Institute’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey found that Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) recipients were evicted at higher rates than households not getting TANF, and new analysis finds similar trends for households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds.
Cash assistance (TANF) recipients suffer the brunt of evictions despite the moratorium
New evidence from the Social Policy Institute’s multi-wave Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey shows that during the pandemic, TANF recipients were evicted at significantly higher rates than non-recipients, even when accounting for differences in demographics, income, assets, recent job loss, and how many months behind they are in rental payments.
COVID-19 School Meal Policies as Long-term Strategies to Fight Child Food Insecurity
In response to COVID-19 and the nationwide school closures that followed, the federal government passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Through these policies, the USDA was able to grant meal waivers to help schools and community organizations provide meals and snacks during COVID-related […]
The Babies in the River: Creating Equitable Safety Nets and Springboards to Opportunity
by Nisha G. Patel, Senior Fellow, SPI Some 25 years ago, I was a bright-eyed, young, graduate student at the Brown School and I learned the parable of the babies in the river. The townspeople in a village noticed that babies were beginning to appear in a river and were in danger of getting swept away by the current. Some people immediately jumped into the river, scooping up the babies to save them from drowning. […]
The first city in the world to have all its population vaccinated against corona (Links to an external site)
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.
There are three groups of Israelis who fear the vaccine. How can we change the image? (Links to an external site)
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)
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)
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.
Fee payments to access COVID-19 relief funds threaten household financial security and economic recovery
The U.S. Senate signaled that it has the votes to pass a new $1.9 trillion stimulus through the budget reconciliation process on February 2, 2020. This means that a new round of COVID-19 relief payments is likely. These relief payments, which propose distributing $1,400 to qualifying adults, will be the third such payment offered since […]
Making inclusive growth a reality in St. Louis (Links to an external site)
As it continues to grow and develop, how can St. Louis ensure benefits are distributed equally throughout the region? Learn about how the Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event series with Center for Inclusive Growth and the advisory committee are addressing this concern.
Call for Proposals: Identifying and addressing the challenges of COVID-19 through artificial intelligence, technology, and big data
The Social Policy Institute (SPI) and the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis are seeking proposals from Washington University researchers and international partners that identify and address the challenges of COVID-19 through artificial intelligence, technology, and big data. Proposals are due by Feb. 26, 2021. This is the second year the […]
Beyoncé and the NAACP Are Providing Housing Assistance Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (Links to an external site)
Disparate housing hardship among Latinx and Black households, results from the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 Survey, are featured in this article.
Study: Women with young kids vanishing from the workforce in Israel (Links to an external site)
Director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, was interviewed by i24News.
A Message from the Director
As we are opening a near year, we are also experiencing the tragedy of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. It was a sad day in our nation’s history and highlights the ever-widening divisions within the country. Despite the shocking and unprecedented moment in American history, Congressional leaders were undeterred and […]
Women with young children are disappearing from the Israeli workforce
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.
Housing inequality gets worse as the COVID-19 pandemic is prolonged (Links to an external site)
Kids, Families and COVID-19: A report from Annie E. Casey Foundation (Links to an external site)
A Dec. 14, 2020 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation features evidence from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey from SPI related to child care and working parents.
In Israel, households with children are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic
Like many families across the globe, Israeli families have been facing the challenges of raising children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do Israeli families have to adjust to large changes in their child(ren)’s schooling, but they are also forced to cope with the financial shocks, such as job and/or income loss that come with […]
School breakfast matters for Missouri students
Guest post by Sarah Ritter, manager of public policy, Operation Food Search Child nutrition programs are essential to ending hunger and supporting children’s health, learning and development. One important yet underutilized program is the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Students who eat breakfast at school consume more fiber, calcium and vitamin C – nutrients all children […]
The big victims: One in six mothers working for small children has stopped working (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, was interviewed for a story in The Marker, the leading economic publication in Israel, about COVID-19 related job loss and the mental well-being of working mothers in Israel.
Israeli Employers Don’t Forecast Vaccine Will Bring Jump in Hiring (Links to an external site)
Results from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey were published in Haaretz, an Israeli publication.
Uber made big promises in Kenya. Drivers say it’s ruined their lives. (Links to an external site)
NBC News cited a research done by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, to demonstrate the impact of the gig economy on financial hardship among low-income families.
Operation Food Search expands study of food for health benefits (Links to an external site)
St. Louis Business Journal mentioned a new study conducted by SPI, Operation Food Search(OFS), and Medicaid Health Plan. The study aims to determine the effect of Medicaid in promoting food security.
7 Tips to Mitigate Hoarding Behavior
Mary Acri has seven tips to manage feelings of powerlessness, helplessness and fear without stockpiling toilet paper as the pandemic persists.
Guest opinion: How to help your employees avoid the perils of payday loans (Links to an external site)
WashU’s research with employee financial wellness programs, specifically related to employee loans, was featured in a recent op-ed with St. Louis Business Journal.
The Far-Reaching Impacts of COVID-19 on the Financial Lives of Israelis – Differences by Religion and Ethnicity
Press Release: October 25, 2020 With a COVID-19 death toll exceeding 2,000, Israel now has one of the highest per capita deaths in the world. Feelings of frustration and despair have resulted in the largest anti-government demonstrations since the establishment of the country, emphasizing that a central crisis during the COVID-19 is a growing divide […]
Moderna Monday – Another vaccine lifts the markets – Again (Links to an external site)
TheStreet cited Social Policy Institute findings of the effect of liquid assets on the likelihood of an individual to practice social distancing.
Three reasons young Israeli adults may face catastrophic, long-term financial burden from COVID-19
Press Release: September 25, 2020 The potentially catastrophic, long-term financial impacts of COVID-19 on young adults are highlighted in the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey[1] in Israel, which was administered between June 4 and July 1 by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with Mastercard. The survey results found […]
A different dialogue: Lifting up community voices
By: Sarah Cowart, communications manager for Social Policy Institute; Pamela Chan, associate director for Social Policy Institute, and Daniel Barker, director of research and knowledge, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth If you attended “Building an Inclusive Economy” on October 7 with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis (SPI) and Mastercard Center […]