Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR)

Profile

Dr. Yohai Hakak is a qualified social worker, and a social and visual anthropologist. He has published extensively on Israeli Jewish Ultra Orthodox Haredi society and explores issues related to youth, masculine identities and integration of this religious minority. His monograph ‘Young Men in Israeli Haredi Yeshiva Education: The Scholars’ Enclave in Unrest’ is in press with Brill. He is currently completing another book about the Haredi community examining the changes that are reshaping masculine identities within the community. Other current projects include a study of religious parenting in the UK and work on the interaction between religious and psychological discourses in the work of Israeli social workers.

Qualifications

• 2001-2006: Doctoral Studies, School of Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), Israel. Advisor: Prof. Tamar Rapoport.
• 1995-1996: M.S.W, School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, NewYork.
• 1991-1995: B.S.W, School of Social Work, HUJI, Israel.

Research Clusters

• Sociology and Social Theory

Discipline Areas

• Social work
• Anthropology and sociology of religion
• Gender
• Sociology of the body
• Sociology of education

Research CV

Current research interests and activities

• Masculinities/gender
• Sociology of religion
• Sociological perspectives on mental health

Academic Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Hakak, Y. (under review) Wasn’t Shot on the Sabbath: The Haredi Community through the Camera’s Lenses, Media Frameworks (Hebrew). 
• Hakak, Y. (under review). The Dead Body as the Soul’s Victory: Ideal Male Bodies in Haredi Yeshiva Education, Men and Masculinities
• Hakak, Y.and Rapoport, T. (2012). Equality or Excellence? The Case of Ultra Orthodox Enclave Education in Israel, the Journal of Religion, Vol. 92(2): 251-276.
• Hakak, Y. (2011). Egalitarian Fundamentalism, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol 26(2): 289-308. 
• Hakak, Y. (2011) Psychology and Democracy in the Name of the God? The Invocation of Modern and Secular Discourses on Parenting in the Service of Conservative Religious Aims, Mental Health, Culture and Religion, Vol 14(5): 433-458.
• Hakak, Y. (2009). Youthful Bodies Rebel: Young Men in Current Israeli Haredi Yeshivas, Young, 17 (3): 221-240. 
• Hakak, Y. (2009) Holy Amnesia: Remembering Religious Sages as Super Human or Simply Human, Contemporary Jewry, 29 (2): 215-240.
• Hakak, Y. (2009) Who Shapes Haredi Bodies: Religious Discourse or Secular Men? Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spiritualities, Vol. 3(2) 100-122. This article was also reprinted inside: Gelfer, Joseph (2010) The Best of Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spirituality, New Jersey: Gorgias Press.
• Hakak, Y. (2009) Who is a Hero? 'The One Who Subdues His Inclinations' Meets a Secular Israeli Body, Israeli Sociology, 11(1): 159-190 (Hebrew).
• Hakak, Y. (2008) Blessed be the Sage’s Memory? Haredi Reflections and Challenges to the Portrayal of Torah Sages from Past Generations, Israeli Sociology, 9(2): 387-412. 

Books

• Hakak, Y (2012) The Scholars’ Enclave in Unrest: Young Men in Israeli Haredi Yeshiva Education, Brill (180 pages, English)
• Hakak, Y., Kacen, L.and Krumer-Nevo, M. (Eds.) (2010) The Limits of Quantification Critical Perspectives on Measuring and Grading People, their Behaviours and Achievements, Beer-Sheva: Ben Gurion University of the Negev Press (313 pages, Hebrew).
• Hakak, Y. (2006) Men in Black: A Journey to the Wellsprings of Israeli Politics: Haredi Men in the Likud. Jerusalem: The Israeli Institute for Democracy, (130 pages, Hebrew).
• Hakak, Y. (2006) The Haredi Body Returns from Exile: Moving between the Yeshiva, Army, Work and Politics, A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Jerusalem: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Monographs

• Hakak, Y. (2005) Spirituality and Worldliness in Lithuanian Yeshivas. Jerusalem: The Floersheimer Institute for Policy Studies (115pp, Hebrew).
• Hakak, Y. (2004) Vocational Training for Ultra Orthodox Men. Jerusalem: The Floersheimer Institute for Policy Studies (140pp, Hebrew).
• Hakak, Y. (2003) Yeshiva Learning and Military Training: An Encounter between Two Cultural Models. Jerusalem: The Floersheimer Institute for Policy Studies (94pp, Hebrew).

Book Chapters

• Hakak, Y., Kacen, L. & Krumenr-Nevo, M. (2010) Quantifying, Measuring and Grading as Social Phenomenon in Israel, in: Y. Hakak, L. Kacen and M. Krumer-Nevo (Eds) The Limits of Quantification: Critical Perspectives on Measuring and Grading of People, their Behaviours and Achievements, (pp: 9-16), Beer-Sheva: Ben Gurion University of the Negev Press.
• Hakak, Y. (2010) Excellence or Mediocrity: the Fear and the Need of Measuring and Grading Achievements in the Haredi World of Torah, in: Y. Hakak, L. Kacen and M. Krumer-Nevo (Eds) The Limits of Quantification: Critical Perspectives on Measuring and Grading of People, their Behaviours and Achievements, (pp: 277-301), Beer-Sheva: Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
• Hakak, Y. (2005) “From the Army of G-d to the Israeli Armed Forces: An Interaction Between Two Cultural Models,” Gender, Religion and Change in the Middle East: Two Hundred Years of History. Eds.: Inger Marie Okkenhaug and Ingvild Flaskrud, (pp 29-45), Oxford: Berg Publishing.

Policy Papers

• Meler E., Cohen, B. and Hakak, Y. (2005) Developing Employment in the Haredi Sector, The Administration for the Development of Employment, Joint, Israel 

Visual Anthropology/Documentary Films

• Hakak, Yohai (2012) Life at the Other End: A documentary film about a community theatre project involving service users and students, University of Portsmouth
• Hakak, Yohai (2012) Trick or Treat: a documentary film following the preparations for a Halloween Street Carnival in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, 30 Min, University of Portsmouth 
• Ofer, Ron & Hakak, Yohai (2011) God be Forbid: The Ultra Orthodox Society in Israel (this is a 90 min edited version of the series).
• Ofer, Ron & Hakak, Yohai (2009) Ha’haredim: a mini-documentary series (3 episodes, 50 minutes each) on the Israeli Jewish Ultra Orthodox community, commissioned by the Israeli Channel 2.

Screenings of Films

• Religia TV (Polish TV): God Forbid (Niech Bóg broni), 29 Jan 2012
• SF1 (Swiss TV) Gott bewahre!, 26 Feb 2012
• Arte, Germany/France: screening of God Forbid (Gott bewahre!) 17 July 2011. The film was nominated for the Grimme Prize, the most esteemed German TV prize
• Second International Visual Methods Conference, The Open University, 13th -15th September 2011
• Gevald: Royal Anthropological International Film Festival, 26 June 2011
• Channel 2, Israel, National Broadcast (all three episodes were screened, Sept 2010
• New York Jewish Film Festival, 2010
• Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, 2009
• Limmud UK, 30.12.09
• Forum on Religion, London School of Economics, 3 Dec 2009
• Religion Today Festival, Trento, Italy 2009
• Rutgers New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, 2009
• Jewish Eye, Askelon 2009
• Brazil Religion Film Festival, 2009

More details can be found here.