THE IMPORTANCE OF TRADITIONAL HEALING FOR ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS IN ISRAEL

Traditional healing, with its holistic approach to illness and other human problems, was the most important source of medical treatment in the rural areas of Ethiopia where the Jews lived. Ethiopian Jews integration process into Israeli society has been accompanied by acculturation problems, which are also reflected in the immigrants varied health problems. Socialized Israeli medicine is widely used and is considered effective to deal with the physical aspects of most illness situations. In some cases, Ethiopian immigrants seek the help of their own traditional healers, who can relate to illnesses' natural, social and supernatural elements and thus discover culturally significant causes of illness and recommend appropriate treatment. Traditional healing fulfills an important role for Ethiopian immigrants, thus contributing to their well-being in Israel.