Department of Social Work

Phone08-6472328
Email[email protected]
Websitehttps://in.bgu.ac.il/en/humsos/social/Pages/about.aspx

Organization profile

The Charlotte B. and Jack J. Spitzer Department of Social Work at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was established in 1982 to meet the social welfare needs of the population in the Negev - a colorful mosaic of Jews and Bedouin Arabs; Israeli born natives and new immigrants from over 70 countries.

The department introduces students to the dynamic and challenging profession of social work. Our graduates are currently staffing social services around Israel and are involved in improving the social services provided in the region. Our graduate program provides advanced training for the professional leadership of the Negev and beyond; and our
Ph.D. students work with us on cutting edge research in the theory and practice of social service delivery.

The Charlotte B. and Jack J. Spitzer Department of Social Work is named after the Spitzer Family from Seattle WA, without whose help and support in its formative years, the department would probably not have survived. Today, our department has become one of the most sought-after academic programs in this field in Israel

Fareeda Abo-Rass
- fareedabgu.acil
- Department of Social Work - Senior Lecturer
Person: Academic
20202026
Netta Ahdut Bar Sade
- nettaachbgu.acil
- Department of Social Work - Associate Professor
Person: Academic
20072026
Alean Al-Krenawi
- aleanbgu.acil
- Department of Social Work - Full Professor
Person: Academic
19942026

A dialogical talk about power and partnership in participatory action research in social work
Shimei, N. & Suliman, B., 1 Jan 2026, In: Qualitative Social Work. 25, 1, p. 12-21 10 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
A new heterotopia: Reconfiguring presence and absence between life and death in an era of liquid modernity
Mahat-Shamir, M., Pitcho, S., Oreg, A. & Leichtentritt, R. D., 1 Jan 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Death Studies.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
Art Therapy within Traditional Arab Culture
Hamed, S., Massarwi, A. A. & Huss, E., 1 Jan 2026, The Wiley Handbook of Art Therapy. wiley, p. 858-866 9 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Barriers and Challenges to Post-Secondary Education Among Social Service-Using Young Women
Schuman Harel, N. (Author), Refaeli, T. (Supervisor), 2026
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
Examining a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Protocol Aimed at Rehabilitating Executive Functions Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Daniel, M. (Author), Cwikel Bar Gil, J. (Supervisor) & Edelstein, O. E. (Supervisor), 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
Using Art Therapy Among Men from Arab Society Involved in General Violent Crimes who Participate in Group Therapy in Adult Probation Service in Israel
Hamed, S. (Author), Huss, E. (Supervisor) & Massarwa, A. (Supervisor), 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Report New Data on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Mental Distress and Depression Among Israeli Young Adults In the Aftermath of October 7th: the Role of Resilience and Coping)
Shapira, S. & Refaeli, T.
5/02/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Detail New Studies and Findings in the Area of Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Mental Health and Well-being Among Ukrainian Female University Students: the Impact of War Over 3 Years)
Isralowitz, R. & Reznik, A.
8/01/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
Findings in the Area of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Reported from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Post-traumatic stress among adolescents following the October 7th attack in Israel: implications for mental health policy and planning)
Aharonson-Daniel, L. & Refaeli, T.
24/12/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media

AI for Social Welfare Research Lab
Schwartz-Tayri, T. M. (PI)
Department of Social Work
Equipment/facility: lab
COVANA
Cwikel Bar Gil, J. (PI)
Department of Social Work
Equipment/facility: lab

Coping, meaning in life, and quality of life during ongoing conflict: insights from Israeli populations
Sarid, O. (Creator), Hamama, L. (Creator) & Hamama-Raz, Y. (Creator), figshare, 2025
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7617581.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Coping_meaning_in_life_and_quality_of_life_during_ongoing_conflict_insights_from_Israeli_populations/7617581/1
Dataset
Policy Practice Questionnaire
Burzlaff, M. (Creator), Kindler, T. (Creator) & Schwartz-Tayri, T. M. (Creator), ZENODO, 2022
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6833764, https://zenodo.org/record/6833764
Dataset
Policy Practice Questionnaire
Burzlaff, M. (Creator), Kindler, T. (Creator) & Schwartz-Tayri, T. M. (Creator), ZENODO, 2022
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6344614, https://zenodo.org/record/6344614
Dataset

10 Active
18 Finished

Voice Biomarkers in Mental Health: Can AI Detect When Depression and Anxiety Are Faked?
Cwikel Bar Gil, J. (PI) & Vilenchik, D. (CoPI)
Israel Science Foundation
1/01/25 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
Psychosocial bereavement processes in men whose mothers were murdered by their fathers
Pitcho, S. (PI)
Israel Science Foundation
1/01/25 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
‘Caring for Others’ as a Coping Mechanism to Attain Meaning: Insights from Holocaust Survivors in Education and Medicine
Sarid, O. (PI), Shimony, T. T. T. T. (CoPI) & Shvarts, S. (CoPI)
Israel Science Foundation
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: Research

Department of Social Work

Organization profile

Organization profile

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Dive into details

Fareeda Abo-Rass

Netta Ahdut Bar Sade

Alean Al-Krenawi

A dialogical talk about power and partnership in participatory action research in social work

A new heterotopia: Reconfiguring presence and absence between life and death in an era of liquid modernity

Art Therapy within Traditional Arab Culture

Barriers and Challenges to Post-Secondary Education Among Social Service-Using Young Women

Examining a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Protocol Aimed at Rehabilitating Executive Functions Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Using Art Therapy Among Men from Arab Society Involved in General Violent Crimes who Participate in Group Therapy in Adult Probation Service in Israel

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Report New Data on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Mental Distress and Depression Among Israeli Young Adults In the Aftermath of October 7th: the Role of Resilience and Coping)

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Detail New Studies and Findings in the Area of Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Mental Health and Well-being Among Ukrainian Female University Students: the Impact of War Over 3 Years)

Findings in the Area of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Reported from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Post-traumatic stress among adolescents following the October 7th attack in Israel: implications for mental health policy and planning)

AI for Social Welfare Research Lab

COVANA

Coping, meaning in life, and quality of life during ongoing conflict: insights from Israeli populations

Policy Practice Questionnaire

Policy Practice Questionnaire

Voice Biomarkers in Mental Health: Can AI Detect When Depression and Anxiety Are Faked?

Psychosocial bereavement processes in men whose mothers were murdered by their fathers

‘Caring for Others’ as a Coping Mechanism to Attain Meaning: Insights from Holocaust Survivors in Education and Medicine

Department of Social Work

Organization profile

Organization profile

Fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Profiles

Research output

Student theses

Press/Media

Equipment

Datasets

Projects