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​​The Department of Psychology
​​The Department of Psychology

In Memoriam

Prof. Emda Orr

Prof. Emda Orr (1933-2011) was a faculty member in the department of behavioral sciences as well as the department of education.

She published many papers on identity representations of several minority groups in Israel, including change effects on the kibbutz historical representations; trans-generation value transmission within the Zionist religious community in the settlements and within the “Green Lines"; being a Palestinian and an Israeli citizen simultaneously; and adolescent immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.

Selected publications:

  • E Orr, A Mana, Y Mana, 2003. Immigrant identity of Israeli adolescents from Ethiopia and the former USSR: culture-specific principles of organization. European Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 71-92. 
  • S Sagy, E Orr, D Bar-On, E Awwad, 2001. Individualism and collectivism in two conflicted societies: Comparing Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab high school students. Youth & Society, 33, 3-30.
  • A Mana, E Orr, Y Mana, 2009. An integrated acculturation model of immigrants' social identity. The Journal of social psychology, 149(4), 450-473.
  • E Orr, S Sagi, D Bar-On, 2000. Social Representations in Use: Israeli and Palestinian High School Students' Collective Coping and Defense. Papers on Social Representations, 9.
  • B Paryente, E Orr, 2010. Identity representations and intergenerational transmission of values: the case of a religious minority in Israel. Papers on Social representations, 19(2).

 

Education:

  • Teaching Certificate, Oranim Teachers College, 1952-1953 
  • B.A, Hebrew University, 1968-1971, Psychology & Education
  • M.A, Hebrew University, 1971-1977, Advisor: A. Weiss. "The Bender Gestalt Test as an Indicator of Piagean Cognitive Development of Space Concepts."
  • Ph.D., Hebrew University, 1978-1983, Advisor: Z. Klein & A. Antonovsky, "Life with Cancer: Patterns of Behavior and Affective Reactions During the First Year After Mastectomy".

Prof. Marianne Amir

Our dearest friend and colleague Prof. Marianne Amir has died of cancer 07.01.04

Professor Marianne Amir, staff member of Ben-Gurion University’s Behavioral Science and Social Work Departments, was born only fifty-three years ago in Denmark and died of cancer on January 7, 2004. Professor Amir left behind a husband, two sons, numerous friends, students, colleagues and admirers. As a leading researcher (both in Israel and worldwide) in the fields of trauma, posttraumatic disorder and quality of life, Marianne served as a member of the World Health Organization.

Professor Amir contributed in a unique way to understanding the connection between trauma, psychological symptoms of distress, post-traumatic growth and quality of life among diverse population groups such as Holocaust survivors, former army soldiers, cancer and fibromyalgia patients, disabled invalids, and casualties of violence.

As a researcher, Marianne won research grants from prestigious foundations. As a lecturer she was admired by her students for her knowledge, her humor and the importance she placed on advancing the next generation of researchers, as well as for using her own personal experiences as the basis for a study on how society responds to, and copes with, terminally ill individuals in their midst. Marianne documented her own coping process with the hope that this would be used by her fellow lecturers as a teaching

Education

  • The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
    • B.A. in Psychology and Education, 1974
    • M.A. in Psychology (with Distinction), 1979
    • Ph.D. in Psychology, 1986
      Thesis: "Considerations Guiding Physicians When Informing Cancer Patients". Advisor: Prof. Amia LieblichClinical
  • Psychologist, licensed by Israeli Ministry of Health, September, 1992.
  • Medical Psychologist (and supervisor), licensed by Israeli Ministry of Health, 2001.
  • 1998 - Senior lecturer at the Department of Social Work and the Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
  • 2000 - Tenure at Ben-Gurion University.
  • 2002 - Associate professor at Ben-Gurion University

Recent publications

  • Amir, M. and Ramati, A. (2002). Psychological distress, quality of life and posttraumatic symptoms among breast cancer survivors: A preliminary study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 370, 1-16.
  • Sharhabani-Arzy, R., Amir, M. and Ben-Ya’acov, Y (2002). Suicide risk, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and personality style among battered women in Israel. Family Violence and Sexual Assault Bulletin, 18, 15-22.
  • Lev-Wiesel, R and Amir, M. The effect of similarity versus dissimilarity of Spouses’ traumatic childhood events on psychological well-being and marital quality. Accepted for publication in Journal of Family Issues.
  • Vardy, D, Besser, A., Amir, M., Gesthalter, B., Biton, A. and Buskila, D. Quality of Life, experiences of stigmatization and social support among patients with psoriasis. Accepted for publication in British Journal of Dermatology.
  • Amir, M., Lewin-Epstein, N., Becker, G., and Buskila, D. Psychometric properties of the SF-12 (Hebrew version) in a primary care population in Israel. Accepted for publication in Medical Care.
  • Umansky, R., Amir, M., Chen, D., Nemetz, B., Friedman, M. and Zidon, E. Was it a good move? Improvement in quality of life among chronic mental patients moving from a hospital to a hostel. Accepted for publication in Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences.
  • Lev-Wiesel, R., Amir, M. and Ochion, L. Fear of rape among students in Israel. Accepted for publication in Chevra and Revacha (Hebrew).

Prof. Dan Bar-On

Dr. Dorit Padan-Eisenstark