Intersectionality in Professional Identity of Jewish Female Ultra-Orthodox Occupational Therapists

In recent years, academic institutions have adopted a governmental policy of encouraging Orthodox Jewish women to enroll in higher education programs and enter the workforce. This study explored the complexity of developing a professional identity for female Orthodox Jewish occupational therapists as it intersects with their other identities representing the social groups to which they belong. The intersection between their multiple identities – religion, gender, and occupational identities, especially in the context of a mixed gender secular workforce – creates unique dilemmas that challenge the process of developing a professional identity as a therapist. This study thus contributes to the literature on the socialization of therapists, gender studies in general, and intersectionality of women in particular, and to organizational research. It sheds light on the challenges faced by the pioneering Orthodox Jewish women who are entering workforce and by so doing constitute agents of change in ultra-Orthodox Jewish society.