Some Turkish Jewish women have been serving the elderly staying in the geriatric unit of the Jewish Or-Ahayim Hospital in Istanbul. Their group is recognized as ‘the Pink Angels.’ The volunteer women at the Jewish hospital founded a group in 1974, and Nuket Antebi named this group ‘the Pink Angels.’ Today this group of women is divided into three subgroups: (1) those who offer chat and art therapies, after having been trained, (2) those who distribute foods and beverages, deal with donations, are involved in the preparation process of jam jars, and offer memorial services, and (3) those who assume both duties. The Pink Angels who serve as therapists contribute to the attainment of world peace locally in Istanbul by chatting and reading various texts belonging to various world cultures in the chat therapies and making the patients create works of art and sing songs related to different cultural occasions in the art therapies by promoting global moral values. Sometimes they promote the moral values of other religious and cultural groups by celebrating different feasts and narrating stories belonging to these diverse groups by underscoring the concept unity in diversity and imposing upon the patients that they constitute a family in the hospital.
Moreover, not only the foods and beverages the Pink Angels distribute, but also the jam jars and gift baskets they prepare carry Turkish Jewish symbols. This thesis based on fieldwork tests the hypotheses that the Pink Angels employ positive symbols in the therapies and activities they conduct, avoid talking about negative issues, such as sadness and death, not only the therapies, but also all the other activities that the Pink Angels conduct evoke happiness and joy in the patients as long as the Turkish Jewish culture is reproduced, since the patients feel as if they were at home, and several intercultural peace building techniques are employed in the therapies together with symbols and metaphorical imagery emphasizing the importance of peace between different religious and ethnic groups by mentioning the commonalities between them, and the rules obeyed by the Pink Angels provide the patients with comfort, since they conceive that they are in a serious and secure place.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1. 1. Research Questions and Hypotheses
1. 2. Methodology
1. 3. Literature Review
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
2. 1. Foundations of Symbolic Interactionism
2. 2. Objects as Products of Symbolic Interaction
2. 3. Culture and Symbolic Interactionism
2. 4. Sample Studies on Health Issues, Care-Giving, and Symbolic Interactionism and the Pink Angels
3. PAST AND PRESENT OF THE TURKISH JEWS
3. 1. Jews in Anatolia
3. 2. Jews during the Reign of the Seljuks and the Ottoman Empire
3. 3. Contemporary Turkish Jews
3. 4. Institutions of Today’s Turkish Jewish Community
3. 5. Judeo-Spanish as a Language Spoken by the Majority of the Elderly Turkish Jews
4. OR-AHAYIM HOSPITAL AND THE PINK ANGELS
4. 1. History of Or-Ahayim Hospital
4. 2. Philanthropic Activities of the Pink Angels
4. 3. History of the Pink Angels
4. 4. Becoming a Pink Angel and the Training of the Pink Angels
4. 5. Organization of the Pink Angels
4. 6. Dress Codes of the Pink Angels
5. VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THE PINK ANGELS
5. 1. Spaces through Which the Pink Angels Pass in the Hospital
5. 1. 1. Room Reserved Only for the Pink Angels
5. 1. 2. Geriatric Unit and Therapy Room
5. 1. 3. Hospital Rooms
5. 1. 4. ‘Mevlit’ (Memorial Service) Hall and Its Kitchen
5. 2. Foods and Culture
5. 2. 1. Daily Diets and Symbolism in the Festive Foods
5. 2. 2. Symbolic Food Distribution
5. 2. 3. Mevlit (Memorial Service)
5. 2. 4. Shabbat as the Sacred End of the Week
5. 3. Therapies Provided by the Pink Angels
5. 3. 1. Chat Therapies
5. 3. 1. 1. Physical Exercises at the Beginning of Each Chat Therapy
5. 3. 1. 2. Chats on Dreams
5. 3. 1. 3. Chats on Human Relations
5. 3. 1. 4. Chats on Climate and Society
5. 3. 1. 5. Chats on Hope
5. 3. 1. 6. Chats on Love
5. 3. 1. 7. Chats on Health
5. 3. 1. 8. Chats on Altruism
5. 3. 1. 9. Chats on Fashion
5. 3. 1. 10. Chats on Justice
5. 3. 1. 11. Chats on Miracles
5. 3. 1. 12. Chats on Religion: Parshas on Saturdays
5. 3. 1. 13. Chats on Peace
5. 3. 1. 14. Language Use in the Therapies
5. 3. 1. 15. Finalizing the Chat Therapies
5. 4. Art Therapies
6. CONCLUSION
Research Goals and Thematic Focus
This thesis examines how the volunteer group of Turkish Jewish women, known as the "Pink Angels," at the Or-Ahayim Hospital in Istanbul contributes to the cultural and emotional well-being of elderly patients through the reproduction of Turkish Jewish culture and the application of symbolic interactionism.
- Analysis of the Pink Angels as an organized philanthropic volunteer group.
- Application of Symbolic Interactionism to interpret symbols, food rituals, and therapy sessions.
- The role of "chat therapies" and "art therapies" in fostering positive thinking among the elderly.
- Exploration of transcultural identities and how they are reflected in daily hospital activities.
- Documentation of historical and cultural context of the Turkish Jewish community.
Excerpt from the Book
5. 1. 1. Room Reserved Only for the Pink Angels
In the hospital, a small room belongs to all the Pink Angels; a physical object (for Blumer (1969)), a small cherub with an arrow hung on the wall next to the door of this room alludes to the preparation process of the Pink Angels for taking part in several angelic activities within the hospital. An angel underlines the spiritual positive qualities, which are abstract objects as qualities that a good human being must have, such as patience, kindness, compassion, and empathy, if we think about the theory of symbolic interactionism of Blumer (1969). The phrase “Pembe Melek Odası” (Pink Angels’ Room) was written in fuchsia above this angel with two wings and a halo on the top of her head; this angel has a long white dress with long sleeves and is praying with joint hands just like a Catholic Christian; it symbolizes goodness, love, kindness, and generosity. The Pink Angels respect different religious groups, while serving their members. This angel represents their benevolence and kindness towards all the human beings. It also implies the universality of the appreciation of goodness as an angelic behavior.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the scope of the study, the research questions concerning the Pink Angels, and the methodology used, primarily focusing on Symbolic Interactionism.
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM: Details the foundational theories of Symbolic Interactionism and how they apply to the analysis of human groups and objects.
3. PAST AND PRESENT OF THE TURKISH JEWS: Provides a comprehensive historical overview of the Jewish presence in Anatolia and the evolution of the Turkish Jewish community.
4. OR-AHAYIM HOSPITAL AND THE PINK ANGELS: Explores the history of the Or-Ahayim Hospital, the philanthropic nature of the Pink Angels, and their organizational structure.
5. VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THE PINK ANGELS: Analyzes the specific activities, including therapy spaces, food distribution, chat sessions, and art therapy, within the framework of symbolic meaning.
6. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the findings, confirming that the activities of the Pink Angels successfully reproduce Turkish Jewish culture and promote emotional well-being among the patients.
Keywords
Pink Angels, Or-Ahayim Hospital, Symbolic Interactionism, Turkish Jewish Culture, Cultural Reproduction, Volunteerism, Philanthropy, Geriatric Care, Chat Therapies, Art Therapies, Sephardim, Ladino, Elderly Health, Social Roles, Identity Formation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This thesis explores the volunteer work of the "Pink Angels" at the Or-Ahayim Hospital, focusing on how their therapies and activities contribute to the cultural reproduction and emotional support of elderly patients.
What theoretical framework does the author apply?
The author applies Herbert Blumer's theory of Symbolic Interactionism to analyze the social roles, symbolic meanings of objects, and the interaction between the volunteers and the patients.
Who are the "Pink Angels"?
The Pink Angels are a group of volunteer Turkish Jewish women who serve patients at the geriatric unit of Or-Ahayim Hospital in Istanbul through various therapeutic and support activities.
What methods were used for data collection?
The study relies on participant observation in the hospital during field work and semi-structured interviews with Pink Angels, hospital staff, and patients.
How is the hospital environment analyzed?
The author views the hospital not just as a medical facility, but as a space where symbols, food, music, and decorations interact to create a sense of home and familiarity for the elderly patients.
What role does food play in the Pink Angels' activities?
Food is treated as a physical object imbued with symbolic significance, representing cultural heritage, festive meanings, and a means to foster positive thinking and social connection.
How does the group maintain its organizational structure?
The Pink Angels have a structured system with elected heads and sub-groups, operating based on defined rules and specialized daily activities that support the hospital's operations.
Does the study address the historical background of Turkish Jews?
Yes, Chapter 3 is dedicated to the history of the Turkish Jewish community, covering their presence in Anatolia from the Byzantine era to the Republic of Turkey.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Derya Agis (Autor:in), 2012, Pink Angels: Cultural reproduction through the therapies provided by a Jewish women's organization in Or-Ahayim Hospital in Istanbul, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/206390
