Children’s Wellbeing in Immigrant Families

Dr. Naomi Anne Shmuel is a British\Israeli author and anthropologist, and winner of the  Israel Prime Minister’s Prize for Hebrew Literary Works  in 2012 (also known as the Levi Eshkol Literary Award). She specializes in families in transition, and in training professionals (teachers, social workers, psychologists, medical professionals etc.) for working with human diversity. Her research focusses on the process of continuance and change across generations amongst Ethiopian immigrant families in Israel. Her books, which she began to write for her own children (whose father came to Israel from Ethiopia), were the first children’s books in Hebrew to feature children of colour. Many of these have won prizes, one has been converted into a children’s community park, one into a play and nine into animated films. They are widely used throughout Israel in schools and pre-school programmes to foster intercultural understanding and tolerance. Naomi uses her children’s booksto initiate discussions on sensitive topics (such as immigration, refugees, identity and belonging) in her academic courses and professional workshops. She is affiliated to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,  and lives in the Western Galilee.

• Children’s wellbeing in Ethiopia.- Learning culture and identity in Ethiopia.- Children’s wellbeing and immigration.- The journey from Ethiopia to Israel.- Language and wellbeing in the family.- Perceptions of children according to their birthplace.- Cultural flexibility and children’s wellbeing.- Schooling and children’s wellbeing.- Gender perceptions and roles following immigration.- Family connection and wellbeing.- Identity and visibility affecting wellbeing.- The second generation visit Ethiopia.- Children’s wellbeing in immigrant families.