12 minute read
WHO’S AFRAID OF A LITTLE AMBITION?
By Yael Simon
Recently, I was raising money online for a match funding campaign. Many of my friends responded, but memorably, two women told me afterwards that the donation was from ‘their money’. Curiously, it occurred to me that there was no need for them to make this assertion and yet, I felt it was a deliberate and modest claim hinting at some independent financial choices they had made. It reminded me of a friend working in Fintech, Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, who often quotes her Persian grandmother as having taught her that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own’.
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Breaking the taboo around women’s financial ambition is not unique to the orthodox community. In an era where gender equality is frequently debated, there is one area that is decidedly less developed, particularly in the orthodox world: women’s financial health and wellbeing. In the larger picture, money management, financial ambitions and investing remain a silent subject. Roxana notes that according to a report by Merrill Lynch Bank of America, 61% of women would rather talk about their own death than about money. For many people, women especially, money is filled with emotional meaning as a pathway to protect our family and our children, to provide them with a future. Having money symbolises opportunity, security, status, acceptance and power and its absence can mean the opposite.
There is a lot to be celebrated when orthodox women have a sense of self-sufficiency. Rickie Burman reflects on this changing landscape and the effects migration has had on the woman’s role and her involvement in economic activities over the historical period of 1875-1930, when Jews fled Eastern Europe for England to escape the effects of the Tsarist oppression. The historical predominance of women as breadwinners was an accepted social construct underpinning the life of the shtetl at the turn of the century, where men went to learn, while the women were economically active as midwives, seamstresses, shopkeepers, and saleswomen. By contrast, Burman notes that most orthodox women who settled in Manchester during this period did not work after marriage, as this became the accepted norm. Despite this, there is evidence that a minority of orthodox women developed careers in the market trade, which held important advantages for women including flexibility, self-assurance, and self-sufficiency. In both contexts, Burman concludes that the identity of a community and the woman’s role within it is shaped in part by the response to the society in which it is located. Enter the story of Haredi women in the Israeli workforce. Often considered the breadwinners in their households, Haredi women have typically funded and supported their husbands in their pursuit of lifelong learning, particularly following the Holocaust, to sustain cultural longevity. As a result of this responsibility shift, by the 1990s, two-thirds of Haredi women were employed. In July 2010, the Israeli government set employment targets for the subsequent decade for the population in general and Haredim in particular. The cumulative rise in Haredi employment has been credited largely to Haredi women. Between 2010 and 2019, the employment rate of Haredi women grew to 78%, a 21% increase.
All over Israel, orthodox women are now reaping the benefits of shared workspaces and training centres dedicated exclusively to them. Temech, for example, is a workplace hub exclusively for women, and aims to provide the financial, socioeconomic, and professional tools needed to enable them to raise their employability and professional levels. In the US, there are several non-profit organisations, including The Jewish Women’s Entrepreneur (JWE), helping women launch and grow successful businesses by providing local collaborative support networks, business education and mentorship. They promote business longevity, self-fulfilment, financial independence for women and their families, and job creation to encourage economic development in the Jewish community.
The winds of change are upon us. When I first moved to London from Bristol 20 years ago, I went to work to help support my large family. (continued page 7)
PRODUCER CHAYA BAUMGARTEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ZAHAVA MIMRAN
EDITING AND PROOFREADING VANESSA AARON
DESIGN CHAVA LEAH ROSHA, CHANA LEAH ENGLARD, ESTHER JAROSLAWICZ, RIVKIE BAUM, SHANI WARSHAWSKY
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We are taught early on that marriage is a partnership and within that structure, everyone takes responsibility for the family according to their strengths. I could have chosen not to work, but the inevitability of poverty was not appealing. The female friends I made in the London orthodox community either did not work at all or worked part time in education or secretarial work. Some were shocked by my full-time employment choice and questioned whether I had my priorities right. ‘Who will take care of the children?’ they asked. ‘Who will pay the bills and make sure that there is food for the children?’ I replied. I was both shaken by the assumption that I was not meant to work and feeling as if I was not doing my job properly in taking care of my family. I wondered if there was some perceived or real cultural fear of women having ambition or taking a leading financial role in their families or the community.
I realised these feelings were misplaced; ultimately, I found myself, my purpose and my work fulfilling, often including my children in various endeavours and campaigns I would run. There was a genuine thrill when I attended my first work conference and spotted a sheitel. My work ethic and views on work-life balance only strengthened from that point. Over the past two decades, I’ve discovered a passion for the causes I choose to champion and the work I do, furthering my higher education, contributing to the community with those skills and sharing all the successes with my family, friends, and young women I mentor. Over time, I found a global community of frum women who work in every industry imaginable with no excuses as to why they could not manage a career and a family – it is a choice and they made it work. Looking past physical borders, I identified a very talented community of frum female-founded start-ups ranging from crafts to hi-tech. I began networking with them, partly in solidarity to ‘find my people’ and partly because there was so much to learn. Needing to find like-minded women led me to help build some of the burgeoning female entrepreneurial events and networks in the UK, with no equivalent yet in my own community. Within time, I discovered more of my orthodox female friends have gone to work full time, obtained academic qualifications, built small businesses and consultancies, and sought their own careers out of necessity, or not. Does it really matter?
In short, what started as a genuine necessity fostered actual ambition, a word not often heard amongst women in the London orthodox community. The possibilities of what could be achieved and the impact in the world one could have become a tangible reality; it could enliven everything you do. At the same time, we need to recognise that not everyone needs or wants to tread this pathway. If you find yourself content and fulfilled, look no further. But if you know you need more, then pursue this because it could make you a better person, wife, and mother.
Over the pandemic, many of us launched what my mother used to call ‘cottage industries’ - small businesses from home. I found myself starting a little enterprise selling home-made babka and delivering it personally door to door, so that I could assuage the effects of lockdown. For me, it was a temporary and fulfilling measure, which did not have a long-term plan. Suddenly, there were so many of these small home businesses starting up – women making artisanal chocolate, sourdough bread, small catering businesses, luxury gifts and more. Whether they were born out of need, leisure or personal career growth makes no difference, there are now more than 100 women running such enterprises with promotions and publicity on social media everywhere.
Following on from successful efforts to celebrate Jewish women in business, fashion and art, we should embrace this opportunity for orthodox women in London to catch up with our sister communities around the world in fostering real support, growth, and skills to work and build their own businesses. Financial well-being for women is real and we need information, guidance, and infrastructure to support us. We should welcome women’s interests, their creativity, and their ambition and create a hub where this can flourish and grow professionally. There is a need for real discourse in this community about balancing work and family because it is clear there are costs when choices are made.
New York, Israel….and finally, London. Now is our time to build and strengthen this new community of orthodox female entrepreneurs and career women and give them every opportunity to succeed. What the Valour brand have launched is the doorway to the next evolution of our development. Our community has only dreamt and spoken of such opportunities, but the action is the main thing. There are several networking outlets in London for orthodox women who work, women who are looking to train and re-enter the workforce and self-help groups; they all set the foundation for the inevitable emergence of the ‘start-up’ orthodox women who are now on the scene. I’m excited to be working with them to meet the professional needs of these enterprising women and expanding the currency and worth of the Valour name. Watch this space.
Yael Simon is a Strategist & Funding Specialist. Serving as a trusted advisor to HNW families, Yael has over 20 years’ strategic funding experience in the corporate and non-profit sector. Yael has dedicated most of her career to research and field development of economic expansion in key regions through Europe, the Middle East and medical healthcare. Yael is a leader, an entrepreneur and a strategist. She is also a writer and public speaker, having appeared at many conferences and events all over the world. She is the founder of Fintel Security, a strategic SaaS solution for companies looking for a financial intelligence approach to mitigate the risks of money laundering, terror financing and sanctions to their corporate reputation and financial success. She is currently establishing global partnerships at the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation to find a cure for a rare blood cancer, and mentors young entrepreneurial women in the community. You can check her out on Instagram @thenonaknows.
Dear Readers, Chanuka is a time associated with light. From darkened windows contrasted with the flickering glow of the flames of the menorah, to warm (and often oily) dishes to counter the cold outside and cosy Chanuka parties.
A fire is incredibly transformational. It turns darkness to light, cold to warmth, and raw ingredients to food. At this time of the year, when we are commanded to light candles, we are tasked with using our fire, the incredible power inside of ourselves, to bring more light into the world and transform it. On Chanuka we light candles, yet we also want to light up each other. Each of us is a unique individual and we each have our own light that we can share with others, generating greater clarity in the world. Interestingly, when we use a flame to light another, not only does the flame not become smaller when giving of itself, but rather, the light becomes bigger. When we give of ourselves to others, not only do we not become depleted, but we become stronger and brighter. This magazine is a place where Jewish women of all walks of life can share their talents, skills, and wisdom in a modest way with other women, and where we can champion each other with our power. As Jewish women, we are talented and inspirational and have so much to offer to the world. When we dress and act with modesty, our inner light only becomes stronger and more apparent. Our modesty is a tool and although it may at times be challenging, it can only enhance our inner beauty. Now that we are finally back into full wedding season, we’ve added a wedding feature to this edition, including dresses, flowers, and a beautiful photoshoot. Weddings are a time of renewal as two souls join together in their life journey. We hope you enjoy this winter edition, and we wish you a warm, light-filled winter!
the Victoria, House of Lancry
Derhy QUARTZ - Jumper dress, £69.99, Zalando
COACH bag, £195, The Outnet
Faux fur belt, £49.00, Guess
White can be worn all year round. Pair an outfit with a white sweater, or layer a dress with a white coat. Mix and match white hues and let’s brighten up the winter together.
Editor’s Picks Winter Whites
Pleated midi skirt £49.99, Mango
Coat, £199, Guess, Sweater, £29.99; Skirt, £29.99, both Zara
Photography by Faige Tiefenbrun Makeup by Daniella Brownson
Long Puffer Coat, £59.99, New Look Wednesday’s Girl Off White Gina Tricot, Jumper dress, £43.99, Zalando
VALOUR inspiration
