HaNivcheret - Haredi women's leadership reserve

I discovered that hope is not lost, and that there is room for revolutionary change in Haredi society, as long as there are women like me who name the wrongs and the flaws and want to change them. Without being afraid.

The main change in me is trust in myself, and my ability, already now, to speak and to raise my eyes. To understand that people want to hear what I think, and above all: to know how to form an opinion of my own.

There is room for change within halakha, and wanting change does not make me a Reform Jew.

That everything is possible. That it takes patience and persistence to see results.

That the ability to make change is far more within reach than it looks from a distance.

The central insight is that we need women in politics, but getting there is complicated. And on the way there is a great deal of social work and other positions of influence, no less important.

That my voice is worth hearing. That I have a role, a duty and a mission to bring about change, and that I do not have the right to say "I don't know" and sit on the sidelines.

I discovered that hope is not lost, and that there is room for revolutionary change in Haredi society, as long as there are women like me who name the wrongs and the flaws and want to change them. Without being afraid.

The main change in me is trust in myself, and my ability, already now, to speak and to raise my eyes. To understand that people want to hear what I think, and above all: to know how to form an opinion of my own.

There is room for change within halakha, and wanting change does not make me a Reform Jew.

That everything is possible. That it takes patience and persistence to see results.

That the ability to make change is far more within reach than it looks from a distance.

The central insight is that we need women in politics, but getting there is complicated. And on the way there is a great deal of social work and other positions of influence, no less important.

That my voice is worth hearing. That I have a role, a duty and a mission to bring about change, and that I do not have the right to say "I don't know" and sit on the sidelines.

I never imagined I would meet such a breadth of knowledge, or a group of women who look "ordinary" and are each so different and remarkable. The programme made me understand that I am capable, and that my opinion matters.

I gained the courage to express my views without apologising. I encourage my colleagues to stand their ground on pay.

Most of what I took for granted may be nothing of the sort. Outlooks, prejudices and received wisdom were all broken open for me during the course. I learned that the world is not quite as black and white as I was raised to believe. I learned to stop, to think, and to re-examine things I once would not have dared to.

It sharpened my sense of how badly every Haredi woman is needed in social and public work, small or large, in making our voices heard and advancing our interests.

Leadership is not a role or a title but a choice to take responsibility and to have an effect. I understood that as a Haredi woman I can hold on to our values, our modesty and our identity, and at the same time speak up, lead processes and be part of the circles where decisions are made.

I gained the courage to make small changes I had been afraid of. I am working on being braver about sharing what I think, and on counting people and institutions less.

The programme put my thinking in order: professionally, and in my political and social views. The big change: not to label and not to judge any person, whoever they are.

I never imagined I would meet such a breadth of knowledge, or a group of women who look "ordinary" and are each so different and remarkable. The programme made me understand that I am capable, and that my opinion matters.

I gained the courage to express my views without apologising. I encourage my colleagues to stand their ground on pay.

Most of what I took for granted may be nothing of the sort. Outlooks, prejudices and received wisdom were all broken open for me during the course. I learned that the world is not quite as black and white as I was raised to believe. I learned to stop, to think, and to re-examine things I once would not have dared to.

It sharpened my sense of how badly every Haredi woman is needed in social and public work, small or large, in making our voices heard and advancing our interests.

Leadership is not a role or a title but a choice to take responsibility and to have an effect. I understood that as a Haredi woman I can hold on to our values, our modesty and our identity, and at the same time speak up, lead processes and be part of the circles where decisions are made.

I gained the courage to make small changes I had been afraid of. I am working on being braver about sharing what I think, and on counting people and institutions less.

The programme put my thinking in order: professionally, and in my political and social views. The big change: not to label and not to judge any person, whoever they are.

The first time I have been part of a circle of women, and it is extraordinary!

That you do not have to choose. Not between halakha and thinking, not between modesty and strength, not between inner quiet and an outward voice. HaNivcheret did not hand me "more tools". It held up a mirror, and I understood that I do not have to make myself smaller in order to fit in.

Self-confidence. Stating a position without needing to apologise for it. Pride in being a Haredi woman.

I used to think that if I had no solution to something, it was a waste of energy to talk about it at all. Here my thinking turned around: to stay alert to what is around me, not to look away from what is unfair even when there is no solution, and to speak about it.

Understanding who I am, what I want to advance, and what price I am willing to pay for it. I want to go into politics and make change.

Women have far more strength than they think, and every one of them has a point where she can make a difference. Personally, it strengthened how I identify as a Haredi woman.

The first time I have been part of a circle of women, and it is extraordinary!

That you do not have to choose. Not between halakha and thinking, not between modesty and strength, not between inner quiet and an outward voice. HaNivcheret did not hand me "more tools". It held up a mirror, and I understood that I do not have to make myself smaller in order to fit in.

Self-confidence. Stating a position without needing to apologise for it. Pride in being a Haredi woman.

I used to think that if I had no solution to something, it was a waste of energy to talk about it at all. Here my thinking turned around: to stay alert to what is around me, not to look away from what is unfair even when there is no solution, and to speak about it.

Understanding who I am, what I want to advance, and what price I am willing to pay for it. I want to go into politics and make change.

Women have far more strength than they think, and every one of them has a point where she can make a difference. Personally, it strengthened how I identify as a Haredi woman.