Celebrating Mizrachi Working Women

I don’t know where humanity would be without women. I don’t just mean giving birth to every one of us and nurturing us into independence.

Women spread so much care. Here I want to focus on Mizrachic working women. The ones I meet are often secretaries, police, receptionists. I see how hard they work. Their teamwork is without ego or competition. They are friendly, try to help, and reject perfectionism. They try to push forward everyone’s needs more or less simultaneously. And they’re proud of their work even if everyone only complains. And when you thank and bless them, they bless you back lavishly. Where would we be without them?

Surely, there are cold Mizrachi working women who don’t care and warm, loving, Ashkenazi working women. But the average Ashkenazi working woman is cold, so cold that I often think: Why does she hate me? And then I realize: It has nothing to do with me. They don’t even realize that they’re cold. They’re treated without love, and it shows. But then, I wrote already: Let’s also honor moody women. “You would cry too if it happened to you.” Let’s not blame the victim. Not being a people pleaser might be a bold step.

The editor of the Times of Israel blogs rejected these two paragraphs as their ‘sweeping generalizations’ border on racism [against Ashkenazi women]. She happens to be an Ashkenazic woman ….

A tree is known by its fruit. Only this tree has quite a variety of produce, so please don’t judge the trunk after one helping.
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