Tehiya Dayan (left) and Lior Halavi (second from left) accept awards for their aerospace project.
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Photo credit: Israel Hayom.com
Anytime I hear about ultra orthodox Jewish women who expand beyond the boundaries of societal expectations I get excited. I read with interest a recent article from Ynet news that talked about Tehiya Dayan and Lior Halavi, two ultra orthodox graduates from the Lustig Institute (or Machon Lustig) in Ramat Gan. The Lustig Insititute provides technological training to haredi women, many of whom will be married to men learning in kollel full time. As the sole financial providers for their families, they will be able to maintain a more secure and comfortable lifestyle through their higher education.
The American Embassy in Israel met with Dayan and Halavi because of an advanced chip they developed for the American defense industry. As part of the two students’ work with the Verisense company, they were required to develop a code that would simulate the activity of the chip, which would eventually be installed in a space vehicle, and ensure that it properly communicates with its surroundings.
In the article Lior Halavi explains, “All I can say is that it’s for a defense industry. We didn’t know much about what it was supposed to do either, as we naturally received very specific and focused data. It’s a very expensive development. Producing the chip and then discovering that it has problems would cause serious damage. Our development saved a lot of money.”
The American Embassy has a strong interest in getting more haredi women involved in high-tech fields. They plan to work with the Lustig Institute to assist students through mentoring and training.
Tehiya Dayan briefly touches on the controversial nature of haredi women working in secular professions that are largely dominated by men:
“Dayan, who is married and has a child, lives in the northern haredi community of Rechasim. The long way she made from the local Beit Yaakov high-school to the defense industry is a very unusual sight in the local landscape.
“I really don’t understand what the fuss is all about,” she says modestly. “I am very happy with what we did. I also received many warm regards from residents who are very proud of us. Naturally, there are also those who are not.
“There is now a very strong trend of haredi girls integrating into high-tech. Personally, I am rather exceptional because I went to study it academically, and in Lustig of all places, which is considered modern compared to the background I come from. And yet, it is definitely unacceptable working in a clear secular or security-related environment.”
If ultra orthodox women are going to be placed into the roles of bread winners, than they need to have the education and job experience necessary to support large families. Machon Lustig has an educational environment that will enhance and collaborate with the principles of their ultra-orthodox upbringing. I commend the staff, graduates, and current students of Machon Lustig and wish them every success in the future. I hope in the near future similar programs sprout up to offer haredi women even more lucrative career choices in environments that cater to their comfort.
