What’s a Woman Doing Here?
NOT HELD BACK The only time Avital felt held back as a woman was when she had to remain on maternity bed rest on doctor’s orders.
T
here have always been “female” professions: teaching nursing every type of therapy. But some women find their niche elsewhere. Five women — a boat skipper a mathematics professor a biomedical researcher a house painter and a mortgage broker — speak about being frum and female in a male-dominated profession and how they navigated the challenges with grace and feminine wisdom.
Profile One (below) │ Profile Two │ Profile Three │ Profile Four │ Profile Five
RIDING THE WAVES
Name: Avital Gold │Profession: Licensed Boat Skipper / Accountant │Location: Any harbor on the map
What’s the connection between a humdrum accountant’s office and the vastness of the Mediterranean? Ask Avital Gold and she’ll laugh. There is no comparison. But after discovering the joys of riding the waves this experienced accountant is not about to stop her part-time job as a self-employed licensed boat skipper. “I find accounting pressurizing so I’m trying to carve a new career out of my hobby ” says Avital. Avital Gold has run her private accounting firm for over two decades — a pretty solid career curve to suddenly veer sideways. “Yes ” she affirms with another laugh. “Call it a midlife crisis!”
Setting Sail
It began with an unexpected call. “A boating school in Hertzliya asked if I’d be interested in sailing” Avital recalls. “I have no idea how they reached me! The first lessons were free.” Their offer came on the heels of a long hard maternity leave spent mostly on bed rest and Avital jumped at the chance to breathe fresh sea air. She took the trial lessons and was hooked tighter than a fish on bait.
“Gazing at the horizon from behind the wheel seeing sunrays break through the clouds… I close my eyes and allow the breeze to engulf me. I love it!” There’s something uplifting about being one with the ocean.
“I was at a shiur recently” says Avital “and the speaker mentioned hisbodedus. That concept resonated with me. You feel so close to Hashem out there.” There’s an emotional component too. “The sound of the waves is extremely relaxing.”
As a skipper Avital is responsible for sailing her vessel and often invites passengers under her close supervision to actively participate. Still not everyone can spin a ship’s wheel. By law one must have a license. Basic training took ten months and Avital has been attending additional licensing courses ever since. These qualify her to work anywhere in the world.
“The responsibility is huge” Avital explains. “Something as elementary as weather is never in one’s control no matter how dedicated one is to the job. Wind conditions can let people down which is greatly frustrating ” says Avital. She’s super conscious about safety having studied first aid and firefighting in her training. “Anyone who can’t swim must wear a life vest. I encourage everyone else to do the same.”
“I couldn’t go out to sea for quite a few months — I found that highly frustrating. I missed the ocean!”
Avital speaks from experience. There’s no one she enjoys riding the waves with more than her own family. “My kids constantly ask me when we’re sailing again.”
Oops! We could not locate your form.
RELATED CONTENT
This year, this niggun was an anthem because we showed it. He’s always there for us, but this year, we were there for Him too.
Hashem orchestrates elaborate experiences to bring couples together. Eight writers share the Divine imprint upon their match
Bereaved women share what gave them the strength and the courage to keep moving forward
It may have been a seemingly small act of kindness, but it took root and grew tall: 17 readers share stories of giving the pick-me-up
