Saying Yes

One of the speakers during the recent Jewish Women’s Archive “Global Day of Learning” was Alice Shalvi, a professor, lifelong advocate for women’s rights, and founder of the Israel Women’s Network. In 2007 she won the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement, one of Israel’s highest honors. Her memoir, Never a Native, won a National Jewish Book Award in 2019. Looking back at this life of extraordinary achievement, Shalvi said that all her accomplishments were the result of “accidents.” When opportunities were “thrust upon her,” she said, she rose to the challenge.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to hear a panel of three leaders, a priest with a history of outspoken activism who said we should be ready to die for our beliefs, a retired General who talked about “participatory leadership,” and a Latina who had been a college president and U.S. Ambassador, but who said she didn’t know why she had been asked to serve in these critical positions. When asked who we would follow, the majority of the audience, who might otherwise have defined themselves as pacifists, or at least anti-war, said the General. The women in particular said they did not relate to the Ambassador’s self-effacing demeanor. Like Shalvi, she had talked about having leadership thrust upon her. Our vote caused tense discussions about cultural differences. She had not claimed credit for her accomplishments, the other Latinx members of our group explained, because “bragging” would be frowned upon in her culture.

Several years later I was asked to be a refence for a colleague. I was told that during her interview she didn’t take enough credit for her accomplishments. That is one of her strengths, I responded. Her Latina heritage discourages personal aggrandizement, but she quietly gets things done.

Now, hearing Alice Shalvi, I reflected on the critical differences among these women. While I feel confident that I am more sensitive to culturally derived humility, I still personally relate more to Shalvi’s style. Even if she had not sought out opportunities, Shalvi took credit for what she had done when they were presented to her. She seized chances to make a difference. Although simply seeing women in leadership is inspirational, in my own life women who openly acknowledged their skills have been more useful role models.