Encounters with World Leaders

Rifka Ravitz: A Haredi Woman in Israeli Politics

• Rifka Ravitz grew up in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem and learned in a Bais Yaakov school before becoming an English teacher.

• She married the son of a politician and began working as an intern for her father-in-law in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

• Ravitz later became the parliamentarian assistant for Reuven Rivlin, who would later become the president of Israel.

• She eventually became the chief of staff for the minister of communications, becoming the first Haredi woman to hold such a position.

• Ravitz's husband is also a politician and served as the deputy mayor of Elad before becoming the mayor of Telstone.

• In 2014, Ravitz and her husband worked on a campaign for him to become the president of Israel, which was a difficult and complicated process.

• Ravitz has 12 children, which is not unusual for Haredi families in Israel, and most Haredi women work outside the home as teachers.

• She has met with world leaders, including the Pope and the President of the United States.

• Ravitz is known for standing her ground and has had world leaders bow to her.

• She is an inspiration to many and has been featured in a video by Rabbi YOLO Gold.

• Ravitz is also involved in the Orthodox Union's women's initiative, which aims to empower and educate Orthodox Jewish women.

• A live podcast featuring Ravitz and other guests is coming soon.Meeting World Leaders: A Chief of Staff's Experience

• The interviewee is a former Chief of Staff to the President of Israel.

• It was not typical for a woman to hold such a high-ranking government job in Israel in the 1990s and early 2000s.

• The interviewee was offered the position of Chief of Staff at the age of 37, which had never been held by a woman before.

• The interviewee had a large family, which was not typical for someone in her position.

• The interviewee was not accustomed to pushback from the ultra-Orthodox community, despite working in an area where they were not typically represented.

• The interviewee was shocked when the current President of Israel won the election, as he had lost the first round of voting.

• The interviewee met with Russian President Putin during a crisis involving an Arab state and received positive feedback from him.

• The interviewee was nervous during high-level meetings with world leaders.

• The interviewee had a personal meeting with Pope Francis to discuss a crisis involving land in Israel.

• The interviewee did not shake hands with men, which was not typical protocol, and instead bowed politely.

• The interviewee presented the Pope with a gift made from an olive branch.

• The interviewee believes in the power of parents and the impact they can have on world leaders, as demonstrated by Putin's recollection of a Jewish family who had shown him kindness as a child.Meeting with Pope Francis and President Biden: A Religious Woman's Account

• A religious woman from Israel was invited to meet with Pope Francis and President Biden.

• She did not shake hands with men due to religious beliefs, which caused concern before the meeting.

• The woman did not call her rabbi to ask for permission to shake hands, as she wanted to uphold her religious values.

• The meeting with Pope Francis went well, and he was interested in learning about her religious community.

• However, upon returning to Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was upset with her for not shaking hands.

• The woman had previously met with six world leaders, including Obama, Clinton, and Bush.

• She and President Rivlin were invited to the White House by President Biden to say goodbye as Rivlin's term was ending.

• They were hosted in the Roosevelt Salon and went through multiple security checkings.

• After waiting for 15 minutes, President Biden invited them to a private meeting in the Oval Room.

• During the meeting, they discussed environmental issues and asked about each other's spouses.

• President Biden attempted to shake the woman's hand but quickly realized and respected her religious beliefs.

• The woman reflects on the importance of standing up for one's values, even if it may not always result in a happy ending.Meeting with Joe Biden and Other High-Profile Figures

• Rifka Levi, an Israeli chief of staff, met with Joe Biden and was impressed by his story about his mother's influence on him.

• Biden showed Levi a picture of his mother on a shelf in his working room with Obama and himself standing next to her.

• Levi was reminded of her grandmother's story of how she left Jerusalem during a time of war and famine to come to the US and later returned to Israel.

• Levi also shared a story about meeting Gal Gadot and taking a selfie with her.

• Levi believes that everyone has a duty to live after them and make a positive impact, like her parents and her husband's parents who left behind comfortable lives to come to Israel.

• Levi also shared a story about Rabbi Baranovic who traveled to Miami to collect money for his yeshiva and met a friend who eventually donated a large sum of money to the yeshiva.

• Levi met the queen of Spain during a state visit and was impressed by the hospitality of the Spanish hosts.

• Levi believes in standing up for one's values and making a positive impact in the world.

• Levi's encounter with high-profile figures like Biden and Gadot shows that one's values can resonate with people in positions of power.

• Levi's family history and values have influenced her perspective on making a positive impact.

• Levi's encounter with Rabbi Baranovic shows that unexpected encounters can lead to positive outcomes.

• Levi's encounter with the queen of Spain highlights the importance of diplomacy and hospitality in international relations.