Below is a candid conversation between two business consultants who focus on their partnership rather than the differences between them. Rashi is traditional and Shira is Orthodox.
Shira: Somehow, we work it out, you know? It’s just what we do. We work together, and when I consider a business associate, I’m assessing whether he or she can deliver what was promised, on time, within budget and with the kind of passion and dedication that the businesses I advise need. I’m seeking someone who shares my work ethic, growth goals and compliments my talents. That equation isn’t about whether someone shares the particulars of my faith, practices like I do, or worships like I do. These “barriers” are not barriers as far as we are concerned.
And…when we consult in person, we always meet at a kosher place, so we never have a problem.
Rashi: With my girlfriends also, we have quite a range of religious observance, and we always make sure that the most restricted person is comfortable – whether it’s about being able to eat in the café or walking to each other’s simchas on Shabbat. With that degree of accommodation amongst my friends anyway, working with Shira is a piece of cake. I’m comfortable with compromise and recognize that valuable relationships are worth it.
Shira: Remember that conference in Florida when you walked so far with me so I could get the kosher meal I’d ordered?
Rashi: And then you accompanied me to the amazing restaurant with the best Chinese delicacies on the planet… It’s tricky, sometimes, but it’s really not that complicated. It’s about prioritizing the business and our mutual respect over comfort or convenience. It’s about recognizing that we have more in common (our business goals, our respect for each other) than there are practices that separate us.
Shira: I really never think of letting our differences get in the way.
Rashi: We first collaborated because Shira had heard of me, and my work, and contacted me to collaborate on a project for one of her clients. That was the first of several to follow… since then we’ve travelled the world and built businesses and marketing strategy for game-changing startups and companies in Israel, the US and as far as Hawaii. No minor differences in lifestyle priorities have in any way affected our work… in fact, we have a lot in common in ethical and cultural perspectives that we simply translate to different levels of Jewish interpretation.
Rashi: There ARE ways in which we are simply live in different worlds – we dress differently, for example, and our priorities aren’t always the same, but it’s really hardly a sacrifice… and making sure we got to Miami before Shabbat was great because it meant we finished our meetings on time and had time to check in without stress.
Shira: Another thing to remember is that I’m from the U.S., and Rashi’s from Australia. Neither of us grew up in an enclave of people just like ourselves, so even though we practice Judaism in remarkably different ways, it’s not as if we didn’t know people who were different from ourselves. We both have always appreciated diversity.
Rashi: Shira’s right – and I’ll go one further. I’ve never chosen to live in a homogenous community – I’m happy that Israel is such a diverse country.
Rashi Elmaliah is the founder of Seital, a business consultancy leading startups and established companies to pave new cultures & trends, transforming ideas and technologies into daily practices for millions of consumers and businesses worldwide. Before making aliyah in 1998, she studied marketing at Monash University in Australia. She lives in Caesarea with her family.
Shira Simmonds founded SSC: Mobile Consulting Group to take small and mid-size companies to global markets after founding, building and selling Ping Mobile, the pioneering mobile marketing platform in the US. She holds a bachelors in Management Information Systems from the Sy Syms School of Business of Yeshiva University. She has made her home with her family in Ginot Shomron.