The women who should enter Israel’s sukkah this Sukkot - opinion

Seven women will enter the sukkah, and at the end it will remain open — inviting us to build together a world of greater opportunity and possibility for all.

The following women will enter the sukkah:

Who are the women ushpizin?

On the first evening, we will welcome the woman who built the sukkah.

In 1971, Naomi Shemer wrote the song “Shlomit Builds a Sukkah,” dedicating it to the daughter of her neighbors. These were days when women could dream not only of building a sukkah of peace, but also of leading the nation — as Golda Meir was doing at the time as Israel’s prime minister.

But since then, there has been no other Golda, and decisions about our national sukkah are still made primarily by men. In fact, if current polls are borne out, the next Knesset may have only 31 women — approximately 26% of its members.

Five decades after the song was written, Shlomit knows: the time has come for everyone to truly have a place.

On the second evening, we will welcome the woman who was left one step behind.

She did not encounter a glass ceiling; she encountered a broken rung.

She is good at her job and highly regarded, but when she went on maternity leave, someone else was promoted to the first management position. Later, because he already had the experience, he was preferred for the next promotion as well.

There is a name for this phenomenon: “the broken rung.”

A 2025 Women in the Workplace study found that for every 100 men promoted into their first management position, only 93 women were promoted.

A seemingly small gap at the bottom of the ladder becomes far more significant the higher we climb.

On the third evening, we will welcome the woman who did not put herself forward.

When the position was advertised, she thought she did not meet all the requirements. When she was encouraged to apply, she said she wasn't sure it was for her. When the list was drawn up, she waited for someone to think of her — but no one did.

We like to say that the door is open to women. Sometimes, that is even true.

But an open door is not enough if, for years, boys have been taught to walk toward it with confidence, while girls are still waiting to be invited.

You are invited. Come in.

On the fourth evening, we will welcome the woman who did everything right.

She studied, worked, excelled, raised a family, picked up the children from kindergarten and answered emails at night.

And yet, there are still very few women around her.

According to the Israel Innovation Authority’s 2025 report, women make up only 17.6% of senior management positions in privately held high-tech companies and just 10.6% of start-up CEOs in Israel.

And the gap is not only in management; it exists in pay as well. Men earn approximately 44% more than women.

She does not understand why this is still happening.

On the fifth evening, we will welcome the woman who made it.

She is a manager, an entrepreneur, an elected public official, a researcher and a commander.

But she is alone.

Women make up 64% of the civil service, yet at the very highest levels, only 9% are women.

In hi-tech, too, women make up more than 30% of entry-level and middle-management positions, but only 17.6% of senior management.

She is waiting for more women to join her.

On the sixth evening, we will welcome a girl.

She does not yet know what she wants to be when she grows up.

When she enters the sukkah, she will look around and see women of different backgrounds, different ages and different walks of life. They will smile at her and introduce her to the other girls.

She will see many chairs and many opportunities, and she will know that everything is open to her.

On the seventh evening, no one will be invited — but the sukkah will be full.

Sarah and Miriam will be there, as will Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther.

Henrietta Szold, Naomi Shemer, Golda Meir, and Ada Yonath will be chatting together.

Because this is the real story of the ushpizin.

It is not about who receives a ceremonial invitation to enter for one evening, but about what kind of sukkah we build in the first place.

The first step in correcting injustices that have persisted for years is to recognize the challenges, bring them into the public conversation, and promote clear policies to change the situation.

The second step is to create broad partnerships — between women and men, between organizations, and between different sectors of society.

Only when all women's voices are heard — and answered — can we ensure a truly equal society.

The writer is chair of Emunah — the Religious Zionist Women’s Movement.