Haredi Woman Starts High Tech Company For Haredi Women

This special venture was initiated by Hanita Friedman, a 47-year old haredi mother-of-five, who dreamed of establishing and managing a high tech firm for haredi women only, in order to help their families make ends meet.       

Carmiel mom starts high tech firm for haredi women
Ultra-Orthodox mothers join software development company established especially for wives of yeshiva students who need to make living
Goel Beno • Ynet

What is a woman to do when her husband attends yeshiva school and there is no one making a living for the family? Ask a group of haredi mothers who took the matter into their own hands – and started working for a high tech company established especially for women in their situation.

This special venture was initiated by Hanita Friedman, a 47-year old haredi mother-of-five from Carmiel, who dreamt of establishing and managing a high tech firm for haredi women only, in order to help their families make ends meet.

Six months ago, Friedman, a trained mechanic engineer, launched Karmisoft – a software development company servicing the business sector. The investor is a haredi man recruited with the help of Carmiel's Rabbi.

The company's offices are unpretentious and ascetic. The walls are almost completely barren, and a handful of holy books and professional science literature sit on top of simple cabinets. No magazines or newspapers.

The employees are dressed modestly, and married women don wigs on their heads. The place transmits an atmosphere of no-nonsense; no chit chat, gossip, or aimless surfing on the internet for non-work-related purposes.

None of the women know if the World Cup has already ended, and none of them care to know who won. The television and radio are completely out of the question. The only "entertainment" they enjoy is the faint sound of haredi music playing in the background.

Finding the golden path
The company employs 10 women, two of which are secular. Most of the women are young and married to yeshiva students. Some relocated from the center of the country to Carmiel especially to work for the company, after being trained as software engineers at the seminars in Beit Yaakov.

Karmisoft demands of its employees a high work ethic, but also takes into account that their employees have families and another life outside of the office. Work hours span between 8 am and 4 pm, so that the women have enough time to spend at home and with their kids.

At times, the employees have to find a golden path between what is desirable and what is possible.

For example, after Tisha B'Av, when yeshiva students go on their three-week summer break, some of the women wanted to take time off to be with their husbands and kids. However, their work ethic prevailed, and they made due with a three day vacation given by the company.

In the meantime, the women bring their own food from home, until their manager Friedman finds a suitable kosher catering company. Friedman, who is currently busy soliciting business from different companies, seems happy as long as she can provide a living for as many haredi families in the unemployment-stricken north.

"The female environment brings good energies; there is no competition or jealousy – only cooperation," says one of the employees who used to work for a secular factory.

As far as profits go, the company hopes to start seeing them after about a year and a half of doing business.

Comments

[Bill]

Would they discriminate against me if I applied for a job there?

They sure seem to complain a lot when others refused to hire them.

[harold]

Like I have always said, do not discount the contributions and the potential contributions of (the haredi) women!

As a father of three daughters, with one starting medical school in a week, I have the highest regards for women and their capabilities.

[jay]

It's tragic, though, when the women are expected to keep a home, raise a dozen children, work full time and support a husband. It's a shame that so little is expected of the husbands that they can be a benchwarmer in a kollel while their wives do so much. Drone bees are forced out of the hive when they're no longer needed. It's time to force these drones into the workplace as well.

[Hometown Postville]

Bravo to these intelligent women! Now how long before the work is recognized or appreciated by their husbands? Or is it just "expected?" Ah, I shouldn't be so harsh- thus is the rainbow of cultural diversity on this planet, just different than my own.

[harold]

It's tragic, though

That’s right! Keep them in the kitchen where they belong. Do not give them the opportunity to learn a trade or acquire a high-tech skill.

Maybe a women can learn a high-tech skill that will enable her to hire someone to clean and cook. At some point all the kids will be in school and she may prefer to be at work than be at home.

Listen this analysis is valid whether the husband in a benchwarmer learning torah or a benchwarmer being an accountant. The only difference between the two is the amount of household income, not household responsibility.

There is nothing wrong with leaning as a profession, they can be a paid Rebbi or an “illui” (talmudical genius) being paid for by private sources or organization (like any scholar in any field). The only thing that interests me is that every family has at least one wage earner. As to household chores, that is up to them as to how it gets done.

[Eliezer]

kol ha-kavod to these women! Women are and have always been the mainstay of klall yisrael and these women are an excellent example of how women within the strictly orthodox world are making yet another kind of contribution to their society! Bravissima!

[What kind of goyishe name is Harold?]

As a father of three daughters, with one starting medical school in a week ...

Harold, is she married? I am looking to make a shidduch.

[Yonah]

"The female environment brings good energies; there is no competition or jealousy – only cooperation,"

BAHAHAHAHA

[Kollel Wife]

Jay,

Benchwarmer? Hardly. I'm the wife of one of those kollel "benchwarmers" and I wouldn't trade that role for all the money in the world. If you've ever stood in the doorway of a kollel and watched what goes on there, I don't think you would use the word "benchwarmer" so quickly.

And Postville, while I can't answer for anyone else, my husband is extremely appreciative of my support and certainly does not "expect" it. Not a day goes by that he doesn't express his appreciation and admiration. I never feel like it's taken for granted that I will be the breadwinner.

[Bill]

Kollel Wife,

I am sure that you are equally oh-so-greatful to the American taxpayer for all the welfare, food stamps. WIC and Section 8 money that your "learning" husband sucks out of the system instead of earning a real living.

Right?

[Kollel Wife]

Bill,

I am not on welfare, WIC, food stamps, or Section 8. I earn enough to support us and we have learned to live within our means. That means no car, no eating out, no cleaning help, and no vacations. We don't receive tzedaka from anyone and do not own anyone except the bank money. So don't jump to conclusions.

[harold]

Bill,

I am not on welfare, WIC, food stamps, or Section 8. I earn enough to support us and we have learned to live within our means. That means no car, no eating out, no cleaning help, and no vacations. We don't receive tzedaka from anyone and do not own anyone except the bank money. So don't jump to conclusions

Well said. I have a niece that made Aliya after she got marrried. Beautiful people with hearts of gold. They too make ends meet. He learns and does some private tutoring, she helps run one of the girls dorms. No cars, no handouts either, and always with a smile on their faces.

I can't stand when people jump to conclusions. They see the world through a collection of glasses. When one talks about a haredi they put on their "haredi glasses". What simpletons.

[Bill]

Rigggghhht,

And you also put away money to marry off your children, save for your retirement so that you don't become dependent on the system if you become unable to work all while paying taxes on time and buying glatt kosher food and paying full tuition at a private school for your children.

You also have life insurance to take care of your family if something were to happen to you. You have health insurance, and you drive a fully-insured, safe, late model vehicle.

All on one income, while at the same time raising a large haredi family.

That's just terrific. I mean, really.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Kollel Wife, on bare bones budget, with a computer and internet access.
Yeah, right.

Bill, I smell socks. Oh wait, it's a sock puppet.

[harold]

Kollel Wife, on bare bones budget, with a computer and internet access.
Yeah, right

Have you priced computers lately? Do you know that you can get free internet as well? Please!

[WoolSilkCotton]

Harold, tell me how you get free internet at home- legally.

Not being a haredi scam artist, I pay for Verizon each month.

BTW Harold, over the past 15 years, I have had hundreds of young haredi families as clients/patients where I work. EVERY ONE OF THEM, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, is on welfare and Medicaid.

[harold]

Harold, tell me how you get free internet at home- legally

http://www.metconnect.com/

[jay]

Harold, you lead me to wonder if you have a background as an attorney. You are quite adept at taking someone's words and twisting them out of context. I NEVER said these women should be confined to the house and you know it.

[jay]

@Kollel WIfe: I have been in several kollels, as a matter of fact. There are some brilliant hard working scholars, for sure. There are also a good number of men who are there simply passing the time of day. It's a shame that they can waste their lives and receive approbation while their wives work their fingers to the bone.

[Bill]

wool,

It was me. I was being sarcastic with the kollel wife. Sorry if it didn't come through clearly.

[Isa]

""++Harold, tell me how you get free internet at home- legally.""++

Well maybe not legally
But one can suck Internet access from one of your neighbors who do not secure their Wireless point.
I do that very seldom to troubleshoot MY Internet access , turned out my cable modem was shot.

[WoolSilkCotton]

++Bill | July 29, 2010 at 09:34 PM++

No problem! I was also trying to be sarcastic towards Kollel Wife, who sounded like a blatant fraud.

[harold]

Harold, you lead me to wonder if you have a background as an attorney. You are quite adept at taking someone's words and twisting them out of context. I NEVER said these women should be confined to the house and you know it.

Well I never! If you have followed some of my posts you would have seen that attorneys are not one of my favorite people, so to call me one is a great insult! (Just kidding - about the insult - not my distain for attorneys).

As to my twisting, my thought process was as follows. The article was speaking about the opportunities opening up for women, haredim in particular. Your focus on the why the men don't work instead, to me implies that the preferable arrangement is that the men work and that the women remain in the kitchen.

Anyway, take it easy, all this is done in jest. The purpose of Mr. Rosenberg’s inclusion of this, what one would ordinarily consider an upbeat post about Jewish women, haredim in particular, was done rather skillfully. Mr. Rosenberg has trained his audience very well and your post is classic of what Mr. Rosenberg expected from his talmidim. You fell in the trap and I was just having some fun.

That being said. I am very proud of these women and hope this catches on in a big way.

[harold]

Well maybe not legally
But one can suck Internet access from one of your neighbors who do not secure their Wireless point.
I do that very seldom to troubleshoot MY Internet access , turned out my cable modem was shot

I hear you. I have the IPod Touch so I try to piggy back on open WiFi connections. I do that much less now that I bought the IPad w/ ATT 3G access. In the past when I was at a location that did not have internet access for my laptop to connect to I would use an application called WMWiFiRouter to enable a Windows Mobile WiFi capable smartphone device (or which I have one) to create a local hotspot for me to connect to. So I was able to connect without a mobile plan ($60/mo) and able to use my $15 internet plan on my cell phone. I did not abuse it and only used it when I had no other option and wanted to check my email. Oh my g-d Harold is a thief! Yea, want to make something of it!

[Kollel Wife]

Bill and Wool Silk Cotton,

I supposed that when you've already jumped to a conclusion about something, there's not much I can do to convince you otherwise. I'll just tell you that I make a lot of money due to years of higher education, and that yes, we do have money put away to marry off our children. We do have life insurance and are not on Medicaid or any other government assistance. You can choose to believe as you wish.

We do not drive a safe, fully-insured vehice though, because as I said before, we don't own any vehicle at all.

Regarding computer and internet access, I work from home at this point so the internet is a necessity for my job. And we pay for it just like anyone else.

I have a feeling I haven't convinced anyone here, but if that's the case, it's due to the fact that you don't want to know the truth, and not because I am being dishonest. I have nothing to hide.

[Bartley Kulp]

My laptop cost me $300 dollars and I pay an equivalence of $30 a month for high speed internet.

Cable TV which I do not have is more expensive. Anybody today can have internet.

[harold]

I have a feeling I haven't convinced anyone here, but if that's the case, it's due to the fact that you don't want to know the truth, and not because I am being dishonest. I have nothing to hide

It is extremely difficult to change the ways of a die-hard prejudiced individual. These people have a mindset that has been cultivated over many years to judge groups of people as a unit. What you are asking of them is very difficult because to judge everyone as an individual is to literally rip apart their neat little world. Not only that you deprive them from them a great source of entertainment.

Here at FailedMessiah is like a club where prejudiced individuals come to feed. Mr. Rosenberg sets the table and the feeding frenzy begins. A story about Chassidim comes up, someone then insinuates that they smell and the audience has a great big laugh and the hygiene jokes start to fly. Now if you subscribe to the “everyone should be judged as individual”, with the focus on judged, all the laughter would disappear, the party would be over and Mr. Rosenberg would be left all alone. Not to worry, there is a line of prejudiced individuals waiting for membership. The world is stressed and complex, people need simplicity and laughter and entertainment, a prejudiced viewpoint solves these issues so nicely.

[Kollel Wife]

Harold, if that's the case, I owe everyone here an apology. I love a good party and would never intentionally spoil someone else's. So if all you guys are interested in is some party material, please ignore my comments and party on. I posted here thinking that it was truth you were looking for, not just fun. My mistake and I apologize.

[Bill]

kollel wife,

Tell the truth.

are you saving for retirement?

Are you saving money to help marry of your children?

Do you have life insurance?

all on a kollel wife's income?

[Baal Habos]

That METCONNECT looks scary. There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is no privacy policy, who is it run by? Just beware. Is everything you type, including account numbers, being scanned?

[Kollel Wife]

Bill,

Do you want to know the truth or do you want to continue partying on? Because if it's partying you want, don't read on.

My job comes along with a retirement plan. We do have money put away to marry off our children and we keep adding to it. We do have life insurance.

Yes, all on a "kollel wife's income". I don't know why you think a kollel wife earns less money than anyone else out there. I don't work as a bookkeeper or as a teacher. I went to school for many years and my name has a couple of sets of initials after it. I likely make more than you do, hard as that may be for you to stomach.

Now why is that so hard for you to accept?

[Bill]

I guess you must be the "typical" M.D. or J.D. Kollel Wife.

That's terriffic. You got married at 19, then finished law school or medical school while having nine kids.

That's terrific.

and the "fact" that you earn more than me? Even better!

[Kollel Wife]

Bill, I didn't expect to convince you since it's clear you're not interested in the truth. I've been completely honest and have no reason not to be. If it doesn't fit in with your neat little picture of kollel life, it's your choice to decide whether or not to open your mind a little more or to just deny anything you don't like. I've done my share.

(FTR, I'm neither an MD nor a JD. There are other well paying jobs out there that are more suitable for mother of large families.)

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

[harold]

That METCONNECT looks scary. There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is no privacy policy, who is it run by? Just beware. Is everything you type, including account numbers, being scanned?

Still it is good to know in case your primary web connection goes down and you have no backup options. I personally do all my relevant computer work on my desktop and access it via LogMeIn (something like GoToMyPC but with a free option). All internet traffic tunnels through LogMeIn encrypted so if some malicious keylogger is around then unless they are taking screen shots will have no idea what kind of web traffic is going on and what web sites I am visiting. I HIGHLY!!!! recommend it!! I am no schnorer I have 3 LogMeIn Pro accounts (ie. paid ones) and have a mess load of free ones, mainly to help friends and relatives if they have computer problem. Then all I do is access their system, do what I got to do, all from the comfort of my home and at a time that is convenient to me.

[Bill]

Kollel Wife,

My mind is very open.

It is Friday, and you, the typical six-figure-earning kollel wife with internet connectivity, life insurance, a retirement account and a trust fund that you yourself set up and funded for your children from your own earnings are taking a few minutes out of your busy pre-Sabbath to educate the world about how this is all possible.

God bless you, and your charmed, magical and fantastic life!

:-)

[harold]

I likely make more than you do, hard as that may be for you to stomach.

Wow, if he didn't have a bris I think you just gave him one!

It is Friday, and you, the typical six-figure-earning kollel wife

Still clinging to his prejudistic world, he must reassure that most of his world is still intact and that you are just an aberration, a freak. I would not give him the satisfaction. How sad.

[Eliezer]

Bill, what crawled up your ass and died?

[Bassy the Haredi Slayer]

While definitely there are Kollel wives who work as Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Nurse Practitioner, Professional Dominatrix, etc, those women are very few (how many haredi girls go to higher education ?

[Bill]

"Bill, what crawled up your ass and died?" - Eliezer

Eliezer,

The phrase you just used, is generally used to imply that one's farts smell really bad.

I guess you felt that you would contribute to this discussion by telling me that my farts smell bad.

This is what happens when yeshiva boys like you try to be "cool" and swear like the "goyim."

Moron.

[Yoel Mechanic]

Hey all you labor economists out there. Kollel Wife is one data point. Why don't you try to see if anyone has done some actual research on household economics of the group you are interested in (and i mean *interested* in) Then see what research you can do. If you find any research articles post a link.

[Yoel Mechanic]

http://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/4024.html

[David]

What is a woman to do when her husband attends yeshiva school and there is no one making a living for the family?

She should make him work or kick him out!