Let’s face it — in our largely secular world, observant Jews can stand out. Many wear modest clothing, don head coverings and don’t touch people of the opposite sex if they aren’t related. When entering the workforce, these and other belief-based practices are bound to create challenges. To begin with, how much do you say, or show, on that all-important first interview?
When Los Angeles-based attorney Menachem Shapiro applied for jobs after law school, he proudly wore his kippah during his on-campus interviews. “I always wear a kippah,” he said. “Going to a job interview doesn’t change that. I’m a Jew. Jews wear kippot. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
But not everyone shares Shapiro’s confidence in approaching these questions. To help observant Jews navigate the workplace, authors Lavie and Rachel Margolin wrote the book “Can I Wear My Kippah on Job Interviews?”
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“This book is for anybody who defines him- or herself as an observant Jew,” said Rachel Margolin, who, along with her husband, Lavie, is a career coach. “It’s for those who don’t know how to handle holidays or Shabbat [in the workplace]. Some of our readers might be more frum, while others might consider themselves Conservadox.”</p>
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Some of the questions the book covers include whether a shomer negiah (someone who refrains from physical contact with individuals of the opposite sex) applicant should shake an interviewer’s hand if he or she is of the opposite sex; how to keep kosher at a treif (nonkosher) restaurant during a business meal; and how to request time off for Shabbat and holidays. </p>
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To research their book, the Margolins, who are based in New York, held forums at local Jewish community centers, spoke with their own clients and asked rabbis for guidance. “The rabbis wouldn’t give their own p’sakim [ruling],” Rachel said. “We just wanted to make sure we were giving good advice to our readers and pointing them in the right direction.”</p>
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“I think it is an additional challenge to be an observant Jew in the job market,” Lavie said. “But with the right approach, someone can have success, and the issues that come along with being observant can certainly be managed. I know that some observant Jews become CEOs and lead companies, which you wouldn’t imagine.” </p>
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According to Lavie, who used to work at the United Jewish Appeal Synagogue Project and ran the Orthodox Union’s ParnossahWorks — a program to help unemployed Jews find meaningful work — observant Jews often put unnecessary restrictions on themselves. For example, he said, they’ll be too nervous in a job interview to tell a potential employer about the days off they’ll need for the High Holy Days. Then, down the line, when they do request the time off, it may be hard for employers to accommodate them. Instead, the authors recommend being honest with employers from the start, which is most likely to lead to a reasonable solution.</p>
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The Margolins also include a discussion of the ways in which being shomer negiah can create awkward situations for job seekers. An applicant might pretend to have a cold during the interview to avoid a handshake; but what happens once he or she is hired? Again, the authors write that applicants should be upfront from the start, say they can’t shake hands because of religious beliefs, and then steer the conversation toward focusing on professional achievements.</p>
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When it comes to treif eateries, some observant employees might think they should bring their own food. The authors caution that this “may come across as socially awkward or cheap.” Instead, they provide many alternatives; for example, employees can order fresh fruit, or kosher fish that’s been double-wrapped and baked in the oven; ask the restaurant beforehand to assist in ordering an airplane-style kosher meal; or, if possible, stick to a seltzer or soda.</p>
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With these and many other examples, the Margolins show that though many observant Jews feel they don’t belong in the non-Jewish working world, there are often straightforward ways to make it work. If employees want to leave early for the Sabbath, for example, they might offer to work extra hours the rest of the week. Or if they want to take off for Jewish holidays, they could work when other employees are off for Christmas. </p>
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Rachel offered another suggestion for fitting observance into a secular workplace. “Clients come to me and tell me that they want to work in sales, but only in companies with Jewish supervisors. Some people think they won’t be able to go daven Mincha [the afternoon prayer service] if they’re not working at a religious company. But other people take coffee and cigarette breaks, and supervisors wouldn’t mind if their employees took a few minutes to daven Mincha in their offices [instead].”</p>
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Nevertheless, a lot of Orthodox men and women choose to stay within the community and work for Jewish organizations. Rachelle Cohn-Schneider, a registered career counselor and manager of community programs at Jewish Vocational Service in Los Angeles said it’s “because of the comfort and the acceptance, and they have the Sabbath and the holidays off.”</p>
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Yet, there can be drawbacks to working for Jewish companies, Lavie noted. Despite having Jewish holidays off and not working late on Fridays, some employees have to work on Sundays. “Sometimes the hours add up to even more than if you’re working at a non-Jewish company,” he said. </p>
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He added that observant applicants needn’t be concerned about revealing their religious backgrounds. “I don’t think discrimination is overly prevalent in the job market,” he said.</p>
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Here in Los Angeles, people understand one another’s differences and are accepting of them, according to Cohn-Schneider. “I believe that we, as Angelenos, are used to dealing with people of all different cultures and religions,” she said. “Employers should know laws about cultural and religious discrimination.” </p>
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Although Shapiro admitted it wasn’t easy at his law firm at first, he said he’s learned how to deal with work duties that conflict with his observance. “It was difficult at first, but [now] everyone seems cool with it,” he said. “More difficult than leaving early is not being able to check and respond to emails, especially when a <em>chag </em>[holiday] falls on a weekday. I try to anticipatte how my colleagues might need me while I’m out, and prepare accordingly.”</p>
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The Margolins said they wrote their book to encourage observant Jews not to let their religious observance hold them back from achieving their career potential. </p>
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“I hope it opens doors for people to really think about what will make them happy with their careers,” Rachel said. “I hope they can explore all their options, and find what’s right for them.” </p>
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