from The Cleveland Jewish News: Make space at table – women incorporating tzimtzum into legal profession

By Bobbi Saltzman, Special to the CJN

Cleveland is a city of many lawyers, many Jewish residents, and therefore many Jewish lawyers. There are different reasons for this that are often rooted in the culture of Judaism.

The reasons might include certain calls to ensure there is justice from the Torah or the emphasis on generational knowledge and practices passed down that Judaism prioritizes.

Additionally, according to Forbes Advisor, the number of female attorneys in the United States has also continued to rise and women currently make up 39.5% of attorneys nationwide. This creates a unique opportunity for female Jewish attorneys – the opportunity to make space for one another “at the table.”

The analogy of being “at the table” is a saying often used in reference to who is included in making decisions and being represented. There seems to be an assumption that a table can only hold so many people at it, and therefore, those people must be chosen wisely. This has often come to mean that individuals compete for chairs at the table much like a game of musical chairs where one may look to push others out or do whatever it takes to maintain their seat. While it is often true, practically speaking, that there are only so many chairs and a table might only be so big, there is often room to fit others in, as long as effort is made. Chairs can be added and turns can be taken to ensure that voices are heard and people are included. This concept fits with the Jewish practice of tzimtzum – making space.

There are times that the legal field requires that colleagues be adversaries. That is often essential for the work that is to be done. That does not mean it cannot be done without mutual respect. Attorneys tend to have an innate competitive nature about them and that is often what leads to success. I am not suggesting that Jewish women, or anyone for that matter, sell themselves short, but instead find ways to bring others up with them. An excellent way to do so is through mentorship.

The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association provides a number of opportunities for women to become mentors or be mentored. The CMBA also provides a significant number of ways for women to network with one another. Networking can involve making space in a number of ways – allowing other women to talk and be heard or allowing for women to make referrals to one another when situations out of one’s area of expertise arise. Both mentoring and networking help create relationships. These relationships provide opportunities to make space for one another. Volunteering is another way to make connections and make space to assist those in need. The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and the CMBA provide many opportunities for attorneys to use important skills for goodwill.

In a world and a profession where it is easy to get caught up in competition, I am encouraging Jewish women – and everyone reading – to consider something else: find ways, when possible, to make space for someone else at the table.

Published in The Cleveland Jewish News - Make space at table – women incorporating tzimtzum into legal profession