Habima thrives once again

The historic national theater of Israel was saved from financial dissolution by two amazing women: delia Friedman and Nurit Dabush.

By TAL ARIEL AMIR
The Habima Theater in Tel Aviv (photo credit: WWW.HABIMA.CO.IL)
The Habima Theater in Tel Aviv
(photo credit: WWW.HABIMA.CO.IL)
Odelia Friedman, the first woman to serve as general manager of Habima Theater, is a bundle of energy coated with ambition and is not easily broken. Only once did she have a full-blown cry – when she went to a routine parent-teacher conference at her eldest daughter Shiran’s elementary school. Friedman was sitting on the small metal chair listening to the teacher heap praise on her daughter when the teacher casually repeated something Shiran had said one day in class: “I wish the national theater would close down.” Friedman was so shocked that she stopped breathing for a moment. The teacher tried to calm her down, telling her that Shiran didn’t really mean it, she just wished her mother would spend more time at home and less at work.
For years Friedman has been dealing with a public drama that threatened to shut down the theater due to a debt that had reached millions of shekels. But with the help of Nurit Dabush, chairwoman of the theater’s board of directors, the two women succeeded in implementing a comprehensive recovery plan that not only prevented the theater from closing, but turned Habima into a profitable institution. The mutual trust and productive relationship between the two women became public in 2012. A photograph was published in which Friedman and Dabush stood with ministers and representatives of the Finance and Culture and Sport ministries together around a wooden table. In the photo, the two women were the only ones with their arms around each other.
Over the past two years, Friedman and Dabush have been managing the theater, which for most of its history has been known as a secular, elitist cultural institution run by men. In fact, Habima is the first public institution in Israel that is being run by two women.
There are many similarities in Friedman and Dabush’s lives. Both of them broke into management early in their careers and both of them are single mothers in their 40s who climbed their way up the corporate ladder by the sweat of their brows. The unusual collaboration between the two women continues until today, and one of their most fruitful accomplishments has been the success of their International Women’s Day week-long festival, which Friedman created with Dabush’s full backing. This was the first time that there was be a week of shows focusing solely on women. Before each show, female viewers enjoyed a free tour behind the scenes where they could meet and chat with leading actresses.
For Dabush, breaking through the glass ceiling has been a thrilling experience. She grew up in Ashkelon in a home where everyone was encouraged to express their opinions and strive for excellence. After years of hard work, she had built up a successful career as a strategic adviser. Dabush became a household name when as chairwoman of Channel 2 TV, she led the tenders for the local radio stations and dealt with the Channel 10 concession. She found out she was pregnant the day she resigned from the Broadcasting Authority in 2010. This was the first time she decided to put her career on hold and focus on becoming a mother. More recently she began her position of vice chairwoman of Habima. This past year has been the climax of her career in theater.
What is it like working together as a partner with Friedman?
First of all, we’re able to set and keep very clear boundaries. I’m not involved with the day-to-day management of the theater – I only help set policy. I’m very good at outlining our path and Odelia is the one who actively manages everything. She’s amazing at getting everything done. The two of us complement each other well and there is no ego involved when we sit down to discuss issues. I don’t want to discount the value of male management, but women have greater emotional intelligence. Odelia and I decided that we want to make changes in the repertoire, to promote young artists and to encourage pluralism and diversity.
How did becoming a mother four and a half years ago affect how you work with Friedman?
Our discourse is very natural, and the fact that both of us are mothers contributes to our mutual understanding. For example, if I can’t attend a premiere because I need to attend a kindergarten party with my daughter, Odelia completely and naturally understands this.
Has anyone ever made any negative comments to you about how two women are running such an important organization?
Two months ago when we made our presentation at the board of directors meeting, the focus of the meeting was definitely on us. When a woman is appointed to become a board chairwoman, people raise an eyebrow and are more suspicious of her work than they would have been of a man’s. Women managers are often considered too bossy, whereas men with the same qualities are considered focused. Women will always be called aggressive for the same behavior for which men are considered assertive.
How do you overcome such prejudice?
It’s a matter of education and approach. Over time, the people I work with have come to appreciate me. I feel that over the years dramatic changes in the status of women in the workplace have taken place. So many women are now in the foreground of organizations and there are more female Knesset members. The only place that still remains mostly closed to women is leadership positions in the business world. All of the women in this limited circle know each other well. My dream is to break through this glass ceiling and promote talented women from the periphery, haredi women, national-religious women from the territories and Arab women.
How do you balance being the chairwoman of two organizations, a lecturer of strategic communications, and the mother of a four and a half year-old?
I completely micromanage my time. I don’t engage in small talk. I don’t participate in drawn-out meetings. I have an extremely tight schedule that begins early in the morning and I stick to it. My main job is being a mother to Liav. Four times a week I pick her up from kindergarten and remain with her until the next morning. During my time with her I don’t answer the phone or reply to emails. Last month, I skipped the premiere of Oedipus because I wanted to attend Liav’s Purim party. My priorities are different now. Liav always comes first and only afterward comes my career. I’m more organized now.
So, has your illustrious career come to an end?
Not at all. I may skip meetings and turn down jobs that I might have taken otherwise – for example, I was recently invited to join a political party – but I have no intention to stop working.
ODELIA FRIEDMAN’S temperament reminds me of the bunny in those old energizer battery commercials. She loves Habima, where she began as CFO. She loves being involved in every single show and is very nurturing to the actors. Friedman grew up in Holon, and was introduced to the theater by her uncle, who was the stage manager at the Cameri Theater, and her mother, who was a school principal and exposed her children to the world of culture. In 2010, Friedman became the general manager of Habima together with Benny Tzarfati, but later on the board decided that Friedman would remain in the position alone and Tzarfati would serve as vice president. Friedman was able to carry out a financial recovery program together with Dabush that did not impinge on the employees’ salaries.
While you were making cuts as part of the recovery program, were you able promote women?
 Of course. Every time a senior male employee has retired, I’ve hired a woman to fill the management position. Personally, I much prefer working with women. There’s a great dynamic. We can talk more easily about costumes and make-up and there’s a wonderful sense of us all being one big family.
People say that female managers are not as encouraging.
Women managers have a different style. Even if conflicts arise, they are kept on a professional level and discussions remain businesslike. I love it that my employees feel comfortable enough with me to discuss personal issues. There’s a feeling that we don’t need to put up barriers. Actresses also come to me for advice sometimes, especially if they are thinking of having a baby and want to continue working at Habima.
Do you think they would feel different if their boss were a man?
Absolutely. For example, Habima does not hold performances on Fridays like the other theaters do. I didn’t make this decision for religious reasons, but because I think it’s important for families to have Shabbat dinner together. Our decision to hold a week of shows celebrating women was so exciting. Only women were allowed back stage free of charge.
You work long hours, attend all the premieres, general rehearsals and events. How do you balance your professional life with raising two children?
It’s demanding, but I’m definitely enjoying the challenge. My career invigorates me and gives me the energy to be a great mother, too. And being a mother gives me the strength to continue being a great manager. At work I’m a manager, but when I’m home, I’m cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. I admit that there are times I’ve had to go to work and leave my son, Gal, at home when he was sick, but I’ve been extremely lucky since my mother has been there to help me look after the children.
You don’t have any regrets about your choices?
Of course I do, especially about the times I’ve left a sick child at home. However, for me it’s never been a question of either/or, because successfully integrating the two is the ideal in my opinion. Sometimes I had to ask someone else to take my children to their afternoon activities, but no premiere or general rehearsal could keep me away from the important events in their lives. I’ve never missed a birthday party or a parent-teacher conference.
Have you ever given up a work opportunity for your children?
Many, many times. I’ll never forget the day I was supposed to attend an extremely important premiere just after I found out I was going to be appointed general manager. I was all dressed up and had finished applying my make-up. And then as I stood next to the elevator, Gal, who was five at the time, came running up to me and asked for just one more hug. At that moment, I knew that I was not going to attend that premiere. I was going to stay home with my son.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.