‘The Wife Of’

I have been married for quite some time now. In that time, I have always considered my husband to be my equal partner. Recently, however, I have transitioned from being his wife, to being “The Wife Of.” 

My husband has been appointed ambassador to Japan. It’s a position that comes with a lot of honor and respect. His official title will be “Your Excellency,” and it comes along with all the pomp and ceremony that one would expect an ambassador to have. I am going to Japan with him. I will also have new responsibilities. However, I do not get a title, a salary, or compensation. 

It took me some time to process this. I admit that I had an earworm with the words “free labor” stuck in my head for a bit.

And while I realize this might sound entitled, even immature or spoiled, I was feeling unappreciated. While I am encouraged to participate in the official ambassadorial events, my role is neither official nor recognized. I have been feeling a sense of unity with women all over the world who are not receiving compensation or appreciation for their contributions.

As an independent business owner who created and developed her own company, this was a difficult pill for me to swallow. 

I am the founder and CEO of Navon Naturals. I have developed and created a line of natural skincare products that focus on women’s health. I built my company from the ground up, and I am used to being recognized and valued for my own work and achievements. I would never ask, or expect, anyone to work for free. 

And yet, this is exactly what I felt that this is what was being asked of me. 

I was becoming bitter and angry, and I needed to take a deep look inside myself and reassess my priorities and feminist values. Had I continued to see myself as “The Wife Of,” I would have become resentful of my position, as it directly conflicts with my core values. So, I decided to change my perspective and see myself as choosing to volunteer for our country.

Since October 7, like so many other Israelis, I have looked for ways to contribute. I have donated and I have fundraised. I have gone to farms and picked fruits and vegetables. I have cooked meals for hundreds of soldiers and I have delivered necessary equipment all over the country. And the hardest of them all, I have sent my children off to war with a smile, a hug and a blessing.

 But the question always remained. What else can I do? Where else am I needed? How can I do more to help our country and our people?

While I hadn’t thought of volunteering my services in Japan, Man plans and G-d laughs. So, off to Japan I go, to volunteer for the State of Israel.

Being called “The Wife of the Ambassador” is no longer making me cringe. While the government doesn’t appreciate me, I know that my husband does. I know that my husband wants me there with him as his partner. And as his partner, I am in a unique position to help him, while he is serving our country.

I am able to support my husband in a way that only a wife, and no one else, can. I can be the hostess with the mostest. I can welcome our guests and make them feel comfortable and at ease. And if the only thing I am going to be doing is staying quiet and smiling, knowing that my silence and my smile are helping my husband, is sufficient.

And with that said, while I’m standing there next to my husband, perfectly performing the role of the ambassador’s wife, I will definitely be handing out my business cards. And my business card is going to read:

Sima Herzfeld Navon, Navon Naturals, Founder & CEO

Because while I’m happy to serve the country and support my husband, I am also a success in my own right. And I don’t intend to let anyone, myself included, forget that!