Julia Haart brings inspiration to the table at Migdal Ohr UK’s lunch

Non-profit organisation Migdal Ohr UK honoured the strength and resilience of Jewish women at its International Women’s Day lunch, where attendees were joined by My Unorthodox Life star Julia Haart for an afternoon of inspiring presentations commemorating female courage in the face of adversity.

Haart, the American fashion designer, entrepreneur and author best recognised for starring in the Netflix reality series My Unorthodox Life, shared the moving story of how she escaped her strictly Orthodox Jewish community in New York, inspired by the fierce curiosity of her independent-minded youngest daughter, to pursue a career and life of her own.

“My entire life I didn’t feel like I belonged in my own body because what I was taught was that to be a woman, a good woman, to have God love you, you had to be invisible,” said Haart, 53, in conversation with the award-winning journalist Sarah Jossel at the luncheon on Monday.

“Women in my world were only defined in relation to men. If you were quiet and unassuming and listened to your husband and you didn’t make any noise and you didn’t argue, you were a good woman.”