The Strength Of Modesty: Women’s Powerlifting In Israel

‘Once you cross that bridge, it’s never the same’

Iris Schechter, a three-time gold medalist representing Israel in powerlifting internationally, will act as a judge and is on the meet’s organizing committee. Though originally against the idea of separating men and women in sports—and at first rejecting Illouz’s idea—she said that she agreed to join after “witnessing Michal’s training videos and realized how strong she is, how many resources she put into her training and how passionate she is about the sport.”

“As a woman who did in her life whatever she wanted, especially in sports, it was hard for me to see women who are restricted from [achieving] their dreams. I deeply appreciate the coaches and [athletes] who encouraged me to run this event and [helped me] understand the constraints religious sportswomen face.”

Strength and CrossFit coach Efrat Lev, co-organizer of the May 27 competition, said she had to compromise her observance of modesty in order to compete. As an Orthodox Jew, the 39-year-old recalled leaving her skirt on a “white plastic chair in the corner. I had left it on until the last possible moment. It was my first time baring my legs in front of so many men, and it was the last time I would feel so self-conscious about it. Because once you cross that bridge, it’s never the same. And while some will say that’s a good thing, those who share my values will understand that there’s an element of sadness and loss in that…. It was not an easy decision at all,” she told JNS. “That’s why I am so proud to take part in organizing a sanctioned competition that will allow other women to compete without having to make the same sacrifice that I had to make.”

Lev first began lifting after she had a difficult pregnancy and learned that resistance training with progressive overload is crucial in preventing physical deterioration and diseases such as osteoporosis, a common ailment of her older female clients. “It is never too late to start,” she said. “When I first started lifting, I never imagined that I would be able to lift my own body weight. Today, I am on the road to lifting triple that amount.”

Illouz, Orlinsky, Lev and Schechter found a sponsor for the event: Israel’s sporting goods distributor Salsport. Owners Irena and Kobi David-Pour have donated Eleiko brand weightlifting equipment for the competition.

“When we heard about the first powerlifting competition in Israel for women, we were very excited,” Irena told JNS. “We believe that the time has come for more women in Israel to be exposed to powerlifting and take part in it.”