Saudi Arabia, cybersecurity and Chanukah are words that are not typically used in the same sentence. My mother, Shira Rubinoff, is a world-renowned cybersecurity expert, author and adviser, and was recently invited to speak at the Middle East’s largest cybersecurity conference, @Hack, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The conference was scheduled over the first few days of Chanukah, and when she first shared the news of her prestigious invitation, we were all somewhat nervous. My mom is an American woman who would be travelling alone, and is a conspicuous Orthodox Jew who has Israeli visas stamped into her passport. As we discussed the opportunity, it became clear that it was one she could not pass up. In fact, she knew she had to go and represent the dynamic cadre of female cybersecurity leaders around the world, and even more notably, stand up as the first Orthodox Jewish woman to ever give a keynote in that country.
Aside from her presentation, my mother was also invited to serve as the moderator for a major cybersecurity panel that featured a key member of the royal family.
All of her concerns were allayed from the moment she arrived at JFK Airport to catch her Saudi Air flight to Riyadh. Treated with white-glove service, my mom was immediately met by a security detail who fast-paced her through the various checkpoints and security scans.
Upon arrival in Riyadh, however, there was a brief moment of apprehension when her media bag was pulled aside for manual inspection. Inside, it also contained a menorah for lighting the first couple of nights of the festival that coincided with the conference.
The security officer pointed to the screen indicating the menorah. My mother said that she stopped breathing for a moment, as she knew that the public observance of any religion other than Islam is forbidden in that country. “Is that gold?” the officer asked pointedly. “I don’t care what it is, I just need to know if it is gold.” My mother sighed a breath of relief and laughed, “No, it is not gold,” which brought an end to that momentary tension.
When she entered that conference venue, it was apparent that almost all the men and women were dressed in traditional Saudi clothing. About three years ago, the law mandating full body coverage was relaxed, yet many Saudis continue to don the traditional clothing out of cultural pride. In fact, many of the women she saw and interacted with wore pins on their burkas depicting the image of the crown prince. Some of the women she encountered were high-ranking in both government and business and shared that the crown prince had extended more rights and opportunities to women than ever in the history of the country.
When it came time to connect the microphones to my mother for her presentations, the sound people were modest and made sure that it was a woman who handled it. They did everything to make her feel comfortable, safe and welcome every step of the way.
Her 40-minute keynote on cybersecurity was met by an attentive audience and a robust applause. Offstage, people asked her repeatedly what she thought of the country, the people, and more importantly, what she would tell the people in the United States about them. My mom took the opportunity to weave the Chanukah theme of spreading light into her remarks and responses, which was also met with great enthusiasm and agreement.
Her visit was an eye-opening experience and she shared with us how surprised she was that she was not scared for even a moment while in Riyadh. My mother also reflected on how proud she was to not only represent Jews in a place where Jews are not usually found, but for actually lighting a menorah on the night that she was there, truly spreading light for all to see.
She is a role model, and I am so proud of my mom.
Tammy Steinberg is the daughter of Shira Rubinoff.
