“Hoohas for the hahas.” I personally can not say that without laughing. Try it and see for yourself.

And while you are laughing, you might be wondering, what does “hoohas for the hahas” even mean?

As you might already know, I am moving to Japan, where I will be “The Wife Of” the ambassador. In Japan, the word for “mother” is haha. I am going to guess that you all know what a hooha is.

And to tie it all together, my company, Navon Naturals, is a natural skincare company that focuses on women’s health and well-being. And lo and behold, the star product of Navon Naturals is called the Hooha Rejuvenating Serum.

In a moment of pure serendipity, I realized that in Japan, I will be talking to hahas about their hoohas. I laugh out loud every single time I say this. Try it and see if you don’t. Pure joy!!! 

And I am happy to laugh at my own silliness, because packing to leave is hard to do. I made aliya by myself at age 17. Since I was a teenager, Israel is the only place that I have ever wanted to live. Israel is my happy place. The place where I feel peace and serenity.

And I understand the irony.

Israel is a country at war; it is struggling with inner turmoil and roads that feel like a battlefield. Daily life here can be a challenge, and the struggle is real. Despite all this, it is in Israel that I feel stronger, safer, and more comfortable than anywhere else. The land sings to me. The people share a history with me. And when I am in Israel, the land promised to our forefathers, I feel closer to G-d and my spirit rises. 

But I am off to Japan, and I’m going to have an incredible time! I am going to serve our country and I am going to travel around Japan and meet the people and learn their traditions.

In a sense, Japan feels like a gift that has fallen into my lap. As a naturopath who focuses on women’s hormonal health, Japan is THE place to be right now. 

Menopause in general is one of the hottest topics in the world right now. We are the first generation that is seeing women in power positions. In business, in medicine and in politics women abound. As a result, issues that resonate with women are finally being addressed. And menopause, and how it affects women’s health, is huge! A lot of important and powerful women are now talking about the hormonal shift and how it affects every aspect of women’s health and daily life. 

I am in the whole menopause schvoong myself and it’s a doozy! I like to speak about the topic openly and publicly, and I encourage other women to do the same. I even developed skincare products to specifically help women with the issues that they encounter during menopause (Hooha Rejuvenating Serum making more sense now?)

And guess what?! 

Japan is the perfect place to be for a woman going through menopause. The prime minister of Japan is a woman who normalized the topic. She has spoken openly and publicly about her menopausal issues. The PM understands on a personal level how women’s hormonal cycles impact their ability to function in the workplace and has made women’s hormonal health a central pillar of Japan’s national policy.

I don’t think that there is another country in the world with a female prime minister who is prioritizing women’s hormonal health. I am headed to a unique place at a unique time.

While it is hard to leave my beloved homeland, I feel blessed to be able to serve my country. And learning what the Japanese hahas do for their hoohas is a huge unexpected bonus. 

Still laughing here. What about you?

Sima Herzfeld Navon is the founder & CEO of Navon Naturals. She is married to Emmanuel Navon who has been appointed Israeli ambassador to Japan.