From Tel Aviv Stardom to Torah: The Spiritual Journey of Rotem Zisman-Cohen

When people hear the term "teshuvah" (return to tradition), the first image that usually comes to mind is entirely external: a change in wardrobe, a long skirt, a head covering. For Rotem Zisman-Cohen, one of the most talented, prominent, and esteemed actresses in Israel, this journey looked entirely different. It began long before anyone could have imagined, back when she was just a four-year-old child.

"I used to constantly ask my mother existential questions about life," Zisman-Cohen shares. "What are we doing here? Who put the stars there? Where are we? I knew there was a Creator of the world, that we are not alone. But I kept searching — what am I doing here?"

This search unfolded alongside one of the most promising theatrical paths in Israel. Zisman-Cohen grew up in a warm, supportive, and nurturing Israeli home that gave her full backing to pursue anything she dreamed of. And dream she did, while turning those dreams into reality. Her talent poured out naturally; before she even finished her studies at acting school, she found herself filming movies alongside major directors, paving a smooth and rapid road to the young ensemble of Habima Theatre. "Everything was open to me, nothing required extreme effort; it simply flowed."

Behind the Tel Aviv Glamour

Yet behind the glittering Tel Aviv stage, a completely different soundtrack began to play.

The great success was not long in coming, but with it came a moment of jarring sobering realization. Zisman-Cohen recalls a glittering premiere at Habima Theatre, where she performed alongside Gila Almagor. "The evening ended, everyone went home, the applause remained in the auditorium, and I returned alone to my Tel Aviv apartment," she describes. "Nothing remained. You have to go downstairs to walk the dog in Meir Park, and everything is empty. You try to recreate, time and again, that same catharsis of love and embraces from the audience, but then it ends and nothing enduring is left there. I started asking myself: what is actually left here?"

This question led her, at just 21 years old, to walk down Carlebach Street in Tel Aviv and notice a sign that would change her life: "Love that is not contingent upon anything — the point within the heart, a Kabbalah class." She stepped inside and met lecturer Moshe Sharon, who uttered a single sentence that echoed deeply within her soul: "The world is a large person, and a person is a small world; whatever exists in this, exists in that."

"I was astounded by this idea," she recalls. "I understood that all the rivers, all the streams, all the animals and things in the world — everything exists within me. Every action I take affects the world, and everything happening in the world affects me. We are one. I would walk around Tel Aviv with the dog, look at people on the street, and tell myself: 'He is within me, and everything exists inside me.' That is where a serious and deep process of spiritual awakening began."

Living in Two Worlds

For many years, Zisman-Cohen danced at two weddings. On one hand, she remained a sought-after actress gracing magazine covers and climbing to the peak of her profession; on the other, she began keeping Shabbat, adhering strictly to kosher laws, studying Tanya, and praying every morning.

She met her future husband, Morris, during the period when she was taking her first steps in Judaism. Their connection was built on absolute honesty from the very beginning. "I told him on our first date: 'Listen, I keep Shabbat, I want family purity, keeping kosher; this is my home and this is the character I want to raise my children in,'" she recounts. To her surprise, he too carried similar yearnings within him, and their bond became a strong anchor of shared spiritual growth while navigating the heart of the industry.

Although the lifestyle inside their home became meticulous and deeply observant, outwardly she continued acting in films and traveling to international festivals abroad. "I would travel to Jewish communities around the world, speaking and strengthening people. People didn't know how to handle me: on one hand, a leading actress in a successful film, and on the other hand, strictly observing Shabbat."

Saying No to Hollywood

The breaking point and ultimate decision arrived around the age of 32, right before the birth of their eldest daughter, Hadassah. During that time, an especially tempting offer arrived from across the ocean: an agent in London and senior executives in Los Angeles opened a door to Hollywood, promising top-tier meetings and speaking volumes about the international career awaiting her.

"It felt as though I had a good angel and a bad angel sitting on my shoulders," Rotem describes of that dramatic moment. "The good angel told me: 'You need to be a mother, that is infinite, it’s like a monster eating a cookie and just wanting more and more.' And conversely, the evil inclination whispered in my head: 'So what? You’ll be a huge actress in Hollywood and declare that you're a Jewish-Israeli.' I finished the call with him, burst into tremendous tears, and told myself: 'I want to be a mother.' I picked up the phone and told him: 'Sorry, it ends here.'"

Giving up a Hollywood dream and glittering career roles was not trivial for a 21st-century career woman, but according to her, her daughter's soul was waiting for the moment she would become a worthy and settled vessel. "Hadassah's soul looked down from above and said: 'I cannot come to such a mother, I need you settled.' And when I was truly there — I got pregnant."

Practicing Faith Every Day

Today, Zisman-Cohen is in an entirely different place. She leads Challah-separation evenings, speaks about consciousness work, and teaches women about the Jewish method of clearing the subconscious, releasing negative memories, and understanding that every conflict we encounter in life is actually a mirror directed at us from above.

When asked what advice she has for people who feel their connection and closeness to the Creator weakening due to the pressure and noise of daily life, her answer is unequivocal: "To practice faith."

"I place sticky notes for myself everywhere at home and on my phone: 'There is nothing besides Him,' 'No evil descends from above,' 'God loves me,'" she reveals as the secret to her inner calm. "It’s not that I reached some supreme level of holiness and stayed there; I practice it fresh every single morning. Life is a daily reminder of where we came from, where we are going, and who is truly directing this amazing movie called the world."