Israeli Actress Rotem Zissman-Cohen on Choosing Torah Over Hollywood

Actress Rotem Zissman-Cohen began her journey toward teshuvah several years ago, while her husband, actor Morris Cohen, has also been growing stronger in his religious observance. In a recent interview, Zissman-Cohen opened up about how her relationship with success, acting, and ambition changed as she grew closer to Judaism—and why she ultimately chose a different path from the one that could have taken her to Hollywood.

“In everything I do, I always think about holiness,” she said. “Instead of saying, ‘Come see me—what a talented actress I am, I’m the most talented and the best,’ it became, ‘Okay, the Creator gave me cards. I’m a good actress, I know how to speak and host. That’s what He gave me. These are the cards, and this is what I play with.’”

Rather than viewing her talents solely as personal achievements, Zissman-Cohen began to see them as gifts she had been given and needed to use with purpose.

The Moment She Had to Choose

Asked what sparked this change, Zissman-Cohen explained that there were several significant moments along the way.

“I have several moments like that. There were times when I felt nauseated. But the main moment was when I wanted to become a mother.”

At the time, her acting career appeared to be opening doors internationally.

“I made a film in Morocco, started auditioning abroad, and Morris and I said, ‘Come on, let’s pack up. We’ll go to Los Angeles for a while.’”

But at 32, she found herself confronting a major decision about the life she truly wanted.

“Suddenly I felt that, on one hand, either I become a mother—I kick everything aside and I don’t care—or I go for it and become a mother at 37, have one child. There are lots of actresses with one child, even without children.”

For Zissman-Cohen, the choice represented far more than a decision about where to live or what career opportunity to pursue. It forced her to consider which path she wanted her life to take.

“The Real Hollywood Is the Tree of Life”

“I felt I had to choose in that moment,” she recalled. “If I went, I knew I would become a ‘mega-star.’ I knew it.”

She described the opportunity as one of those pivotal moments when life can suddenly move in an entirely different direction.

“Look, doors revolve in life, and there was a revolving door there.”

But when asked whether she regrets choosing not to pursue that path, her answer was unequivocal.

“Chas v’shalom. The real Hollywood is the Tree of Life that I encountered—the holy Torah. I don’t miss it.”

For Zissman-Cohen, stepping away from the possibility of Hollywood did not ultimately feel like giving something up. As her connection to Torah deepened, her understanding of success itself changed. The career she once might have chased was no longer the ultimate goal. Instead, she found meaning in motherhood, holiness, and using the talents she believes the Creator gave her for a greater purpose.