From a Successful Career in America to a Life of Torah: One Woman's Journey of Faith

As a young girl, Yael Yaarit Avraham loved spending time on the spacious rooftop of her family's home. It was a lively gathering place where relatives and friends regularly came together for barbecues, parties, and celebrations. For Yael however, the rooftop held a far more personal significance.

"In the evenings, I would climb up to the roof alone, curl up in a corner, and spend hours gazing at the stars and talking to Hashem," she recalls. "I would sing, reflect, and connect with myself and with God, speaking to Him in the simple words of a six-year-old girl."

That deep sense of spiritual connection remained with her as she grew older, although it did not initially translate into religious observance. "I grew up in a traditional Yemenite Jewish home, surrounded by a love of Judaism and the Land of Israel," Yael explains. "My parents taught us the importance of modesty, family values, and respectful speech. We celebrated the holidays and felt deeply connected to Jewish tradition, but we didn't observe all the mitzvot according to halachah."

Looking back, Yael recognizes the profound influence her parents had on her eventual spiritual transformation. "My parents are the most important figures in my life. Their belief in me, their encouragement, and their unconditional support for the path I eventually chose gave me tremendous strength. My mother often tells me that her friends used to tease her, saying, 'Look how much you prayed for your daughter, and look what happened! You must have prayed too much.' I think they were right. My mother's prayers certainly weren't in vain."

A Successful Career and a Search for Something More

From an early age, Yael was ambitious, creative, and determined. She studied music, acting, painting, and sculpture, dreaming of one day holding art exhibitions. She also imagined herself managing a chain of hotels. Practical considerations led her to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics, with plans to continue toward a doctorate. By her early twenties, she had moved to the United States, where she was managing a sales operation across several states.

Despite her professional success, Yael remained deeply interested in spirituality and personal introspection. "I was drawn to spiritual communication and the idea that a person could close their eyes, connect with Hashem, and sense the right direction," she explains. "I loved being able to ask a question and feel that an answer had come to me."

She recalls one particularly difficult professional decision involving a major change in her work and travel plans. "I didn't know what to do, so I sat quietly and tried to connect with myself and with Hashem. Suddenly, I felt a very clear answer. I also asked a friend in Israel to reflect on the situation, and she independently reached the same conclusion."

Yael did not associate these experiences with becoming religious. "I never imagined myself doing teshuvah. I didn't even understand what the term really meant. In fact, I had very negative opinions about the Haredi community. I couldn't understand why people needed to be so strict about clothing, language, or everyday behavior. I had an argument against practically everything, even the food they ate!"

Meanwhile, changes were taking place within her own family. Her brother became religiously observant, followed by her sister, who began strengthening her observance after getting married. Yael, however, remained firmly opposed, until an unexpected invitation challenged everything she thought she knew.

"What Do You Mean I Need a Values Seminar?"

One day, a close male friend excitedly told Yael that his brother had taken him to a Torah lecture. Several days later, he announced that he was attending a three-day seminar. Yael paid little attention to his enthusiasm until he returned.

"On Saturday night, he appeared on our rooftop practically glowing," she recalls. "He began enthusiastically repeating everything he'd heard at the seminar, including the lectures and stories. I could barely listen to him."

Then came a suggestion she found deeply offensive. "He told me, 'You have to experience this too. I asked the rabbi, and there's a seminar for women next week. You can register.'"

Yael was outraged. "'A seminar? A values seminar? Are you suggesting I don't have values?' I demanded. 'How dare you!'"

Her friend tried unsuccessfully to explain himself, but Yael had already decided she wanted nothing to do with the idea. "He asked me to think about it, so I told him, 'Fine, I'll think about it. There, I've thought about it, and the answer is no. Goodbye!'"

She assumed the matter was closed, but that night, she couldn't sleep.

A Message Written in Black and White

When Yael found herself unable to sleep the following night as well, she began wondering whether the invitation had unsettled her for a reason. "I realized something unusual was happening. I stopped trying to fall asleep, closed my eyes, and turned to Hashem."

Her request was remarkably specific. "'Hashem, if there's a connection between my inability to sleep and this seminar, please give me an answer. I want it in black and white. Not in a dream, not through a vague hint, but clearly, in black and white.'"

The following morning, an unusual exercise took place at work. An hour into the day, every employee received an envelope containing a personal message. When Yael opened hers, she was stunned. "On a white sheet of paper, written in black ink, were three lines: 'Don't act on instinct. Go and investigate things properly and systematically.'"

To Yael, the message felt like a direct response to her prayer. "It was so precise that I could no longer ignore it."

She decided to attend the seminar. The lectures introduced her to questions about Judaism she had never seriously considered. Although she found many of the answers compelling, she remained determined not to change her lifestyle. "When I left, I jokingly announced, 'Back to my sins!' The lecturers still remember that remark today."

But something had already begun to shift.

The Beginning of a Spiritual Transformation

Two weeks later, Yael attended a lecture on astrology in Judaism, a subject that particularly interested her. "Suddenly, everything began falling into place," she recalls. "I discovered how much I didn't know and how many answers Judaism offered to questions I'd been exploring elsewhere."

The realization was unsettling. She was beginning to recognize that her beliefs were changing, even though part of her desperately wanted to resist. "I kept wanting to surround myself with friends who opposed becoming religious. I thought they would keep me from changing. But when you're genuinely connected to your inner self, you understand that once you've asked a question and found an answer, you can't simply pretend it doesn't exist."

Eventually, Yael accepted that she wanted to build a life guided by Torah and mitzvot. Her friend continued studying Judaism and entered Rabbi Malka's yeshiva in Moshav Achi'ezer, while Yael enrolled in Midreshet Sela in Bnei Brak. Throughout the process, Rabbi and Rabbanit Lasri, along with her extended family, provided guidance and encouragement.

"The transition was enormous compared with the world I'd come from," she explains. "But once I decide to do something, I want to do it properly. I wasn't interested in halfway measures. At the same time, I knew I needed to move slowly and steadily, without making reckless changes."

The journey was not easy, but Yael felt increasingly confident in her decision. "I came to understand that this was what had been missing from my life for twenty-five years. I also discovered how much blessing Shabbat brings into a person's life."

An Extraordinary Experience During Sukkot

About a month after beginning her journey toward religious observance, Yael encountered an experience that she still remembers vividly.

"Some friends invited me on a two-day trip to northern Israel, and I agreed without giving much thought to the dates. Only after we arrived did I realize that it was the second festival day of Sukkot."

By then, Yael had begun observing Yom Tov and did not want to travel by car during the holiday. "I told my friends, 'It's Yom Tov. I'm not leaving until the holiday ends. If necessary, I'll find another way home afterward.'"

Her friends were astonished and pressured her to join them. Eventually, just two hours before the holiday ended, she reluctantly agreed. "I told myself that Hashem would forgive me because only two hours remained. But I felt terrible." As she sat in the car, she silently pleaded with God. "'Please, Hashem, help me. I don't want to travel during the holiday, but I don't know how to stay here alone. Please make a miracle for me.'"

Then something unexpected happened. "Suddenly, we discovered that the road was completely blocked. An enormous boulder, about the size of four cars, was obstructing the only exit from the area." The group had no choice but to wait. "For two full hours, we sat in the car, unable to leave. Then, at the exact moment the holiday ended, a tow vehicle arrived and cleared the road."

Yael still marvels at the experience. "It was unbelievable, but it really happened. I felt that Heaven had helped me keep my commitment. It gave me tremendous strength."

The Challenge of Changing Her Lifestyle

Although Yael was increasingly confident in her decision to become observant, putting that commitment into practice was sometimes difficult. "The greatest challenges involved modest dress, leaving behind familiar forms of entertainment, and adjusting my relationships with friends and extended family," she recalls.

At first, she was so concerned about her mother's reaction that she concealed her new clothing. "I remember going to Torah classes with a skirt and jacket hidden in my car. I didn't want my mother to see them and become anxious about the changes I was making."

Transitioning to wearing skirts exclusively took time. "It was very difficult for me. But eventually, Hashem gave me the strength to take the plunge. One day, I went shopping with a friend, bought five skirts, and got rid of all my pants. From that moment, the change was final."

For Yael, the transformation was not simply about clothing. It represented a deeper commitment to living according to the values she had come to embrace. "Once I knew this was the right path, the question was no longer whether I would follow it, but how to do so responsibly. I wanted to make the changes without hurting others and remain faithful to the commitments I'd made."

A Wedding That Surprised Everyone

Less than a year after beginning their spiritual journeys, Yael and the friend who had originally introduced her to the seminar decided to marry. Their wedding surprised many relatives and friends. Despite their backgrounds, the couple chose a fully traditional Haredi wedding, with separate seating and dancing for men and women.

"It was a tremendous challenge," Yael admits. "I had only three months to rethink all the wedding plans and dreams I'd imagined throughout my life. I barely knew what music would be played or how the hall should be arranged."

She also struggled to distinguish between strict halachic requirements and additional religious stringencies. "There were tears and emotional upheavals throughout the preparations. Thankfully, my aunts and uncles guided me with extraordinary patience and support. I still thank Hashem for them."

More than 600 guests attended the wedding, including many who were not religiously observant. "Some guests found the separation between men and women difficult to accept. But Baruch Hashem, the wedding took place according to the standards of modesty and halachah we had chosen."

Many rabbis and staff members attended and joined in the celebration. But one person's happiness stood out above everyone else's. "My father, of blessed memory, was the happiest person there. All his hidden dreams had come true."

Only then did Yael remember a letter he had written while she was living in the United States. "He'd written, 'Come home and marry a God-fearing man.' At the time, I laughed. I couldn't understand why he was talking about marrying someone religious. What did that have to do with me?"

At her wedding, those words took on an entirely new meaning.

Choosing Faith Over Financial Security

Marriage brought new challenges, particularly as Yael and her husband adjusted to their religious lifestyle. "There were difficulties involving family celebrations, the names we chose for our children, and events we no longer felt comfortable attending," she explains. "The beginning of the journey is often the most exciting part. Later, you discover that maintaining your commitments requires constant effort."

Nevertheless, the couple remained determined to build their home together. "We were fortunate to make our changes gradually and thoughtfully. We supported one another and kept moving forward. Spiritual growth never really ends."

One of Yael's greatest concerns was financial security. She had grown up in a financially comfortable home and enjoyed considerable professional success. Now, she was preparing for a different kind of life, one in which her husband might devote himself to full-time Torah study rather than pursue a conventional career.

"I remember crying to Hashem and asking, 'Master of the Universe, what will happen? My mother will never accept the idea of me living in poverty.'"

Seeking reassurance, she opened a book of Tehillim at random. "It opened to Psalm 55, and without looking, my finger landed directly on the verse: 'Cast your burden upon Hashem, and He will sustain you' (Psalms 55:23)."

For Yael, the words were deeply comforting. "What clearer sign could I have asked for?"

Rebuilding a Career Around Her Values

Finding her professional direction within her new lifestyle required patience. Before becoming observant, Yael had worked in banking while also running a private event production business, organizing celebrations, conferences, birthdays, and other events. But as she began embracing Torah observance, she decided to step away from the business.

"I realized that I was entering a world I still knew very little about. I didn't want to make mistakes or become involved in things that conflicted with my new values." What followed was a lengthy period of uncertainty. "The hardest part was accepting that Hashem wanted me to wait, to be patient while the next stage of my life gradually took shape."

Nearly five years passed before she felt ready to return to her business. "I had to rebuild it from the ground up, creating a new identity, image, and direction that reflected the lifestyle I'd chosen." Once she returned, however, she embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly, offering event production services to Haredi businesses and private clients.

Yet even today, she acknowledges that maintaining her principles sometimes comes at a professional cost. "One of my biggest challenges is that I don't use WhatsApp. I conduct my business entirely through a kosher phone, which can be inconvenient for suppliers and clients."

She knows that some might view this as an unnecessary limitation, particularly when her livelihood is involved. "I understand that I could probably consult a rabbi and receive permission to use additional technology for work. But I've decided that this is my personal boundary, and I don't want to cross it."

For Yael, remaining faithful to that decision is part of her ongoing spiritual journey. "It's a choice I make again and again."

A Journey That Began With a Childhood Prayer

Looking back, Yael sees a remarkable connection between the little girl who once climbed onto her family's rooftop to speak with Hashem and the woman she eventually became.

Her path took her through academic studies, professional success in America, artistic ambitions, spiritual exploration, and profound personal change. Yet throughout those experiences, she continued searching for a deeper connection with God.

The transformation was neither immediate nor effortless. It required her to reconsider long-held beliefs, change familiar habits, navigate complicated family relationships, and rebuild aspects of her professional life.

But Yael believes that every stage brought her closer to the life she was meant to lead. What began as the innocent prayers of a six-year-old girl beneath the stars eventually developed into a lifelong commitment to Torah and mitzvot.

And for Yael, the journey continues. "Spiritual growth never ends," she says. "There is always another opportunity to move forward and strengthen our connection with Hashem."