From Israel to Los Angeles and back to Israel, Michelle Rosenbach’s early experience at the Rothberg International School helped shape a life driven by tikkun olam. Born in Israel, Michelle and her family moved to Los Angeles, CA, when she was four years old. Her childhood would bring her back to Israel frequently to visit family in Haifa, but the Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School was her first chance to experience the country like never before. “This was my only time spending an extended length of time in Jerusalem. I loved getting to know Jerusalem. We were incredibly lucky to be there when it was still possible to explore the old city freely, pre-intifada.” These experiences shaped Michelle’s outlook on Israel, and her love for the Hebrew University.

Michelle happened upon the Hebrew University during her time at UCLA. Two close friends were attending the Rothberg program and encouraged Michelle to join. “I was excited to do so, for the adventure and to reconnect with my Israeli roots.” Michelle found the experience to be transformational. “It was the first time I could recall living in a place where I didn’t need to think about being Jewish. I felt Jewish simply by breathing the air around me. I felt a level of community and connectedness that I’d never experienced growing up in Los Angeles.”

What are her favorite memories from HU? There are so many! “Two highlights that stand out: I studied Russian language in Hebrew. That was crazy and honestly didn’t last beyond one semester. I was a second-year Russian language student, and my Hebrew was pretty good, but not good enough for that! Another highlight was a course about the history of Jerusalem, which included several field trips. I loved it!”

Beyond classes, Michelle flourished and transformed on so many levels. “My year in Jerusalem was my first time being truly away and on my own. I grew in so many ways, as an individual, and as a student. I also met my husband there. We were both part of the UC EAP program, and we’ve now been married for 33 wonderful years.”

Michelle has kept that feeling alive and brought it back to AFHU and her local community. She is currently a co-chair of AFHU’s Western Region Alumni Group. Along with fellow alumni Mindy Mann and her husband, Marc Rosenbach, they have put on several events designed to engage alumni in the Los Angeles area. They have hosted speakers from the Hebrew University, done a wine tasting, organized an event at an Israeli restaurant, and more. Their goal is to grow the alumni group and create programming to keep the alumni active. “I think it’s important to grow support for AFHU in whatever ways we can. Keeping alumni engaged and reminding them of the joy they experienced studying at Rothberg is personally satisfying as well as important for the future support of the University. My hope for the future is to keep alumni engaged and excited about their time at Rothberg. Doing so is a beautiful way of creating a community that we can all benefit from. I also hope that an active alumni group will help encourage more students to attend Rothberg.”