Originally from the United States, business owner and writer Lauren Adilev knew from a young age that she wanted to make aliyah. At age 9, she attended a youth group meeting and was captivated by the stories the counselors told her about Israel. It was at that moment that she knew she wanted to move to Israel one day, and although it took some time, she's now here and lives in Kiryat Arba.
When she was 18 years old, Lauren attended the international students program at Tel Aviv University, where she studied Jewish history. She fondly recalled enjoying her classes and that she loved the freedom of being able to travel all over Israel, back when bus rides only cost a few shekels and hostels were relatively cheap.
After finishing her studies, Lauren returned to Israel in 1989 and lived in Tel Aviv during the Gulf War in 1993. This period was challenging, she shared, and there were days when she had to survive on just two agorot. Once the war ended, she celebrated by attending a Shlomo Artzi concert.
After a brief return to the US to take care of her grandmother z"l, who was sick at the time, Lauren finally made aliyah in 1996. She started off living in several communities near Jerusalem, including Efrat and the Gush, before moving to Kiryat Arba in 2023.
Before starting her career, Lauren studied at She’arim in Jerusalem, a vibrant women’s midrasha where she made lifelong friends. She then worked in marketing and sales for several publications before founding Turn Write This Way, a boutique content agency.
Currently, she is editing October 7th: Mired in Hell, a novel set during the recent war in Gaza that blends drama, romance, and comedy. Once editing is complete, she plans to release it as an e-book and later work on marketing, author appearances, and print distribution.
Lauren loves writing and has a particular fondness for biographies. Among her favorite projects were writing the life story of a Holocaust survivor from Vienna during the Anschluss, a memoir for a South African World War II soldier in India, and a Londoner who took part in the D-Day invasion.
From writing to entrepreneurship
She also creates bio-cookbooks, combining family stories with recipes, and loves her clients. Lauren has built an extensive career developing marketing materials, updating resumes, and contributing health and lifestyle articles to magazines and newspapers on five continents.
When she isn’t editing or writing, Lauren is busy running her side hustle - Clutter’s Last Stand (Facebook page). Using her background in grief counseling, she provides an empathetic touch to help clients discard, downsize, and find more space - emotionally and physically.
Although Lauren enjoys working with clients, her family is her greatest joy. Her daughter Meira is married to Mordechai, and the couple recently welcomed their first son. Her 18-year-old son Naphtali attends mechina (a pre-army program) on a kibbutz near the Dead Sea.
Reflecting on the many changes she has experienced since making aliyah and her hopes for the future, Lauren responded, “I feel like I’m always rebuilding, living life 4.0. There’s always a new version! I definitely hope to remarry - I want to share my special triple-cinnamon coffee with someone at my side.”
She also has more projects in mind, such as her vision of developing a neighborhood of small homes within an established community. She envisions a “hood” where residents can get together, share coffee on their porches, and run errands together.
“The goal is that people won’t be alone on Shabbat or during the hagim.There are so many areas with room to build. I don’t need luxury, just a small home where I can invite family and work comfortably,” she says.
Overall, Lauren is happy living in Israel. She enjoys spending time with friends and exploring the country’s nature reserves and is always eager to meet new people, form more connections, and visit new places.
“I really miss the old Israel, before technology and shopping malls. Life felt calmer, and people were friendlier. Once on Pesach, I asked for directions, and a couple invited me for lunch! Nowadays, I attend a shul where no one says hi. Spending Shabbat alone is hard, but I’m thrilled that my family is thriving - my children are independent and resilient.”
Lauren encourages readers to reach out to learn more about her business services or her new community initiative. You can contact her here: lauren88adilev@gmail.com.