Rotem Cohen

Rotem Cohen passed away on September 25, 2026 in his home surrounded by his beloved family. He was born on May 11, 1960 on Kibbutz Alonim in North Central Israel to Mira and Yacuba Cohen. He was the second of three siblings, born six years after his sister Noga and four years before his brother Raz. Rotem described an idyllic childhood on Kibbutz Alonim. Kibbutz philosophy and culture valued communal living, and Rotem lived in a children’s house with 19 of his peers from the time he was just a few weeks old. To this day, he remains in touch with all of his former classmates. Despite this communal living arrangement, Rotem was extremely close with his nuclear family, and lived with them during four years of his childhood and adolescence when his father worked abroad. He spent two years as a young child in Iran, and two years as a teenager in Italy, both formative periods of his life that he reflected upon with great fondness. Although Rotem made the decision to live in the United States, he always considered Kibbutz Alonim his home. He was determined that his children speak Hebrew, and Rotem and his family travelled to Israel every year to spend time with his parents and siblings. Rotem maintained strong and enduring relationships with Israel, with the kibbutz, with his family and with his many friends there.

Rotem met his wife Leslie in 1983 when she came to Kibbutz Alonim to do an Ulpan (a course in the Hebrew language and Israeli history). They left Israel together a year later, traveled in Europe, and then went to the states where they settled in Boston. They married in 1985 when Rotem received a letter requiring him to self-deport for overstaying a tourist visa, but 41 years later, neither Rotem nor Leslie had any regrets. They have two children, Elan and Barry. Rotem was infinitely proud of his boys and could not have asked for two more loving, kind, and generous sons. He could talk with Elan for hours at a time about history and politics, and he was thrilled to see Walt’s Farm grow and flourish under Barry and his wife Courtney’s patient stewardship. During the last year of Rotem’s life, he derived tremendous strength from their continual presence and support. Rotem was blessed to have one granddaughter, Cora, who he adored. During the last year of his life, she was his shining light and an endless source of joy.

Professionally, Rotem was a woodworker. Mostly self-taught, he became a master craftsman and built custom cabinets and other fine wood pieces. He was an avid reader, an armchair historian, a political pundit on topics both Israeli and American and a highly skilled do-it-yourselfer. He had an unbridled passion for music, soccer (both watching and playing), and making beer. He played soccer right up until the day of his diagnosis, and referred to his weekly games as his therapy sessions. When he wasn’t playing, he was watching the English premier league, especially his beloved team Liverpool.

Rotem is survived by his wife Leslie, his sons Elan and Barry, his daughter-in-law Courtney, his granddaughter Cora, his sister Noga and her husband Iftach, his brother Raz and his wife Keren, his brother in-law Brian and his wife Simone, his many nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog Willow who, throughout his illness, never left his side. In the final year of his life, Rotem was given the tremendous gift of knowing just how loved he was. His family and friends provided him with with so much joy, support and love. From the time of his diagnosis to his very last day, he was encircled in a giant hug. He surely knew that he never walked alone.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, September 28, 2026 at 10:30 am at Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel, 458 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island. A graveside burial will follow in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence. People should wear informal clothes and come dressed the way Rotem would.

For those unable to attend services you can join via live stream at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89524766238?pwd=CvufxrIic2HlJr7h1DpWmokWnoLFCz.1

Shiva will be observed on Tuesday 9/29 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm and Wednesday 9/30 from 10:00 to 2:00 pm at Leslie and Rotem's home in Providence. For more information please contact the funeral home.

For those wishing to make a donation in his honor, Rotem loved Project Goal, a local nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and youth through Education and Soccer (https://www.projectgoal.org/how-to-donate)

The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF), a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 800 bereaved Palestinians and Israelis members, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. Despite their profound grief, the members have chosen a unique and courageous path: to transform their pain into a force for reconciliation, dialogue, and peace. (https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/contribution_eng/)