It’s not too often that an employee gets a choice of where to go on assignment but when given the opportunity to choose of course you would select one of your favorite places and where your family could also travel along.  That’s exactly what happened to Mayim Bialik with her recent journey to Israel for CBS Watch Magazine.  After a harried trip to Paris on her 2013   location assignment, Bialik told The Jerusalem Post of her good fortune:

“I went with them to Paris two years ago and when they asked me where I wanted to do it this time, I said Israel. I was amazed they took me up on it.” 

As with her previous experience, the majority of the crew was from France, Italy and England but had never visited Israel before but “I think that’s kind of amazing,” Bialik enthused as she described the crew’s response to Israel as “overwhelmingly positive.”

 “The country is far more complicated and fantastic than they had imagined and they can go back and report that Israel is a beautiful place that people can tour and take children to and it has great food and nightlife…that’s an amazing outcome,” she stated.

Here she is with stylist  Fabio Mercurio in Tele Aviv.

on Jun 26, 2015 at 4:33am PDT

 The photo shoot crew scouting locations in Jerusalem – “One Week Ago in Jerusalem, around the Holy City for location scouting with the best crew ever for cbswatchmag ” – Fabio Mercurio      

on Jul 6, 2015 at 1:33pm PDT

on Jun 24, 2015 at 6:21am PDT

Bialik’s publicist, Heather Weiss,  was also on location and posted a farewell photo at the end of the shoot.

A photo posted by Heather W () on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:02am PDT

 

Before the work portion of Bialik’s trip wrapped up she did several interviews and some of the behind the scenes photos were captured by social media outlets.

 

Spotted, a glamorous on the streets of Tel Aviv!

— Culture Trip TLV ()

 

on Jun 30, 2015 at 11:01am PDT

 

A video posted by Persy Haute-Couture () on Jun 29, 2015 at 10:03am PDT

     

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Once the work week was completed Bialik who traveled to Israel with her children and (ex) mother-in-law for ten days, was able to visit friends and family. The actress who has family from her mother’s side that lives in the West Bank, has traveled with her children to the area before,  is aware that her arrival stirs controversy, shared her thoughts on this topic with the Jerusalem Post, “I don’t consider it a political statement to visit the West Bank and I avoid talking politics with them [her family].”   While savoring her visit she did reflect on the sobering effect that hate-filled statements on her social media accounts have on her.  

“I’m very clear on what anti-Semitism looks like,“ and she emphasized in the interview that the hate is not connected to her politics, but solely her presence in Isreal.  She has let it be known that her accounts are not a place for hate, by asserting she would take action on those who choose to spread their venomous comments.

Bialik, who has often spoken of the community feel she encounters in Israel, continues to express her undeterred love and support for the country, offered on this occasion that she, “revels in the safety and comfort she feels when she brings her two sons to Israel. Referring to the small size of the country and the relaxed and warm culture, she feels she can give her children more independence when visiting Israel. “I’ve been asked to watch other people’s kids while they run into the supermarket – it’s like one big family,” she says by way of explanation.”

Once her sojourn was complete she returned to her home in LA to prepare for her next set of appointments, we now know for one that she would be headed to the San Diego Comic Con. There she would once again be answering the burning questions about the Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler relationship on The Big Bang Theory, where the Emmy-nominated actress would return in August, for her sixth season with the show.   

A photo posted by mayim bialik () on Jul 2, 2015 at 12:41pm PDT

The season 8 finale cliffhanger left fans wondering if there was a break up with of the beloved popular sitcom couple and what their romantic future holds after closing with a heartbroken Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, holding a possible engagement ring. While in Israel, Bialik claimed to the Jerusalem Post : “that she knew nothing about the show writers’ future plans, she anticipates “whatever works with the strangeness that is Sheldon and Amy – it’s clear that neither of them will ever have a conventional relationship.”

The Big Bang Theory cast returns from hiatus on August 5th with the season 9 premiere scheduled for Monday, September 21st on CBS.