From chemistry to cakes: How aliyah inspired an organic chemist’s entrepreneurial spirit

Tamar Wiener’s journey to Israel wasn’t a straightforward path but rather one shaped by family, loss, and a renewed sense of purpose. 

Born to an Israeli father and an Argentinian-Israeli mother, Wiener spent her early childhood in Netanya before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, but returned to Israel several times over the years. Although she enjoyed visiting Israel, she had never considered calling it home. However, losing loved ones sometimes brings clarity you weren’t expecting to find.

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Wiener’s aliyah journey didn’t officially begin until 2018 when she returned to Israel to bury her mother after a battle with cancer. In that moment of grief, clarity emerged, and Wiener realized that Israel was where she belonged. 

“I’d always thought of Israel as a place to visit, but that trip made me see it as home,” said the 33-year-old founder and owner of Beatriz Bakery. “It felt like I was coming back to where I was meant to be.”

Alongside her trusty canine companion Henry, a now 11-year-old rescue dog from Austin Pets Alive! in Austin, Texas, Wiener decided to move back. 

Making aliyah six and a half years ago not only meant reuniting with her siblings and other family members, many of whom had remained in Israel throughout the years or had returned of their own accord, but it also impelled Wiener to make a career shift she hadn’t anticipated.

With an Israeli father and a mother who immigrated to Israel from Argentina, Wiener is one of the best possible examples of Israel’s founders’ goals for its future. She came to Israel to put down roots and build her future; by moving back permanently, she pushed herself to bring her dreams to fruition.

As the owner of Beatriz Bakery, Wiener has embraced a community of entrepreneurs who have contributed to Israel’s image of the land of opportunity. The friendships she made while developing her craft and building her business model would act as her cheerleaders in the interim.

Organic roots

A lifelong organic chemistry enthusiast, Wiener had once been so absorbed by her passion for the hard science that she considered it as a career. After teaching more than 2,000 students and working in green chemistry and pharmaceutical start-ups, her path took an unexpected turn during a gap year. Feeling the need for change, she took a job washing dishes at a casual eatery in Austin, where her love for food began to surface.

“Looking back, I still have a passion for chemistry. I was obsessed with it,” she recalled. “But I knew I couldn’t stay in that field forever.”

After moving to Israel, Wiener briefly worked in a restaurant, where her Hebrew skills, which had faded over the years, were put to the test. The frustration of not being able to read labels and menus fueled her determination to reconnect with the language. But soon after, she left the restaurant industry, initially hesitant to start her own business.

“I had friends who’d opened businesses and failed, especially in food. It scared me,” Wiener admitted. But a severe hand injury during the COVID-19 pandemic led to months of occupational therapy, and it was during that time she rekindled her love for baking – cakes, specifically.

Starting as a way to regain mobility in her hand, baking soon became a passion. Friends who tasted her creations urged her to open a business. “After hearing it enough times, I finally did it,” she said.

Beatriz Bakery was born, as a tribute to her mother and her family’s tradition of celebrating with food. Wiener’s mother wasn’t a professional chef, but she took great pride in making special cakes for every family occasion. That legacy lives on through Wiener’s creations, which have quickly become popular across Israel, including among the Jerusalem Post’s staff.

While Wiener’s mother inspired the opening of her business, she credits her father’s love and support as crucial to accomplishing her goals. “He always instilled great pride in not only being Jewish but also being Israeli,” Wiener recalled from her childhood. 

When she was a child in Cincinnati, he’d show her a book of photos from Israel, telling her the history of those places, and even slip in his own experiences in each place. She felt a strong sense of homecoming from those stories alone.

“My dad is very special to me and really focused on teaching me how to ask questions and remain curious,” she noted. 

“I was always connected to the culture and religion because of him. I am deeply grateful that he did that because it led me to make aliyah. I’m grateful that I get to share my love and talent for desserts in this country, and the reason why I’m in this country is because both of my parents, particularly my dad, spent a lot of time making sure that I understand where I come from and that I felt connected to it and proud of it, even while living in Ohio.”

Divine intervention

Alongside a growing business, Wiener has been awarded opportunities to curate custom culinary experiences for groups, enabling her to enhance her skill set. One of these experiences was running a kitchen at the annual Midburn festival, which was initially set to end on Oct. 7, 2023, but was pushed back to accomodate the Supernova festival in Re’im.

Since she was now free that weekend, Wiener considered going to Supernova and looked for a ticket. A sudden case of COVID stopped her from going – saving her from a gruesome fate. A member of Midburn leadership was murdered at the festival, the head of accounting. She was the primary person responsible for processing the refunds after the event’s cancellation, leaving no recourse for some 10,000 people who would need to be refunded.

Instead of imagining the fine dining experience she had spent months planning for her camp, she found herself imagining what could have been had Midburn been the scene of the massacre. That thought has run through Wiener’s head for a year at this point.

“What would we have done? I recall the video where you see the bodies throughout the vendor booth. Would I have hidden in the refrigerator? My mind has put together images of how it could have played out,” Wiener said. “Your brain plays tricks on you; is there another dimension in which I would have been one of those people? It’s hard to imagine.

“Put aside being a chef; had anything happened, how would I and the other camp heads have been able to be responsible? As one of the leaders of the camp, I am now feeling this weight. I feel like a camp mom,” Wiener added.

Through heartache and loss, feeding her loved ones became another coping mechanism that allowed her to put internalized pain to good use for those around her. Baking and creating delicious dishes would become a healthy distraction.

Wiener’s mother was not a chef; she was a scientist. “From day one, food, hospitality, [and] celebrations were always big. She wasn’t a cake decorator, but she would spend hours working, taking care of us, and then stay up all night making these special cakes for us,” Wiener told the Magazine. 

“It was important for my parents to see us happy. My mom had this cake decorating book; [it was] really old from the ’70s. She would try to follow along.”

Wiener reminisced: “I was basically her sous chef growing up.”

This continued until her mother’s last days. Amid intense grief over what was to come, Wiener chose to ignore her birthday as her mother’s condition worsened. Passing away within weeks of her daughter’s birthday, her mother still insisted on providing her a cake while on her deathbed.

“She sent my stepsister to get a blue grocery store cake. She sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me – quite literally one of the last audio memories I have of my mom. Within days, she could no longer speak,” Wiener said.

That memory would follow her for years into the future.

Running a bakery has brought its challenges. The first year was tough, but word-of-mouth recommendations helped Wiener build a loyal clientele. “I’ve spent so long perfecting my craft that I’m confident in it. That’s what got me noticed,” she said.

Wiener’s experience as an olah (immigrant to Israel) has also played a key role in her business. Being international gives her an edge, allowing her to connect with global techniques and clients living in Israel. “Living in Israel, in general, requires you to be tenacious and persevere. Making aliyah is a particular type of resilience, and that’s something I carry with me as a female business owner,” she stated.

As Beatriz Bakery approaches its second anniversary, Wiener continues to focus on growth while staying true to her roots. “I wanted to dedicate my life to desserts and celebrations, the way my mom did. That’s what Beatriz Bakery is about – bringing joy through food, just like she did.”

For Wiener, the bakery is not just a business; it’s a way to keep her mother’s memory alive and honor the traditions that shaped her. “Every cake I make is part of that story,” she said with a smile. ■

Beatriz Bakery is open for orders. They can be placed through www.beatrizbakery.com.

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