Tal Ayache
- From:
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Age:
- 18
- College:
- Herzlia High School
- Career:
- Business Management and Real Estate in Israel
The Interview
What kind of Jewish home did you grow up in, and what kind of Jewish education did you receive?
I grew up in an orthodox/traditional Jewish home. Recently I have become a ba'al teshuva and started keeping Shabbat. My mother is the head of Jewish life at my primary school, and traditions such as going to shul Friday and Saturday were always important to us.
What motivated you to start keeping Shabbat?
Was it difficult to begin keeping Shabbat, considering that you are still living with your parents?
We always lived about 30 minutes away from my Sephardi shul. There was a shul close by, but it was an older community, an Ashkenzi shul and I really feel connected to the nussach of the Sepharadim. People my age don't usually go to shul, but I always went to shul, even at 12, 13, 14 years old; it was important to me, I really enjoyed it. The Sephardi shul is in a neighborhood called Sea Point. I always thought, "if I move to Sea Point I would probably keep Shabbat." My parents actually recently moved to Sea Point. I was very lucky to have a friend who keeps Shabbat, I tried one Shabbat and I immediately fell in love with the essence of Shabbat.
My family b'ezrat Hashem will start keeping Shabbat soon. My parents are Baruch Hashem the most supportive parents ever. Even though they are not keeping Shabbat, they bought me a hot plate for my birthday, they got me an urn, tissue paper that I wouldn't have to rip...they really try to help me to make it easier. They respect me. I'm really really blessed to have supportive parents.
How did you hear about The Podcast Fellowship?
From Rabbi (Naftali) Silver (Rav of The Sephardi Hebrew Congregation of Cape Town).
Would you have started TPF without the $15 stipend offer?
For me it has been a great incentive. Now, since I've became a ba'al teshuva I've started investing in kodesh books, which cost money.
The Podcast Fellowship helps me afford them.
Tell us about your experience with TPF.
Rabbi Silver introduced me to TPF quite a while ago, but I wasn't so involved. More recently
(when Rabbi Silver gathered a group of advanced high-school students to discuss the podcasts in a group setting),
I became more committed. It is a privilege to go through the podcast and discuss with the Rabbi.
What is your favorite podcast topic?
The Judaism Unpacked series.
Where do you stand in your Jewish observance today?
I am observant.
Tal, can you sum up your experience with The Podcast Fellowship in one quote?
"In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell