Musician Tahr Sefi Rapeld Opens Up About Keeping Shabbat and His Secular Identity
Musician Tahr Sefi Rapeld shares his spiritual journey, keeping Shabbat and kashrut while proudly identifying as secular, in a candid interview on the Open Code podcast.
The Israeli singer, songwriter, and producer Tahr Sefi Rapeld, known simply as Tahr, opened up in a candid interview with Dolev Davidovitch on the "Open Code" podcast about his unique spiritual journey, his connection to Judaism, and why he proudly defines himself as a secular man.
A Childhood Search for Meaning
Tahr grew up on Moshav Tel Shahar in a completely secular environment, born to a secular mother and a father who had left religious observance. Yet, from a very young age, his soul yearned for a deeper connection to tradition. As an eight-year-old child, long before anyone around him discussed such matters, he began strictly observing kashrut and separating meat from dairy, completely against his family's wishes.
"My father went along with it, my mother was very much against it, and they thought it would pass because I was a child. But it hasn't passed, from then until today," he says.
Years later, another turning point reshaped his Jewish identity. Tahr was previously married to a religious woman, and following their divorce, he made an extraordinary personal commitment: to continue observing Shabbat. He explains that he chose to keep Shabbat because he refused to let go of the inner anchor that sustained him.
Overcoming the Fear of Public Expression
Navigating the world of social media, reviews, and constant validation as a musician, Tahr is intimately familiar with the relentless pursuit of external approval. In the podcast, he candidly reveals the shame and fear he experienced when he first began putting on tefillin in front of people who didn't know how to process it.
"For me, any outward expression of Judaism is something embarrassing. I remember my wife telling my dad that I was putting on tefillin, and I was so deeply embarrassed, as if I didn't want him to know that I put on tefillin," he shares.
This tension between secular creation and a burning inner soul is also evident in his extensive musical career. Tahr has worked with prominent artists such as Shrek, Duda, and Noroz, constantly navigating the music world in search of deeper meaning. He discussed his creative work, including writing the song "Yafim" (Barefoot) performed by Yasmin Moallem, and producing the album Tehilot for singer Gaia Shaki—a former contestant on The Next Star who has since become religious. For him, music and the desire to remain "barefoot and simple" in a crazy world represent another avenue of inner exploration.
Staying True to a Personal Definition
When asked where he places himself on the religious spectrum, Tahr chose to remain faithful to his own personal definition rather than a strict legal category.
"I am happy to say that I am secular, from the tradition of Labor Zionism, because I simply know from the outside, from the religious people I've met, how much that definition is looked down upon, not necessarily because it is the exact definition," he explains.
He maintains a very close, daily personal connection with God, noting that he talks to Him in prayer and conversation every single day. Ultimately, Tahr's story is one of quiet determination: a reminder that true spiritual integrity often means standing by one's inner truth, even when the surrounding world does not fully understand.
