News 14 Washington correspondent Libi Alon said she has begun drawing closer to religious observance after moving to a new home and deciding to fully kosher its kitchen with help from a Chabad emissary. The interview, aired after her social media post drew warm reactions, explained how living in the United States changed her outlook and brought her closer to Judaism.
Alon said that distance from home made her want to feel spiritually closer. After arriving in America, she realized how disconnected she had been from her religious side. She said she started attending Chabad every week and “fell in love with it,” adding that the Shabbat welcome songs “really made me cry.” After 1.5 years in the U.S., she said she felt a need “to thank God.”
Although she grew up in a completely secular home, Alon said she always felt drawn to religion. She described a family background with some traditional roots, including a grandmother who had a kosher, religious home with special Passover dishes, and a great-grandfather who was a sofer STaM, a Torah scribe.
Alon said she wanted to do “something bigger” for herself, even if it meant leaving her comfort zone. She said she says Modeh Ani and Mizmor LeTodah every day, and that she kept Shabbat for two months and still observes it from time to time because it strengthens her. She said she only realized after posting the video that the timing coincided with the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, which made the moment feel even more meaningful. She also linked the process to the tense 2.5 years Israel has been going through, saying that now she feels a strong urge to reconnect with her Jewish identity.
