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General13:57 · Jun 28

Big Brother Winner Gal Rubin Opens Up About Her Religious Journey and Emotional Family Reunion

By שיר לוי
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
The story · English

Gal Rubin, the winner of the 2026 season of the Israeli reality show Big Brother, shared intimate details about her personal life and religious background in a recent interview. Raised in a religious household and educated in ultra-Orthodox institutions, Rubin described feeling caught between different worlds after gradually distancing herself from strict religious observance. Despite this, she emphasized that her Jewish roots remain deeply ingrained in her identity, saying, "I am first and foremost connected to my sources and my eternal world."

During her time on Big Brother, Rubin maintained several religious customs that held special meaning for her, including separating challah dough and lighting Shabbat candles. She described these rituals as moments of calm and connection to her heritage, stating that lighting the candles was "my moment on a whole other level."

Rubin also reflected on a core value from her religious upbringing: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue," highlighting the importance of mindful speech and kindness towards others. One of the most poignant moments of the season was when her ultra-Orthodox father, who dedicates his life to Torah study, visited her in the Big Brother house. Rubin expressed deep emotion over this visit, calling it "crazy closure" and saying, "Suddenly my father came into my world, for me."

She admitted to feeling lost for years, struggling with her identity as someone who left the ultra-Orthodox community, but now feels she has found a new balance. Rubin concluded, "I feel like I received some kind of approval. Maybe I finally found my middle ground."

Summary: Gal Rubin, winner of Big Brother Israel 2026, opened up about her complex relationship with religion, maintaining Jewish traditions on the show, and an emotional reunion with her ultra-Orthodox father, which helped her find personal balance.

Points: - Gal Rubin won Big Brother Israel 2026 and shared her personal religious journey. - Raised ultra-Orthodox, she felt caught between religious and secular worlds. - Rubin maintained key Jewish rituals like challah separation and Shabbat candle lighting on the show. - Her ultra-Orthodox father’s visit to the Big Brother house was a deeply emotional moment. - Rubin said the visit gave her strength and a sense of approval in her life path. - She now feels she has found a balanced identity after years of feeling lost.

Topic: culture

Entities: {"people": ["Gal Rubin"], "organizations": ["Big Brother Israel"], "places": ["Israel"]}

Read the original at Srugim

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