Tamir Dortel Reflects on His Journey to Religious Observance and Calls for Right-Wing Institution Building in Israel
Tamir Dortel, founder and host of the podcast "On Meaning," shares his personal journey from a secular-traditional upbringing to embracing religious observance. Growing up in a secular family, Dortel recalls deciding at age 12 to keep kosher, feeling that Judaism was more than folklore. A pivotal moment came while studying Pirkei Avot before his bar mitzvah, where he questioned whether Torah was central to life or merely cultural tradition. His school Bible studies, which shifted to critical analysis, left him feeling alienated from what he once loved.
During his military service as a commander of Hesder yeshiva soldiers, Dortel was impressed by their honesty, responsibility, and discipline, which he attributed to their faith. He also observed a different culture of responsibility and education in the Golan Heights communities. Despite initial hesitation about fully committing to religious life, a decisive moment came on a date with a religious woman who made clear the relationship could not progress without commitment. Dortel then adopted Sabbath observance, kosher laws, and prayer.
He later studied at the Meir Institute, which allowed him to learn Torah without disrupting his life, inspiring him to create his podcast. Shifting to public discourse, Dortel critiques the Israeli right for lacking civil institutions and media infrastructure compared to the left, which has a comprehensive ecosystem of media, research institutes, and civil society organizations. He argues that electing good politicians is insufficient without building systems that influence public opinion over time.
Dortel urges voters to choose leaders based on their actions and resilience under pressure rather than emotional appeal. He stresses the need for strong right-wing media to hold politicians accountable and for sustained public support for national camp figures to advance their policies. Reflecting on the October 2023 tragedy, he acknowledges it as a terrible event but believes it has awakened many Israelis to the threats facing the country. Dortel concludes with a call to strengthen Israeli society through education, media, institutions, and long-term civic engagement beyond politics alone.
