From Atheist to Believer: An Artist's Journey of Faith

A post by rapper Yoav Eliasi, better known by his stage name 'The Shadow', is setting the internet ablaze.

Next to a picture of himself with tefillin, Eliasi describes himself as a 'simple Jew' and reflects on his past perceptions of Judaism when he identified as an atheist. He writes: "Once, I identified as an atheist. In recent years I have had an awakening as I realized there's no way our people, amidst all the hate, self-criticism, and external and internal enemies, could survive without a higher force."

According to him, the survival of the Jewish people, akin to a sheep among 70 wolves, "sounds like a fictional tale of a young lamb living in a cage with 350 hungry wolves trying to devour it but failing each time. Meanwhile, the lamb grows and thrives. That's our life in the Middle East exactly."

"God Isn't Your Servant"

Eliasi continues, stating that atheists fundamentally misunderstand divine reality. "Trying to turn God into a human is a mistaken concept, a desecration of Hashem. People saying 'I prayed, and nothing happened' need to understand: Hashem isn't working for you. Every atheist holds within them a great believer; they just define it differently. In every place and everything, for better or worse—the choice between good and evil is in our hands, or else we wouldn't be here today. Prayer is to say thank you, not to give orders."

"I'm not telling you what to believe, but when looking at Israel and its history, its existential struggle, and the internal conflict within, you have to admit the story of its survival sounds fictional. So yes, once I called myself an atheist; today I'm a Jew who believes there's a higher power safeguarding the people, identity, and right to exist—but the choices are ours alone. As I always say: there are no atheists on a crashing plane. Everyone finds someone to pray to then."

Though Eliasi doesn't (yet) identify as observant, his faith-based agenda is clear and unequivocal: "I love when people tell me in one breath 'I don't believe in God because I don't believe what I can't see', then talk to me about evidence of UFOs and ghosts. I'm the last person to tell you what to believe in, just remember what your ancestors went through so your religion and tradition could survive, and sometimes close your eyes and thank them. Sincerely, a simple Jew—or rather—a just Jew," he concludes.