Shimon Peres: “I’ve Always Been a Believing Jew”

President Shimon Peres held many of Israel’s highest positions, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and key figure behind major projects like the Dimona nuclear reactor and Israel’s aerospace industry. But what many people don’t know is how deeply connected Peres was to his Jewish roots. In an interview with Bekehila, Peres shared surprising personal reflections that gently challenge his public image as a secular leader. Here’s what he had to say.

To start with, Peres observed Shabbat and did so seriously. “I don’t play games with these things,” he said. “I keep Shabbat out of principle. You won’t find me hiding in the backseat of a car so people won’t see me traveling on Shabbat. I once gave up attending an event in London because it meant violating Shabbat. Even in the most difficult political situations, I stood firm and refused to harm Judaism. I wasn’t pressured into it. It came from within, from thought. I consider myself a deeply believing Jew. People don’t always understand that.”

This connection to Judaism began early. Peres grew up in a home filled with a mix of Jewish traditions, Litvish (Lithuanian) and Hasidic. But the greatest influence in his life was his grandfather, Rabbi Tzvi Meltzer, a respected Torah scholar who had studied at the famous Volozhin yeshiva. “He loved me very much and educated me from almost the time I was born. He taught me Bible and Talmud. By age ten, I was already familiar with tractates like Bava Metzia and Bava Kama. I admired him deeply.”

While Peres’s grandfather was religious, his father had become secular, which sometimes led to tension. “We were considered fairly well-off in those days,” Peres recalled. “But we didn’t always have electricity at night, so my father bought a luxury item, a battery-powered radio. One time, he turned it on during Shabbat. I was so upset, I went over and broke it. That’s how religious I was. To his credit, my father didn’t scold me for it.”

Peres’s respect for Torah learning remained strong throughout his life. He was one of the architects of the arrangement that allowed full-time yeshiva students to defer military service. “The Talmud is a spiritual gym,” he said. He also received requests from religious leaders to help protect yeshiva students from government decrees. “I can only act in such cases if the government agrees,” he explained. “But if there’s a government request, I’d be happy to help find a compromise.”

“Without Judaism, There Is No Zionism”

Despite political disagreements, Peres was never afraid of a growing Haredi population. What mattered most to him was that there be a strong Jewish majority in Israel. He didn’t believe in dividing Jews into categories. “We need to lower the level of suspicion between secular and religious Jews and work with mutual respect,” he said. “If we want Haredi Jews to work, we need to make it possible in a way that’s comfortable for them. If a man wants to wear his tzitzit (fringes) out, he should be allowed to. If religious women want to work in separate spaces, we should provide those spaces.”

And he didn’t just speak about it, he acted on it. “I go from place to place, asking large companies to open separate work environments for religious women,” he shared. “Today there are already hundreds of such workplaces. I believe in understanding and cooperation, not coercion. It’s better for a modern society to function out of choice.”

Peres saw the disconnect from Jewish knowledge in today’s generation as a serious issue. “It’s a great historical failure,” he said. “The founders of the state were much more connected to Judaism than people think. Ben-Gurion had a deep connection to the Bible. Berl Katznelson kept kosher and observed Shabbat. If they saw the ignorance today, they would be very disappointed. This is not what they hoped for.”

In Peres’s view, Zionism cannot survive without Judaism. “Zionism without Judaism has no roots. Without Judaism, there simply is no Zionism.”

“The Torah Is the Foundation of Civilization”

Peres believed the Torah was not only for the Jewish people, but for all of humanity. “The Torah and its values do not change,” he said. “It’s the only ancient document that has remained unchanged for more than 3,000 years. Pyramids collapsed, empires rose and fell, but the Torah still stands. Our values such as truth, justice, kindness, have become the foundation of civilization. Even among non-Jews, there’s admiration for the fact that we were the first to stand against slavery, injustice, and falsehood. In these core values, nothing has changed and nothing should.”

On the idea of the Jewish people being am segulah (a chosen nation), Peres reflected: “We’ve paid a high price for being chosen. I ask myself why did Hitler choose us? The Jews of Germany were largely assimilated. Why did he target us? The answer is that, ideologically, we were his greatest enemy. He stood for the power of nature and strength. We stood for morality and spirit.”

Peres hoped that the spiritual strength he gained as a child would be passed on to future generations. “That’s the role of the education system. Young people need to see the greatness of Torah scholars. Let them feel the power of the soul.”

He admired figures like Rabbi Elyashiv, describing him as someone whose body was frail but whose mind was sharp and radiant. He also spoke warmly of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: “His wisdom and leadership amazed me. Our connection was always based on affection. I think he respected that when it came to religion, I never made it political. I never said, ‘Support me here and I’ll give you something there.’ I never traded on my religious positions.”

“My Greatest Goal Is to Master Myself”

When asked what he considered his greatest achievement, Peres answered, “What I will do tomorrow.” He wasn’t thinking about more political roles or high-profile positions like Secretary-General of the UN. “Why would I want that? I just want to be among my people, to serve them. I don’t want to rule, I want to grow.”

He ended with a personal reflection: “My greatest ambition is to control myself. If I can achieve that, then in my eyes, that is real success.”

His words echo the wisdom of King Shlomo (Solomon): “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).