Tal Shabtai: The Wonder Child Who Crossed the Road

“It all started when I was about eight,” says Tal Shabtai, now 26 and a student at the Mir Yeshiva. “I told my parents I wanted to become an actor. Something deep inside me pulled me in that direction.”

Even as a child, Tal had a gift for imitating voices and slipping into different characters. He convinced his parents to let him take acting classes, and he quickly became active in performances, staging plays and visiting hospitals to entertain.

At age eleven, he wanted to take things to the next level. “I saw an ad for a course in acting for the camera,” he says. He joined the class, taught by David Danino, who had trained well-known Israeli celebrities. By thirteen, Tal was auditioning for the Children’s Channel and was cast in the drama series I Listened, I Gained, which aired annually on the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. The show followed four teenagers trying to understand one another and highlighted the power of listening.

At the same time, Tal dove into communications studies at the Barbur Community Center. “I was only 14, but we were already learning how to host programs and work in radio,” he explains. He also studied at the Kagan Center in Jerusalem and later took part in a radio course at Kol Israel, learning production skills from veteran broadcasters like Razi Barkai.

By 15, Tal was hosting shows on Radio Channel 106 in the Jerusalem area. He had already produced two short films, one a narrative where he played an adopted son, and the other a documentary about his grandfather, a respected community rabbi. The documentary aired on Channel 9 and included a moving interview with his grandfather just two months before his passing.

He even got the chance to act alongside the legendary Ze’ev Revach in Sallah Shabati. The future looked bright. But then, everything began to shift.

A Change of Direction

During those years, Tal had several close brushes with tragedy. “I was about to go eat pizza at Sbarro’s. I had eaten there the day before and planned to go again, but minutes before I left, I saw on TV that there had been a bombing there.”

Another time, while out interviewing people in Jerusalem about life under terror threats, his team heard a loud explosion nearby. His mother, who worked in the city center, also heard the blast and feared for his life. “Thank Hashem, she wasn’t hurt,” he says.

Then came the final wake-up call. Tal got off his usual bus route one stop early. Later he learned that just a few stops away, the bus exploded in the French Hill neighborhood. “It was hard to ignore that something unusual was happening. It felt like I was being chased by something or protected.”

Around that time, his sister began attending Arachim’s Shabbat seminars and growing closer to Torah. “She and her husband strengthened in their observance, and we started having deep conversations. That’s when I began to realize there’s Someone managing everything, Hashem, the Creator of the world. I believed in God before, but now I was starting to see His hand in my life.”

Through his sister, Tal connected with a rabbi in Bayit Vegan, who then introduced him to Rabbi Yosef Zvi Ben Porat, head of a yeshiva for those returning to Judaism. At 14, Tal began learning Gemara (Talmud), putting on tefillin, and asking serious questions about his faith. He continued working in media, even interviewing big names like Yaakov Alon, Yehuda Levi, and Guy Pines at the prestigious Golden Screen Awards but inside, he felt pulled in two directions.

Living Between Two Worlds

“I was in a secular school, wearing a kippah and tzitzit, while still surrounded by a secular lifestyle. In acting, playing two roles is normal but in real life, it began to tear me apart.”

Looking for something that would connect his growing faith with his talents, Tal reached out to Radio 10, a Haredi radio station. “I was 15 and called asking if I could work there. They were shocked. But they gave me a week trial. After just a few days, Mordechai Lavi, the news anchor, asked me to be the producer of his show.”

It wasn’t easy. This was before Google. Researching material for programs was time-consuming and complex. But Tal thrived. Then someone invited him to spend a Shabbat at Yeshivat Or HaChaim. He went without telling his parents.

“During Mincha, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz walked into the beit midrash (study hall), and everyone stood up. I had never seen anything like that. The respect and warmth, it entered my heart. That Shabbat, I felt this was where I belonged.”

Leaving One Stage for Another

Tal decided to leave the world of acting and media behind and enroll in the yeshiva. “My parents were in shock. I was in 11th grade, and they thought I had my whole future ahead of me. But I was sure this was the right step. I spent seven years at Yeshivat Or HaChaim, and I don’t regret a single moment.”

He continued facing tests and challenges, as every person does. “As Rabbi Shlomo Benizri said, ‘I had many reasons not to become Haredi.’ I can relate to that. But I’ve never looked back.”

At 21, Tal approached Rabbi Elbaz with an idea. “I told him that many secular and traditional Jews are thirsty for connection. I suggested broadcasting Selichot (penitential prayers said before the High Holidays) from the yeshiva on television. The rabbi hesitated at first, but agreed.”

Tal built a studio from scratch and began airing live Selichot broadcasts on Channel 98. The response was overwhelming and viewers wrote in saying they were deeply moved. Encouraged, Tal created a new show, The New Life, where he interviewed well-known baalei teshuvah (people who returned to Jewish observance), such as Yossi Nagar.

He also began live-broadcasting Rabbi Elbaz’s weekly Torah classes every Thursday at 9:30 p.m., with reruns on Friday afternoons. In the Selichot Studio broadcasts, Tal would interview well-known Israeli figures like comedian Yaakov Cohen, Danny Shteg, journalist Zvi Yehezkeli, musician Ariel Zilber, actor Yehuda Barkan, and many others.

What’s Next?

Today, Tal continues his Torah learning at the Mir Yeshiva. “My ‘ideal’ is to sit and learn Torah. I appear on TV, but I don’t own one. I’m not looking for fame, I’m looking to grow spiritually.”

He submitted a screenplay to Channel 2 that was initially approved, but later rejected. “They asked me why I didn’t want to show negative things about the Haredi world. I told them I wanted to show Judaism in a pure, honest way. That’s my mission.”

Tal believes in creating quality content that brings people closer to Judaism. “I’m not here to imitate secular media in a religious way. I’m here to offer something better, something true. I always consult with Rabbi Elbaz, who guides me every step of the way.”

Tal is concerned by how religious Jews are often portrayed in the media. “Why do they only offer us reality shows? Why not let us create meaningful content that shows the beauty of Torah life?”

He hasn’t abandoned his talents but he’s redirected them. With heart, faith, and purpose, Tal Shabtai continues to inspire people to rediscover their roots and themselves.