Did You Know Singer Riff Cohen Observes Shabbat?

When Riff Cohen was 24, she moved to France for two years. This was after fulfilling a dream of being accepted into the 'House of Artists', where only about 500 selected artists from around the world reside for about a year. As part of the project, Cohen received a stipend, an apartment, and a piano for this period, allowing her to create freely. "I was completely alone in France; I didn't know anyone. Then a Chabad family adopted me and invited me to join their Shabbat meals. Chabad in Europe isn't like Chabad in India. I was alone, in the home of a family, who, as it happened, were also the kind of people that always seemed to me like 'the people with the hats and suits'. Those who, when you walk in Tel Aviv, you have no connection with them.

Riff Choir. Observes Shabbat

"But there, in France, they welcomed me into their home with much warmth. For me, it was revolutionary. I had never been close to the religious before. At first, it was a cultural shock for me, and later I learned many new things through them, like that everything has meaning in halacha. I realized what a vast and amazing culture Judaism has. I didn't become religious, but I understood for the first time that I know nothing about Judaism, and it left me extremely curious. Although I studied Kabbalah at 16, those are mystical things not related to life. Ultimately, until then, I lived Western patterns in life, and then I felt a slap because I realized my whole life was misguided. I had been told my whole life that the West is very enlightened, and we should do what is done there. But when I came to the West, honestly, I discovered a lot of unenlightenment—in human behavior, in different perceptions, and more. At that moment, I realized I was wrong and began to search anew for a way to go.

As mentioned, musician Riff Cohen, 29, went through an entire musical journey, ultimately achieving her dream of becoming a renowned singer. Her close connection and great love for music and art began at the age of four when she started learning piano and dance. Later, she managed to study at an arts school, undertook professional vocal training for about ten years(!), and studied for a bachelor's degree in musicology at a university.

The home she comes from is quite colorful: Her mother, a yoga teacher and poet, was born in Algeria and fled as a teenager, and her father, a real estate agent, owns an artist gallery. According to her, Riff drew much of her inspiration from close acquaintance with the art world through her family's music gallery and the unconventional home where she grew up, which is also very apparent in her music. However, in recent years, it seems Cohen is beginning to discover an inclination towards another, new direction in her life: Judaism.

As mentioned, her rapprochement towards Judaism began specifically in France but continued two years later when she decided to return to Israel. The spiritual change that occurred in her there, she continued to adopt here as well. "Since my stay in France, I decided to observe Shabbat. The truth is it's easier in Israel to observe Shabbat than abroad. I put up a hot plate, we don't touch electricity, if possible we go to synagogue. I've been observing for four years. In Tel Aviv it's a bit hard to keep Shabbat, there's a different vibe here, but I still enjoy it. My husband also observes Shabbat. After I started observing, he also began observing on his own."

But it wasn't always so easy for her, as she describes. "I had a very difficult period before I decided to observe Shabbat. I was pretty much thrown in all directions, I wasn't succeeding musically, and the music industry constantly delayed me. I saw time passing, and nothing was happening. I reached a decision that I wanted to separate the main from the trivial. Based on how I was educated, I'll do everything for something to happen. But slowly, I realized I didn't want it. What, is life a career? Is life money? Simultaneously, at that time I was in a long-distance relationship for two years, which later became my husband. So at some point I realized I'm not interested. I want to marry, start living, and from that base, things will begin to come.

"In this context, getting to know the Hasidic family gave me a lot of inspiration and awareness to answer important questions that occupied me, like what kind of home I want to establish, what relationship I need. I understood it's more important than the career I was so busy with. It's silly to jump through hoops regarding earning a livelihood. I also don't necessarily believe you have to work hard to make a living."

Over time, and within the process of her internal search she experienced, she moved to Jerusalem, and there too she continued on the spiritual journey to discovering Judaism. "In Jerusalem, I was exposed to a lot of spirituality through rabbis, amazing Judaism classes, and generally, I was exposed to amazing information. After what I went through in France, coming to Jerusalem and learning these lessons was amazing for me. It is very interesting. It's important to understand the essence of Judaism; it's not just a cultural interest. Especially for creators searching for originality, there is definitely something to search for in our Jewish culture, which is somewhat hidden."

As someone getting closer to Judaism, do you know the Hidabrut Channel?

"Sure, at first I watched a lecture by Rabbi Yitzchak Fanger online, about his personal story. I was captivated. I felt something different in him, it really spoke to me. Later, I also watched lectures by Rabbi Zamir Cohen, read 'The Change', and when I was at my parents' I already watched the channel. My mom is a yoga teacher and she's also connected to Judaism."

Why do you think it was easier for you to initially get closer to Judaism abroad than in Israel?

"It's sad, I feel there's no openness in Israel, not even intellectually, to try and understand what Judaism has to offer. It's a kind of ignorance, and I point the finger at the media, which aggravates the atmosphere between religious and secular people in Israel. It bothers me a lot. It's very superficial, not relevant—because today there are many families where there's someone religious. It just creates conflicts and division."

In conclusion, she says: "Today I know that at least my children will be raised differently than I was. If I grew up in the secular-Zionist atmosphere in Israel, my children will clearly grow up in religious or at least traditional schools. Today I feel very connected to the Jewish world. I am Jewish, I have my roots."