Why This Israeli Rabbi Left—and Now Calls His Yeshiva a Cult

What happens when a rabbi begins questioning the religious system, political ideology, and life he once believed in? In this episode, Gabi sits down with Shalom Tzvi Shore, a former rabbi who studied and served in Israel before undergoing a profound process of religious and ideological deconstruction. Shalom opens up about life inside an intense yeshiva, the burden of religious rules, his experience with OCD, and why he now describes the form of Judaism he practiced as a cult. Using Steven Hassan’s BITE Model—behavior, information, thought, and emotional control—they examine how high-control environments shape identity, discourage questions, and influence the way people understand truth. Shalom explains why divorce became a turning point in his deconstruction and how leaving forced him to rebuild his morality, identity, and inner compass. The conversation also moves into difficult and timely territory as Shalom discusses his evolving relationship with Zionism after October 7 and makes his case for a one-state democracy. Gabi responds with her own perspective as they explore disagreement, collective identity, moral injury, and the possibility of recognizing shared humanity across deeply divided communities. Later, Shalom shares the freedom he experienced after leaving, his approach to trauma healing, and his experiences with psychedelics, hypnosis, and Existential Kink. They also discuss psychedelic risks, dosage, set and setting, antinatalism, obligation, and the search for meaning after certainty falls away. This is a candid conversation about religious deconstruction, high-control groups, Israel and Palestine, trauma, moral responsibility, and what it takes to build a life beyond inherited beliefs. Connect with Shalom Tzvi! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shalomshore?igsh=bTd2cjFvZXd4djd5 Hypnotherapy https://navyahypnosis.com/landing-page/work-with-shalom/ Freidom fighter https://freidomfighter.com/category/freidom-favorites/ Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7yWbv1wSD5FwQuSBhbPksF?si=6oAFbgwtQEKdgZAv_MtvfA&utm_source=copy-link&sci=spotify%3Acard-config%3A4WRGpYzoPb38oiU8Afd0sh Connect with Gabi! Youtube - www.youtube.com/@gabikoyenov Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2SoydqNskaV9wOra0Yh6Z3?ssssid1891df9a822414c Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/journey_with_gabi/ Book a session! The Men's Therapy Studio https://themenstherapystudio.com/ 00:00 Meet the Ex Rabbi 00:47 Rabbinic Studies Reality Check 02:37 Inside an Intense Yeshiva 05:25 Army Service and Aish Hesder 13:39 Deconstructing Zionism After Oct 7 18:35 One State Democracy Argument 19:50 Host Responds and Shared Humanity 27:27 Was Yeshiva a Cult 29:03 BITE Model Explained 31:40 Aish as Personal Growth Cult 32:19 OCD and Rule Burden 33:51 Truth Claims and Question Shutdowns 36:25 Divorce Trigger and Deconstruction 47:10 Moral Injury and Inner Compass 01:00:58 Freedom After Leaving 01:06:51 Trauma Healing and Psychedelics 01:11:47 Risks Doses and Set Setting 01:18:37 Antinatalism and Obligation 01:21:15 Healing Tools and Existential Kink 01:26:50 Hypnosis Method and Closing Advice This episode includes personal accounts and discussion of psychedelics. It is intended for education and conversation, not medical advice. Psychedelic substances can carry serious psychological, medical, and legal risks; consult an appropriately qualified professional before making decisions about treatment. If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe and share it with someone exploring religious deconstruction, identity, trauma recovery, or life after a high-control community. #ReligiousDeconstruction #ExRabbi #LeavingReligion