Natalie Dadon Opens Up About Her Teshuvah Journey

After deciding to observe shomer negiah, refraining from physical contact with members of the opposite gender, Natalie Dadon shared profound insights from her personal journey and her growing connection to Jewish sources, reflecting on the meaning of teshuvah.

“The phrase ‘returning in teshuvah’ — wow, it is so powerful,” she said. “Every moment I returned, every moment that I could.”

“I have my own challenges, thank God,” Dadon added. “I think that sometimes the word teshuvah frightens us a little. We hear teshuvah and immediately think about guilt, sins, major changes, and all the places where we feel we were not good enough.”

Returning to Hashem With Your Whole Self

Dadon explains how studying the Tanya changed her understanding of what teshuvah really means.

“The author of the Tanya explains in Iggeret HaTeshuvah that the essential meaning at the root of teshuvah is simply to return to Hashem with my entire soul. So, to those who ask — yes, I am returning to Him with every breath. I am in love with this journey, and I pray for it.”

She added: “Teshuvah does not mean becoming someone else. Teshuvah means returning to who I truly am.”

“I Want to Connect More Deeply to My Roots”

As previously reported, Dadon chose to speak publicly about the significant changes she has been undergoing at a Selichot event produced by Shon Balaish.

During the evening, she announced that she was “continuing to grow stronger” in her Judaism and that she had begun observing shomer negiah.

“Suddenly, I felt that I wanted to connect more deeply to my roots and to Judaism,” she told the audience.

Dadon explained that the decision was part of a broader process of spiritual connection and personal growth. “I feel that observing shomer negiah is part of my path toward connecting with myself and with the Holy One, blessed be He.”