Gabi shares his experience growing up in New York’s Bukharian Jewish community, becoming deeply committed to Orthodox Judaism, and eventually building a life outside religious observance. He discusses racism within Jewish institutions, the intellectual rewards of yeshiva study, purity culture, the Orthodox dating system, mental health, psychedelics, spirituality, and his evolving relationship with God.
Rather than presenting religion as wholly harmful or wholly beneficial, Gabi reflects on the teachers, practices, and communities that gave him purpose while examining the pressures and unmet needs that eventually made religious life unsustainable.
Connect with Gabi
YouTube - https://youtube.com/@gabikoyenovSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2SoydqNskaV9wOra0Yh6Z3?ssssid1891df9a822414cInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/journey_with_gabi/Therapy Site - https://themenstherapystudio.com/
Chapters
00:00 — Coming Out as Nonreligious
08:14 — Growing Up Bukharian Jewish
17:47 — Racism in the Yeshiva World
25:47 — Rabbis, Meaning, and Purpose
30:11 — Purity Culture and Romantic Obsession
39:10 — Leaving Yeshiva and Losing a Dream
48:00 — Dating and the Beginning of Deconstruction
53:44 — Ayahuasca and a New Spiritual Worldview
01:07:41 — Racism and Rejection in Shidduchim
01:20:07 — Family Conflict, Trauma, and Life Beyond Religion
