Moshe Korsiya on Faith and Finding Love

"I'm ready for a relationship much more than a year ago"

When it comes to romance, Korsiya doesn't hide his desire to meet someone and build a family. His own family, he reveals, is eagerly waiting for that to happen.

"There's maybe pressure at home, but they don't show it to me," he says with a smile. "They're really trying hard, they're smart." His mother even set a deadline in the past: "She told me by age 25." And what's happening now? "She doesn't say anything, she's restraining herself. She really wants it, and it will happen with G-d's help."

Korsiya also acknowledges that he's in a different place today regarding readiness for a serious relationship: "I'm ready for a relationship much more than a year ago, that's for sure."

What is he looking for in a future partner? "Love, friendship, good character traits, finding favor."

"This isn't a normal thing"

Yet alongside his desire to find partnership, Korsiya admits that fame complicates the path there. The fact that people feel they already know parts of him before meeting him makes the situation more complex.

"You're a persona that people seemingly know various parts of," he explains. "Maybe after 'Mechubarim' they know more, and it's hard, because you also close yourself off more in general. You know, this isn't a normal thing. We're human beings, it's not normal."

Despite the difficulty, his goal remains clear, and he already envisions himself at a wedding, with children, building a family: "Of course. So what's the point otherwise?"

"I was afraid of it, that's the truth"

The major exposure on "Mechubarim" wasn't a simple decision for Korsiya. The possibility of participating in the show had come up before, but for a long time he was hesitant to take the step.

"First of all, the Holy One Blessed Be He decides everything, I didn't decide anything," he says. "There were several years when it came up and I was afraid of it, that's the truth. And the Holy One Blessed Be He decided this was the moment, so I did it."

Though it's not always comfortable seeing personal moments from his life exposed to everyone, he doesn't regret the decision. "I knew I was coming to give. Not everything would be comfortable for me to have everyone watch. It doesn't always feel most comfortable to me, but I'm at peace with it and I'm happy I did it."

One reason he chose to open up, he says, was the hope that someone on the other side could relate. "I hope it also gave something to people, that they won't feel alone with their feelings."

"There are people who say I'm whiny"

Most of the feedback Korsiya receives following "Mechubarim" is positive, but alongside the praise comes criticism.

"I won't tell you that all the feedback is always the most encouraging. 99% of the responses are always nice, but sometimes there are not-good comments," he shares. "There are people who find it boring, or are tired of hearing it, or that I'm whiny. And that's okay."

The more complex part of the exposure for him is actually its impact on those close to him. When his life becomes part of a television program, family and friends also enter the picture to some degree.

"There are many people close to me, my parents, my friends, who are also exposed, whether they want to be or not. Even if they're not shown, I'm talking about my life and people come up. That's a bit tougher."

"I noticed I was maybe a bit embarrassed that I'm religious"

Korsiya grew up in a religious home, and his parents' support was extremely significant in his decision to open his life before the cameras.

"If my parents weren't so into it and so supportive and embracing and cooperative, it would have been much more complex for me," he says. "The moment my parents, who for me are like the rabbi and rebbetzin of the public, are within this thing, they're smiling and embracing and loving me—I'm at peace with everything."

His parents, he says, didn't set red lines regarding what he could reveal on the show. One particularly personal moment was a conversation with his father about sexuality, which Korsiya chose to show him before it aired.

"I had a conversation with my father about sexuality and I showed him the segment. It was a very intimate conversation, and he told me 'Everything's fine, it's part of life and it's holy of holies and let them broadcast it.'"

Alongside the support he received from home, Korsiya admits there was a period in the past when he felt less comfortable bringing his religious identity into the entertainment and public world.

"There was a period at the beginning when I noticed I was maybe a bit embarrassed that I'm religious, and that passed," he reveals. "So I let it go and said: whoever will love it will love it, whoever won't—this is me."

Today, the values he was raised with are no longer something he feels he needs to work to maintain. "It's my DNA. My parents are my lighthouse in life. I was born into this and it's authentic, so it stays."

"I used to have many more anxiety attacks"

Faith occupies a central place in Korsiya's life, and for him it's not limited to prayers or external actions.

"It's from me," he says. "I grew up in a home where it's the Holy One Blessed Be He, Dad. I have nowhere to run. He's part of me. When I'm nervous, when I'm good, when I'm happy, when I'm sad—He's with me. It's an existing relationship."

Belief in divine providence, he says, also helped him through less simple periods in his life and in dealing with anxiety attacks. "I used to have many more, and today I know that the Holy One Blessed Be He is with me and watches over me and loves me and everything's okay. I don't deal with the future, the future is His. I'm here now."

For young people who feel that faith or religious lifestyle might limit them on the path to fulfilling their dreams, he has a clear message: "Don't think that faith limits you. You can do everything, all your dreams. Don't say 'oh, because I'm religious.' No. If you really want something, go kill yourself over it, do it and the Holy One Blessed Be He is with you."

What does he wish for himself in the coming year? "To be happy and love."

New album on the way

Alongside the personal exposure on "Mechubarim," Korsiya is also in a musically busy period. Soon he's expected to perform at Reading, and simultaneously launch his new album, "Peter Pan."

"It has five songs, three new songs that haven't come out yet," he shares excitedly. "It's [like] my baby baby."

The performance will also feature a surprise guest whom Korsiya describes as "the best singer in the country," though for now he's keeping the identity secret.