As Purim approaches, I find myself thinking about how strikingly relevant this holiday feels in our current world.
Purim takes place in ancient Persia and tells the story of Queen Esther, who found the courage to stand up and save her people. Last year around this time, events in Iran escalated in a way that felt like an eerie parallel. We have watched so many brave people fight against the Iranian regime—risking everything in hopes of reclaiming their country and the freedoms they deserve.
The month of Adar is meant to bring joy, celebration, and light. But alongside that joy, I think it’s important to remember the courage and hard work of those who came before us—those whose bravery made it possible for us to live where and how we do today.
That reflection naturally leads me to think about the incredible richness of Jewish culture across the world. Here in America, many of us are Ashkenazi, but Jews come from nearly every corner of the globe, each with their own traditions, histories, and foodways. Persian Jewish culture, with its deep traditions and incredible cuisine, is just one example among so many.
One of the things I love most is meeting Jews with backgrounds different from my own—people whose stories and traditions I can learn from. My family has been in the United States for over 100 years, having come largely from what is now Belarus, fleeing persecution. And while that is the part of our history we know best, it is only one chapter in a much longer story.
Food has always felt like one of the most powerful ways to explore that story.
When it comes to holidays and Shabbat, I love learning about how Jewish communities around the world celebrate and cook. In Israel, you see people from countless backgrounds coming together, creating a vibrant culture with endlessly interesting food. On my last trip there, I had the opportunity to participate in a cooking event with Chef Gili Altman, who had previously visited Milwaukee on a community cooking tour. We split into teams, each with a different assignment, and he and his brother judged the results. We cooked alongside our Partnership Region Israeli counterparts, bonding and learning through food together. It was truly a special night—one I think about often.
That experience continues to inspire me as I think about how to bring more of those global Jewish traditions into my catering and café work, and how to thoughtfully showcase the diversity of our people through food.
Winning over Israelis when cooking their food is no easy task—but when they come into the café and order falafel or shawarma, I know that means something is being done right. At the same time, I’m always aware of how much more there is to learn. Israeli cuisine—and Jewish cuisine more broadly—is vast, layered, and constantly evolving.
My hope is to keep exploring this through new café specials, evolving catering menus, and our Israeli brunches, all of which allow us to be creative, curious, and connected.
And as always, I am incredibly grateful for the team behind me. On my own, I could never do all of this. Together, we get to honor tradition, tell stories, and bring people together—one meal at a time.
