Summer in Jerusalem Pt. 2: Food for the Soul
Posted on 09/06/2024 @ 06:00 AM
Dr. Bella Tendler Krieger, CAJE’s Director of Adult Learning and Growth: The Center for Jewish Ideas and Engagement, was fortunate to spend five weeks in Israel this summer studying at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Here are her reflections.
Photo by Shira Hecht-Koller
Food for the Soul
One afternoon, my cohort at Hartman was invited to the home of Nissimmi Naim Naor for some therapeutic baking.
Nissimmi, a celebrated Israeli chef, had just completed his rabbinical training, and our program directors thought we could learn a thing or two from a rabbi-chef.
As we climbed the steps to his apartment, the most incredible scent of baking bread wafted towards us. We followed our noses to his front door, where he waited, bearded, aproned, and grinning contagiously.
Photo by Shira Hecht-Koller
“All friendships should start with carbohydrates!” he announced before plying us with wine and fresh focaccia, hot from the oven.
Like most young Israelis, Nissimmi had been called up for reserve duty after October 7th. His assignment, horrifically, was to inform families of fallen soldiers of the death of their loved ones and then to organize their military funerals.
The commanders must have understood Nissimmi’s boundless capacity for compassion, entrusting him to guide grieving families through the worst days of their lives.
The job took everything from him, and he lost interest in his kitchen, the place that had previously given him the most joy.
Then, when one grieving family asked him to cook their son’s favorite meal, he knew he had found his calling.
Nissimmi started offering this service to other families in mourning, providing pastoral care, and the opportunity to reminisce over steaming pots and piles of herbs.
His work was then picked up by Israeli TV, becoming one of the most beloved cooking/talk shows in Israel. Titled, Sir Ga‘aguah, meaning “Pot of Longing,” the show follows Nissimmi as he cooks meals with bereaved families.
You can watch one of his incredibly moving episodes (with English subtitles) here: השניצל של בן זוסמן | סיר געגוע (youtube.com).
Over the course of the afternoon in Nissimi’s kitchen, we baked Sea-Salt Nutella Brioche Babkas, learned Torah, laughed, cried, and consumed thousands of calories.
When we left, hot babkas clutched like footballs under each arm, we felt spiritually, emotionally, (and most definitely physically!) nourished.
You can check out Nissimmi’s webpage here:
