On Fire: A Chef’s Spiritual Journey

Food was always a big deal in my house. I grew up in a traditional mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic home in The Netherlands. My father was a restaurant owner, and from the time I could walk, I was immersed in the world of cooking. In our home, food wasn’t just about eating – it was a way of bringing people together during weekly Shabbat dinners and holidays, expressing love, and preserving tradition.

By the time I finished high school, I was set to follow in my father’s footsteps, which was to gain experience in running a restaurant and eventually opening a restaurant of my own. It felt like the natural path – the one I had been walking since childhood.

But I felt something was missing.

Time moved differently for me in yeshiva, where questions unraveled into more questions and passionate discussions, where the soul began to crave depth and seeking truth the way the body craves salt.

My physical belly was always satiated, yet spiritually, I always felt hungry. The rush of service, the satisfaction of creating new dishes – none of it filled that deeper craving. I was drawn toward something else, something I couldn’t yet define. And yet, what felt so undefined, so far away, had actually been right in front of me the whole time. Judaism had always been there in the background, woven into the fabric of my life, but now it was calling me forward.

One thing led to another, and God has funny ways of showing exactly what you need. Before I knew it, I found myself at Aish in the Old City of Jerusalem. What was meant to be a short break, a month or two in yeshiva, stretched into a year, then another, eventually becoming four years!

Time moved differently for me in yeshiva, where questions unraveled into more questions and passionate discussions, where the soul began to crave depth and seeking truth the way the body craves salt. The fire of the kitchen was replaced by the fire of learning and growing spiritually.

At a certain point, I felt my spiritual belly was finally satiated. It was as if God was tapping me on the shoulder, saying, “It’s time to go back.” So, I found myself drawn back into the kitchen, but this time with a deeper appreciation and motivation.

Keeping kosher in this industry is often seen as a challenge, but for me, it has been the opposite – it’s an opportunity to push boundaries, introduce new flavors, and prove that kosher cuisine can be just as dynamic and refined as any other cuisine. Kashrut isn’t about restriction; it’s about innovation and elevation. I feel my calling is to bring this innovation to the kosher restaurant scene, elevating it to new heights and redefining what’s possible in kosher dining.

I have worked in top kosher chef restaurants, playing a role in shaping Jerusalem’s kosher restaurant scene. However, I realized that my true passion lay in crafting more intimate, personal culinary experiences. The more I refined my craft, the more I realized that what I loved most wasn’t the big, flashy restaurants, but the small, intimate experiences – the ones where food became a story, a conversation, a memory.

That’s when I made the leap into private dining. I now travel the world, creating high-end, bespoke kosher experiences for clients, whether it’s in a villa in Europe, a yacht in the Mediterranean, or a secluded retreat in the Israeli dessert. Every meal is personal to me. Every dish tells a story of mine.

During my recent travels through Thailand, I was captivated by the vibrant flavors that define Thai cuisine. Inspired by these flavors, I’ve created a refreshing gazpacho paired with white fish tartare.

This fusion dish combines Thai and Mediterranean elements, making it healthy and refreshing option that is ideal for Shabbat dinners or lunches, and pairs wonderfully with challah, as both the gazpacho and tartare complement the bread.