1

From the very beginning of our history, food has held a central place in Jewish tradition and culture.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s one of our pillars.

Each of us has little notebooks and scraps of paper written by our grandmothers, dictated by their grandmothers. And so it continues, further back through generations. Behind every one of us stands a crowd of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, all nodding over our shoulders – yes, yes, that’s good dough, now sprinkle this, mix that, and lower the heat. We pull out our pots, bowls, and pouches filled with nuts and spices.

2

Our recipes are as colourful and diverse as we are. From Baghdad, from Amsterdam, from Grodno, from Marrakesh, from Kyiv, from Bukhara, from New York, from Vilnius, from small towns, cities, and capitals.

With spices and without, with salt, with pepper, spicy, delicate, airy, dense, fragrant, oily, warming, whipped, traditional, and newly invented.

3

We love to feed. You can’t come to visit us and leave hungry. We show our care and love through food.

We love to serve seconds and always send a little extra home with you. We share and feed, even if you’re just passing by. Food sustains us. It keeps us together and afloat. This is hope food – food that supports us all over the world, wherever we may be.

4

When we say “Hope cooking,” we imagine a giant table spread across the globe, where we all sit, sharing our favourite dishes.

Behind every plate lies a memory of happy moments, family stories, the strength of generations. In every recipe, love is measured by handfuls, hope by tablespoons, a grandmother’s smile, a lover’s kiss, a father’s embrace, a brother’s laugh, a daughter’s tenderness.

5

We will carefully gather recipes from the west and east, from the south and north.

We’ll pass them from hand to hand – gefilte fish and shakshuka, falafel and zemelach, hаtsilim and bagels. We’ll feel like one big family. We will eat, drink, laugh, and talk. And at our table, the memory of the past and the belief in the future will remain. And, of course, peace.

We are putting on our aprons and starting…