Jewish Agency initiative visit to include culinary tour of Tel Aviv restaurants, cooking for IDF soldiers and gala opening of new boardwalk in Rosh Ha’ayain
Four world-renowned New Orleans chefs, including television celebrity John Besh, will be traveling to Israel between June 23 and 30 as part of the Jewish Agency’s Partnership 2000 (P2K) initiative, which pairs Jewish communities and federations in the United States with “sister” communities in Israel.
The chefs’ visit to Israel was planned in collaboration with the IDF, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and the Union of Israeli Chefs.
While in Israel, the chefs will tour numerous Tel Aviv restaurants, prepare meals for IDF soldiers stationed on bases in northern Israel, hold cooking classes for aspiring Israeli chefs and cater the gala opening of the Rosh Ha’ayin Boardwalk, New Orleans' P2K partner city, where they will present gourmet meals for 10 shekels a dish ($3 USD) to the general public.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to programs in Israel that serve youth-at-risk.
Lea Golan, the Jewish Agency’s deputy director-general said: “The Jewish Agency is always looking for new ways to create interaction between Israelis and our Jewish brethren abroad. It is hard to imagine a more Jewish way of bringing people together than celebrating through food.”
In addition to Besh, who has been ranked by Food and Wine as one of the top ten chefs in the US, other chefs in the New Orleans delegation include: David Slater, the chef de cuisine at Emeril’s New Orleans, Alon Shaya, Louisiana Cookin’s 2007 “Chefs to watch” and Jacques Leonardi, owner and head chef of Jacques-Imo’s Café.
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