Cleveland chef steps in to feed people in Middle East amid war
- Chef Brandon Chrostowski took his skills to Israel to cook for displaced
- Thousands have been killed and left homeless since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack
- Chef: Terrorism seeks to instill fear; jumping in shows we support humanity
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(NewsNation) — An Ohio chef traveled to Israel to help cook for those who have been displaced and affected by the Hamas terrorist attacks.
Chef Brandon Chrostowski has cooked thousands of meals in Israel — his journey started in Tel Aviv and he headed south near the Gaza border,
“In Tel Aviv, it was just cooking — I mean cooking hard; everything fresh. Everything individualized, there was no large buffet for thousands of people; it was all tailored. We did that for a couple of days,” he explained. “Then in a small area in the south of Israel in the desert, the canyon area, we cooked for a displaced kibbutz which was just mere kilometers from all being killed and wiped away if it wasn’t for the IDF.”
He added: “Cabernet cinnamon glaze things we did. Tahini vinaigrette with a salad, you name it, schnitzel. We had chicken, peas, and onions; everything was alive. People came together for a few moments to forget what’s going on, or more so, to remember what it’s like to be around one another, and eat, drink and be merry.”
Chrostowski, who is the CEO of Edwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, said this isn’t about Palestinians versus Israelis, Israel versus Gaza, but rather is about terror and fear versus humanity.
“Anyone who believes that the world should be a better place, and especially if you’re a chef, can take part and make that a better place and heal. So simple as that,” Chrostowiski said, explaining why it was important for him to travel to Isreal. “Terrorism wants to make you afraid, but jumping in just shows that, one we’re not afraid to, we’re here to support humanity.”
Chrostowski said he had no issues getting a flight to Israel. He believes the most significant thing that may be misunderstood is the feeling of vulnerability.
“People of Israel, they never thought this would happen ever, ever again, and it did. So there’s a sense of a little scared, scared, a little anger, a little uncertainty, but people are living life as normal,” he said. “Many businesses are closed. Restaurants were closed when I was there, only a few open. But people want to get back to a peaceful way of life.”
