A Place at the Table

Since October 7, 2023 thousands of families in Israel have been forced to face a terrible reality: they will never again share a table with their loved ones, never hear them recount their day, tell a joke, tease their little brothers, or say a blessing.

Cooking and serving food is the most basic form of caring for others, and we all have memories that revolve around it. The dinner table is the center of family life; now, there is an empty seat.

“A Place at the Table” commemorates those who were murdered on October 7 by sharing their stories and preserving their favorite recipes. We have worked closely to document family members and friends as they prepare these dishes and tell us about their lost loved ones. You can find videos that offer an intimate look at the people behind the names on our social media accounts.

Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Beef and Herb Stew)

Esther Sharon shared this Persian stew recipe in honor of her grandson Or Mizrahi.

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This roast chicken has always been part of Annie Levy's Shabbat menu. Her daughter Sigal often made it at the home she shared with her fiancé.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ever since Keren Flash was little, having pancakes was a family event. She shared this recipe in honor of her late parents Cindy and Igal.

Spaghetti Bolognese for the late Eden Ben Rubi

Eden’s Spaghetti Bolognese

Michal Katz knew just how her late neice Eden Ben Rubi liked her bolognese.

Zucchini Pashtida (Casserole)

Poly Amikam, whose son, the late Nadav Amikam, was killed on October 7, shares her zucchini pashtida (casserole) recipe in his memory.

Bastille (Tripolitan Dumplings)

Orly Ben Yehuda shared this recipe for meat-filled potato dumplings in honor of her daughter Yuval. In the family, this treasured recipe is reserved for Passover.

Homemade Pizza

Bijay Rai shared this recipe in honor of his friend Aviv Atzili, who was murdered on October 7.

Black-Eyed Peas Dal

Bijay Rai shared this recipe in honor of his friend Aviv Atzili, who was murdered on October 7.

Moroccan Fish

Almost every Friday, the Zack family from Kibbutz Kissufim would come to Grandma Rachel Ben Yaish's house in Sderot, to eat Shabbat dinner together. Since she lost her daughter, son-in-law and grandson who were murdered in their home, she can't stop crying when she makes the dish.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Raya Ahrak shared the recipe for the sweet and sour chicken her son Omri loved. Omri was murdered on October 7th.

Homemade Couscous with Soup

Vered Abotbol used to prepare this couscous and send it home in boxes with her sister, the late Limor Vaknin Permuter.

Beef-Stuffed Cauliflower

For the Amsalem family, the preparation of this dish was a special event. The youngest son in the family, the late Avichay Amsalem, would wait for it every year.

Yemenite Chicken Soup

Jinky Bolivar had promised to make this Yemenite chicken soup for her partner Gilad Kfir, but never got the chance.

Tuna Pie

The late Dor Hanan Shafir wasn’t a fan of many foods, but he loved his mother’s tuna pie.

Spicy Fish

The late Shani Gabay, who was murdered at the Nova music festival, never turned down her mother's fish — not even on the night before she died.

Crème Brûlée

Maor Shalev tells us about her best friend the late Raz Mizrahi: "Whenever we planned to meet, she'd say, 'I’ll come, but only if you make me crème brûlée.'"

Pigs in a Blanket and Ptitim (Israeli couscous)

Sigal Halifa shares recipes for pigs in a blanket and ptitim (Israeli couscous) that she used to make for her daughter Gaya.

Cream Puffs

Ayelet Katzir, whose husband David Kachko Katzir was murdered on October 7, talks about the love of her life and offers the recipe for his favorite dessert.

Hummus

The sister of the late Sivan Yanin tells us about her brave policeman brother and the family hummus recipe he loved.

Sega Wat (Ethiopian Beef Stew)

Gila Azanao shared her late aunt Edna Melkamo's recipe for Ethiopian beef stew.

Beef Bourekas

Tami Cohen Shapira used to make this recipe often. Her son Ziv, who was killed on October 7, would devour the bourekas.

Sweet Potato and Black Lentil Salad

Shelly Meshel-Yogev has made her daughter Libby’s salad a few times since Libby was killed, but Shelly can’t bring herself to make it often.

Mafalfaleh (Druze Bulgur with Vegetables)

Jad Amer shares a recipe for a Druze bulgur dish in honor of his brother Jawad, who was killed in the attacks following October 7.

Cinnamon Rolls

In honor of her friend Hadar Hoshen, who was murdered on October 7, Karin Cherchil shares a recipe for the cinnamon rolls she knows her friend would have loved.

Beef Lasagna

Dvora Haitsook-Shani shared this recipe in honor of her son Ido Shani, who was killed on October 7.

Schnitzel

Michael Wiener's son Yahav could never resist his mother's schnitzel.

Chicken Livers and Onions with Mashed Potato

Since Liel Itach was killed, his mother has barely brought herself to cook — especially not this dish, which was his favorite.

South African Melktert

Liora Ben Tsur's mother Marcelle grew up on this recipe — and raised her kids on it. Her daughter shared it in her memory.

Aruk (Iraqi Vegetable Patties)

If there’s one thing Zahava Cohen misses most, it’s the sight of her son Ben waking up to the aroma of her frying aruk.

Schnitzel and Matbucha

On Fridays, Mor Meir Trabelsi would await his mother's phone saying he should come over for this schnitzel recipe.

Corn Pashtida for the late Netta Epstein

Corn Pashtida (Casserole)

Ayelet Epstein can make this recipe with her eyes closed. Her eldest son Netta loved it.

Vegan Arayes (Stuffed and Seared Pita)

The late Shahar Gindi loved this dish — especially when her sister Adi prepared it for her with baked potatoes, cabbage, salad and tahini.

Schnitzel with Tomato Pasta

The childhood dish that Neomi Twito Rivlin used to prepare for all 11 of her siblings, is now a bittersweet memory left for her by her two brothers — Aviad and Gideon-Harel (Gigi) Rivlin — who were killed.

Maple Pecan Cookies

Every time when Kati Zohar baked these cookies, her daughter Bar would steal the jar and take it to her room.

Mafrum (Libyan Stuffed Vegetables)

This is the first time since Shalev Madmoni was murdered, that her mother Ilanit was able to prepare the dish her daughter loved the most.

Chicken Shoula (Afghan-Bukharian Risotto)

The late Ariel Ohana always appreciated good food — even as a baby. His mother Liat shared this family recipe, which he loved.

Spicy Moroccan Fish

Every Shabbat, the late Eden David would eagerly take two slices of fresh challah and create a spicy fish sandwich with this recipe.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Every year in the spring, the late Aviv Baram asked his mother, Hanita, to make this cake for his birthday.

Bolognese Sauce

When the late Idan Raz would come home from the army, he would ask his grandmother Sima to make this sauce for him.

The Late Amit Mann’s Favorite Fasulia Stew

Fasulia (White Beans & Beef Stew)

Rachel Mann, the mother of the late Amit Mann, tells us about her daughter who always tried to save the lives of others — and about the dish she used to prepare for Rachel every Thursday.

Chraime

Whenever the late Ofek Ravia was far from home and unable to join the family for Shabbat dinner, he would call his mother and tell her how much he missed her fish.

Cheese Lasagna

The sister-in-law of the late Shachaf Bergshtein tells us about the beloved uncle he was to her children. She also shares the recipe for the lasagna he adored.

Tomato Soup with Dumplings and Rakott Káposzta (Hungarian Casserole)

Ravit Berdichevsky hopes that the children her son Itay and his wife Hadar were forced to leave behind love these dishes as much as their parents.

Shakshuka from Makbouba for the late Stav Geta

Makbouba (Tunisian Cooked Tomato and Pepper Salad)

The late Stav Geta's mother Eti shared this recipe for the spicy makbouba that her daughter loved.

Beef Tartare with Herb Aioli

In honor of his late friend Adiel Twito, Shlomi Gozlan shared a recipe for the beef tartare they used to make together late at night.