Shortly after the devastating October 7 attacks, we transformed the ground floor of Asif’s home in Tel Aviv. We repurposed tables from Cafe Asif and tucked away shelves with local wine from our shop to make room for an emergency kitchen.
Since then, that space has welcomed a group of volunteers, led by the Asif staff, who cook over 1,000 meals a day for people in need. Food personalities Hila Alpert, Hagit Bilia (better known as Liza Panelim), and Shaily Lipa, as well as the British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters have joined in to help make schnitzel, spicy Ethiopian stew, beet kubbeh soup, and much more.
Once cooked and packed up, the meals are delivered to displaced families from the south who are living in hotels in Tel Aviv, elderly people, soldiers, and Holocaust survivors in places like Ashkelon.
The war with Hamas has also put the future of many restaurants in Israel in jeopardy. While they are closed, owners are struggling to keep their businesses afloat and staff employed. A new Asif initiative is aimed at supporting them. With the generous donated funds, Asif is hiring restaurants like Pescado in Ashdod and Ibn Ezra in Tel Aviv to cook their menus in centralized kosher kitchens.