“A Place at the Table” is a commemorative project that documents the favorite dishes of those lost on October 7 with the help of their families.
Shahaf Bergshtein often drove his pickup truck through the fields of Kibbutz Alumim where he grew up and the road leading to the nearby Kfar Aza, where he moved a few years ago. It was part of his duties as part of Kibbutz Alumim’s Gadash (which oversees agriculture), but he also loved taking his three young nephews, Rotem, David, and Omer on drives. Together, they would explore the fields, passing by pumpkins and greenhouses that stretched to the horizon, relishing the time spent together before dusk.
When Shahaf drove them home to Alumim, he often joined dinner with his brother Ya’akov and sister-in-law Moria and would stay until his young admirers went to bed. During one of their dinners, Moria served a piping hot lasagna brimming with cheese. She remembers the evening vividly and how much Shahaf loved the dish. “I’ve never received so many compliments for something I made. I thought, ‘it’s just lasagna.’ But he kept praising it and even asked for the recipe,” she shares. Moria never had the chance to share the recipe or make it for him again.
On October 6, Shahaf joined his family for a Simchat Torah celebration in Alumim’s synagogue where they sang and danced — as he carried his nephews on his shoulders. He went home to Kfar Aza that night to sleep, but planned to return in the morning — October 7, when Hamas invaded the kibbutz, killing indiscriminately. For nearly a week, his family cared for his injured father and didn’t know if Shahaf had survived. It wasn’t until the following Friday that they learned he was killed in his home, next to his tanach (the Jewish bible). He was 33-years-old.
His family remembers him as an opinionated man with a big heart and a large circle of friends who was passionate about nature and relished traveling, exploring every corner of Israel with his large backpack. He also volunteered with Etgarim where he ran with blind athletes twice a week and served in the army reserves.
In memory of Shahaf, his sister-in-law Moria shared the recipe for the cheesy lasagna that he loved so much during a family dinner that will never be forgotten.
Did you make this recipe? Share a photo of it with the hashtag #a_place_at_the_table to honor the memory of the late Shahaf Bergshtein.
1 package (450 grams/16 oz) lasagna sheets
For the cheese mixture:
3 cups (750 grams) cottage cheese
3 eggs
150 grams (5.3 oz) grated yellow cheese or gouda
200 grams (7oz) crumbled goat cheese or Bulgarian feta
Pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
For the tomato sauce:
2 large cans (520 grams/ 18 oz each) tomato paste
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 flat teaspoon dried basil, or 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar or date molasses (optional)
½ cup water, to dilute the paste
For the bechamel sauce:
½ cup (100 grams) butter
3 tablespoons flour
2½ cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- Prepare the cheese mixture: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Prepare the tomato sauce: In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients together. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water for a runnier sauce that is easy to work with.
- Assemble the lasagna: Line the bottom of the tray with an even layer of lasagna sheets. Pour a third of the cheese mixture on top and spread it evenly. Then, pour a third of the tomato sauce on top and spread it evenly.
- Repeat with the remaining lasagna sheets, cheese mixture, and tomato sauce two more times. Finish with a final layer of lasagna sheets and set aside.
- Prepare the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a small-to-medium-sized pot over medium-low. Add the flour to the mixture and stir until smooth and free of lumps. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Continue to cook and stir constantly until the sauce thickens and begins to bubble, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the béchamel on top of the lasagna in an even layer.
- Bake uncovered until the béchamel is brown and the pasta sheets are cooked through, 35-45 minutes.
**This recipe appears exactly as the family makes it; it has not been edited.
