“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.
“In our family, we express our love through food,” says Ravit Berdichesky, the mother of Itay, who was murdered along with his wife Hadar on October 7 in their home in Kfar Aza. “Every time I would ask Itay what to make for Shabbat dinner, he would tell me: ‘rakott káposzta for me and tomato soup with dumplings for Hadar,” Ravit says with teary eyes. She’s mixing cooked rice, which will soon be arranged in a baking tray together with layers of sauerkraut and meat, and topped with sour cream for the layered Hungarian layered dish. There is a fixed and clear order, which Ravit knows by heart.
When the barrages began on that Black Shabbat, Itay and Hadar still had time to message family members. “Hadar wrote to us at 6:54 a.m.: ‘What fun it is to be stuck with two poopy diapers in the shelter,'” says Ofir, Hadar’s sister. But then the connection with them was severed. When the terrorists entered the young family’s home, they murdered the parents and left their ten-month-old twins Roi and Guy alive. Ravit and the family later learned that the terrorists had left the toddlers in an attempt to create a trap for the forces that would come to rescue them. Several rescue attempts ensued, resulting in injuries to the forces until the twins were finally saved. The mission was carried out by Golani’s 13th Battalion, the same battalion Itay had served as a company commander in.
Itay grew up in moshav Srigim-Li On surrounded by friends who had known him since childhood. As the eldest of four sons, he was adored by his family. Alongside his passion for sports, particularly basketball, food held a special place in Itay’s heart. He enjoyed exploring different cuisines, dining at top restaurants, and experimenting in the kitchen. His mother fondly recalls how he loved to cook — beet risotto was one of his signature dishes.
He inherited his love of food from his father, who was also a cook and passed away about five years ago. “Food isn’t just about satisfying hunger in our home; it’s therapeutic, it’s a source of passion and love,” Ravit reflects. The recipe for rakott káposzta — cherished in Ravit’s recipe box — originated with her grandmother who immigrated from Transylvania. It’s a symbol of home for everyone in the family. Ravit fondly shares, “Whenever I made it, Eran, my younger son, would ask: What’s cooking? It smells like grandma.”
In the recipe box, among the cards that seem to form pieces of the family’s story like a puzzle, the card for Itay’s favorite dish sits alongside the one for tomato soup with dumplings that was his wife Hadar’s favorite. Initially, Ravit would use a spoon to drop the dumplings into the simmering red soup. But, Itay taught her to use a piping bag which made the process easier — a technique she’s stuck with.
Hadar was born and raised in Kfar Aza in a family of six children. Ravit describes her as the female version of her son — smiling, sociable, and bright. She met Itay while he was attending an officer’s course for his military service in Golani. “The first time I met her was at the end of the course,” Ravit recalls. “Suddenly, a beautiful, tall, blonde girl I didn’t know came towards me and hugged me.” When Hadar visited, the house was suddenly filled with light. “Something happened physically in my body, and I knew that this was it. They were 21 at the time, but it was clear to me that this was for life.”
They got married seven years later and built their home in Kfar Aza next to Hadar’s family. From there, Itay also went out to fight during the ‘Tzuk Eitan’ operation in 2014. After the army, he graduated from electrical engineering studies and Hadar got a degree in accounting. In December 2022, the twins Roi and Guy were born. “Beautiful and bright like their parents,” adds Ravit.
Now that their two small children are surrounded by family, Ravit wants to share the dish their father loved with them. But, she’s chosen to wait a bit before making it for them since they are still so little. “But there is no doubt,” she said, “that they have inherited their father’s appetite for food.”
Did you make this recipe? Share a photo of it with the hashtag #a_place_at_the_table to honor the memories of the late Itay and Hadar Berdichesky.
Rakott Káposzta
20x30cm (8×12 inch) baking tray
Time: 1½ hours
For the meat layer:
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red pepper, cut into cubes
500 grams (1.1lb) chicken or turkey shawarma, thinly sliced
1½ tablespoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons salt
For the cabbage layer:
4 tablespoons olive oil
630 grams (1 ½ lb) sauerkraut
1 tablespoon sugar
For the rice layer:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups water
For the topping:
200-400ml (7-13½ fl oz) sour cream
Tomato Soup with Dumplings
Serves 5-7
Time: 1 hour
2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter or margarine
1 heaping tablespoon flour
3 liters (12 ½ cups) tomato juice
2 medium-sized onions, cubed
2 carrots, diced
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
For the dumplings:
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1 flat teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
⅓ cup flour
Rakott Káposzta (Hungarian Casserole):
- Prepare the meat layer: Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt and cook until the pepper softens, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the pan over high heat and add up to 2 tablespoons of oil, if little remains from the peppers. Add the sliced meat, paprika, salt and pepper and fry until the meat is nicely browned on all sides. Reduce to medium heat, add the sauteed vegetable mixture to the pan, mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare the cabbage layer: Drain the sauerkraut and squeeze well. Heat the olive oil in a separate deep pan over medium heat. Add the sauerkraut and sugar and fry while continuously stirring until browned, 15-20 minutes (if the cabbage is not drained properly, this may take longer).
- Prepare the rice layer: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the rice and garlic, mix well and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the water water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 160C (325F).
- Evenly spread half of the rice in the baking tray. Arrange half of the sauerkraut on top in an even layer. Evenly spread all of the meat mixture on top, followed by an even layer of the remaining rice and then the sauerkraut. Finally, add the sour cream and spread to evenly cover.
- Bake in the oven uncovered until golden-brown, about 45 minutes.
Tomato Soup With Dumplings:
- Prepare the soup: Melt the butter or margarine in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and fry while continuously stirring until the flour turns a light brown color.
- Add the tomato juice, mix well, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the diced onion and carrot, season with sugar and salt and mix well.
- Reduce to a low heat and gently simmer until the carrot is soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
- Prepare the dumplings: Beat the egg, oil, salt, and water in a bowl. Add the flour and mix to form a smooth batter with no lumps.
- When the flavors of the soup are balanced, carefully drop half a teaspoon of the batter into the gently simmering soup. Repeat this until the soup is filled with dumplings. Alternatively, transfer the batter to a piping bag, cut off the tip and pipe half-a-teaspoon-sized dumplings into the soup.
- When the dumplings rise and float to the top, cook for 1-2 minutes and serve.
*This recipes appears exactly as the family makes it; they have not been edited.
