“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.
Adi Gindi-Grinshpon cherishes every moment she spent in the kitchen with her little sister Shahar Gindi. They both became vegan at a young age and loved experimenting with new recipes. According to Adi, their roles in the kitchen usually unfolded like this: Adi would handle the cooking, often guided by her sister’s requests or memories of favorite dishes, while Shahar would sit nearby, watching with admiration. She loved seeing her older sister in action, always impressed by Adi’s cooking skills and the flavors she could create from scratch, never holding back on compliments. “I loved doing everything for her,” Adi says, “and nothing was too much when it came to Shahar.”
Before visiting, Shahar would tell her sister: “I’ll sleep over, but only if the kids are up and you make me something delicious.” Her favorite request was always arayes: pita halves filled with a savory mixture of ground meat substitute, parsley, and chopped onions, and pan-seared. Adi would serve it with baked potatoes, a tangy cabbage salad, and tahini on the side. Just a week before she was killed, Shahar wanted to make the dish herself for her partner, Almog Sarusi. For 40 minutes, Adi guided her over the phone, with Shahar refusing to hang up until she was sure everything turned out just right.
Shahar met Almog during her post-military trip to India. From the very start, there was an undeniable connection. “They were the most beautiful couple in the world,” recalls Adi. “Their relationship was a model of love and respect, filled with genuine affection for one another.”
On October 7, Shahar and Almog were at the Nova music festival with friends when the sirens and rockets began. They managed to contact their families, reassuring them that they were safe and letting them know they were leaving the area, even sharing their location with the family group chat. Not long after, at 7:41 a.m., one of the many calls Adi made to Shahar’s phone was answered, but not by her. In the background, Adi heard her sister’s screams and moans of pain.
Helpless, listening from afar to her sister’s battle for survival and unable to help her, she managed to gather fragments of information about what her sister went through in her last moments. She realized that Shahar’s hand had been seriously injured and Almog, who was by her side, was protecting her, trying to ease her pain. Then the call was cut off. For five days the family didn’t know what had become of Shahar, until they finally received the bitter news of her death.
Almog was kidnapped and taken to Gaza, where he was held captive for nearly a year. In early September 2024, he was tragically murdered along with five other hostages.
Born in 1998 and raised in Holon, Shahar was the youngest daughter of Ronit and Yigal and had two older sisters, Adi and Shani. “Ever since we were little girls, she would come with me everywhere, and every time I left the house without her, I would come back with a little gift for her. We were very close,” says Adi, the eldest of the three, who is 11 years older than Shahar was. Sometimes, Adi adds, she felt not only like a sister and a good friend, but also like a second mother to Shahar. “She was the heart of the house.”
Shahar served in the army as a field observer in the Judea and Samaria division. After her discharge and a trip to India, she began studying psychology, hoping to help others through her work. As part of her studies, she chose to focus on the elderly and would visit nursing homes. In addition, she volunteered at Enosh, The Israeli Mental Health Association, where she continued to support those in need.
“Do good, feel good,” was Shahar’s motto, says Adi, and it was reflected in countless moments of her life. “If she saw a street cleaner working near the house, she would go out to him with a glass of water and a cookie.” A beautiful and intelligent woman, Shahar had a way of drawing people to her. Shahar was also committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and loved sports. Almog, Adi says, was a family-oriented person, much like Shahar, which strengthened their connection. Not long before they were killed, they started planning their wedding.
Adi misses the daily conversations she used to have with her sister. She misses going shopping with her, watching TV together, or even just knowing that the other was there on the other end of the phone while watching the same program, without saying a word. She misses the times when Shahar would come to play with her children, and after putting them to bed, the two sisters would spend time in the kitchen, cooking, eating, and talking.
Did you prepare the dish? Share a photo of it and tag it #A_Place_at_the_Table to honor the memory of the late Shahar Gindi.
Ingredients:
250 grams (8.8oz) vegan ground meat substitute
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large handful chopped parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 pitas, halved
To serve:
Baked potatoes
Tangy cabbage salad
Tahini
- In a bowl, combine the ground meat substitute with the chopped onion, parsley, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, and mix well.
- Fill each pita half with a quarter of the mixture.
- Heat a frying pan and brush with a little olive oil. Place the stuffed pita halves in the pan and sear on all sides, including the open side with the filling.
- Serve with baked potatoes, a tangy cabbage salad, and tahini.
* This recipe stays true to the family recipe, and no modifications were made.
