“I’ve been eating at Azura since it was a tiny hole in the wall in the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem,” reminisces Adeena Sussman, “when it was still a one-man show run by a man who placed eight pots on top of kerosene burners everyday and served homemade stews and soups, some of which are served in the restaurant to this day.” That man was Ezra Shrefler, who embarked on his culinary journey at 14 as a dishwasher. In 1952, he opened a small workers’ restaurant featuring Kurdish, Turkish, and Iraqi dishes. And by the 1980s, the restaurant expanded to the Iraqi market, with Shrefler’s sons joining in. The menu diversified, incorporating dishes like sofrito (beef and potato stew), kibbeh, and meat-stuffed eggplant. In December 2022, Shrefler passed away at 85, but Azura, a symbol of Jerusalem’s culinary scene and a beloved culinary institution, lives on, influencing chefs far and wide.

Stuffed cabbage and grape leaves, Photo: Noam Preisman

“There is nothing like a lunch at Azura to fill the stomach and satisfy the soul,” concludes Sussman. “This is the perfect place to escape to when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the market.”

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