In 2019, the iconic Victory restaurant in Ashkelon shut its doors. The Romanian establishment, a fixture for nearly 70 years, played a significant role during Israel’s era of Romanian workers’ restaurants. Hani Heinik, whose parents Gabriela and Jonathan Heinik owned the restaurant, couldn’t come to terms with its closure. Determined to keep the legacy alive, she left her role as a marketing manager, went through a divorce, found a life partner (Dafi Rotenberg), and together they established Hani’s Victory in her backyard. The initial joy of the customers was contrasted with mixed feelings from neighbors, prompting the couple to relocate to the city’s commercial center after three years.
“At Victory 2.0, Hani and Dafi preserve the charm of traditional Romanian cuisine, serving it on elegant porcelain dishes within a modern vintage ambiance suitable for all ages. The menu boasts iconic dishes from the legendary Victory, such as the revered Romanian kebab, pickled pepper, mămăligă, ciorbă soup, fried brain in garlic sauce, calf’s foot jelly, Romanian eggplant, chopped liver, ikra (fish roe salad), and the delightful papanași dessert, hailed as one of the world’s wonders. In a landscape where ethnic worker restaurants, particularly those from Eastern Europe, are fading away, Hani and Dafi have found a way to breathe new life into them.”

Photo: Noam Preisman

Post-October 7, the name Hani’s Victory gained a poignant significance. On that fateful Black Sabbath, Hani’s brother, Reuven, was tragically murdered in Kissufim. Now, she envisions transforming the establishment into a joyous Romanian Hamara, just as Reuven had dreamt.

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