“It is amazing to see a world-class culinary institute being built from the ground up with contemporary, forward-thinking ideas about what Israeli food can be.”

One of the biggest misunderstandings in the food world has to be Jewish food and how to define it. There are so many biases towards Jewish food, even within the Jewish community. Haber explains, “Outsiders often claim there is no such thing as a Jewish food, and even among Jews, too many think it is no more than the well-known Ashkenazi cuisine”.

Joel Haber is an expert on Jewish Food History, digging deep into culture and lifestyle through what ancestors put on their plates. Joel is a licensed tour guide, food culture journalist, and the author of Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food.

His writing appears on his blog and his new website along with articles in The Nosher, Tablet, Tradition, and The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles). He has lectured extensively in online and in-person venues in multiple countries. His most popular tour is a culinary tasting and history tour in Jerusalem’s famous outdoor market, Shuk Machane Yehuda. Many have also participated virtually, which he pulls off flawlessly. He was born and raised in New Jersey, lived in New York City and Los Angeles, and immigrated to Israel in March 2009.

How did your journey in the food world begin? 

It all started with the tours I run in Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda Market. As I began to dig down into the food's history, it opened up an entire world of Jewish Food History. Also, I had the privilege to know Gil Marks (of blessed memory), who was also an inspiration in Jewish Food History and always willing to answer questions whenever I had any.

From that point, I started to research, write, and lecture on the topic, and I have never looked back!

How do you define Israeli food?

In Israeli food, I see two main elements. The first is a regional cuisine, but that does not mean exclusively Middle Eastern food. Israel sits at a crossroads and thus is part of two different regional cuisines: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. Many of the foods we consume (for example, the “Mediterranean Triad” of grain, olive oil, and wine) are more common with the cuisine of Spain than Iraq. While other foods (e.g. hummus) tie us more to the wider Middle Eastern world.

The second element is the remnants of every culture that lived or controlled this land throughout history. They have all left their fingerprints on the local gastronomy. This goes back to the Canaanites, the ancient Israelites, and the Romans, but you see it more moving forward through the Arab conquest (bringing foods that were different than the pre-existing food that was here) and the later Ottoman period, and even somewhat the British. But most importantly, for contemporary Israeli cuisine, we see the results of “Kibbutz Galuyot,” the return of Jews to Israel from all over the world. Jews are the most globalized nation on Earth, having spread everywhere. And now that Jews from all over are moving to Israel, we bring our foods with us. Therefore, Israeli cuisine blends the foods from tens of different countries that have all been brought together, absorbed into the overall Israeli kitchen, and brought into a massive melting pot that includes numerous fusion foods of those different stopping points around the world.

How can Jewish food evoke emotions? 

Because our most recognizable foods were often prepared for Shabbat and holidays, those foods gain deeper emotional resonance for us. They are not just foods with history; they reflect our history. When we eat Jewish Food, we tie our table to the tables of so many others who came before us from around the world.

What are the misconceptions about Jewish food?

One of the biggest in modern times is that it is synonymous with American Ashkenazi cuisine. I do my best to explore Jewish foods from all Jewish communities worldwide and to expose those to a broader audience that might have only been exposed to Ashkenormative menus.

That being said, I do my best to also “defend” Ashkenazi food against those who put it down as boring or bland, or think of it as monolithic. Ashkenazi food is as diverse as, for example, North African Jewish food. Jews from Poland, Hungary, and Germany ate foods that were as distinct as Jews from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. And a lot of it had a ton of flavor and sophistication!

Why are you excited about the GCI? What do you think will be unique about it?

It is amazing to see a world-class culinary institute being built from the ground up with contemporary, forward-thinking ideas about what Israeli food can be. For kosher-observant students, it is also exciting to have this new option, which may be unparalleled in the culinary world.

If someone wanted to explore Jewish culture. What would be the food, to begin with?

That’s a hard one since Jewish cuisine is so diversified. But I am writing a book exploring the world of Shabbat stews, meaning anything prepared on Friday and slow-cooked through the night to be eaten warm at lunch on Saturday. Because nearly every Jewish community has some version, and because the dish specifically grows out of Jewish religious law (it is a way to eat warm food on Shabbat day without actively cooking), it is arguably the most Jewish food there is. At the same time, each community’s dish is slightly different, showing how diverse and how unified the Jewish people are.

What is it about your tours that people love so much?

Frankly, my passion and personality, combined with my knowledge of the subject. I love Israel, and that comes through. But I also love showing my tourists what is unique and exciting about this country.

What do you wish people knew about Jewish food?

How diverse it is, and how much it has impacted upon, and been impacted by, the cuisines of the cultures we have lived alongside.

What’s a food memory that has significance to you?

It starts with cooking, and I think the first time I remember attempting to make anything of my own was on Thanksgiving. To be honest, I have never really liked turkey. So one year, I had had enough and just walked into the kitchen and whipped up some kind of quick sauce to cover the taste of the turkey and make it more to my liking. I just looked at what ingredients were there and concocted something. I’m not going to say it was great, but I liked it, and more importantly, I enjoyed the process of making it. That dictated my mindset regarding cooking moving forward – experimentation because cooking isn’t delicate! 

What is a fun culinary fact about you?  

I frequently make up my own recipes, and have no fear serving them to guests the very first time I make them. Even if they are not great, I trust that they will be at least good enough.