Kadima, a division of SCA Young Adults, had no problem jumping right into planning-mode as they returned from their trip to Israel. After so many people on the trip sparked a friendship with Mia Schem, they decided as a group that they needed to do something to support Mia and the other hostages’ families. Since Mia divulged her love of cooking to some people in the group, it seemed natural to create an event where she would be able to participate in a way that fostered a beloved hobby of hers, as well as provided much-needed entertainment and joy. It was incredible that Mia was coming to America on a tour to raise awareness about the current hostage situation, as it spurred the group to put together this event from beginning to end in less than two weeks! With community members so fervently donating their time, money and services to the event, they were able to raise the funds and awareness for Mia as well as many other hostage families.
The event, “Chopped,” paid homage to the popular competition show where contestants are given ingredients and prompted to make dishes to be reviewed by the appointed judges. The judges for this event were Ray Tawil, executive chef of the famed “Prept by Ray T,” Joyce Sitt Chabbott who is also known as @joyceishungry on Instagram, and the guest of honor Mia Schem with her family. There were six teams altogether, each a combination of young adult community members with ranging levels of cooking aptitude. Head chefs included Eileen Missry (@kardio_and_kale), Matthew Adjmi, Sarah Maleh (@besteats), Jayne Gindi (@gourmet.byjay), Alfonse Missry (@fonzfiredpizza), and Lauren Setton (@thinkoutsidetheplate). A special thank you also goes out to One Hospitality Group for their assistance with the set-up and the prepared food, without whom the event couldn’t have been.
Rabbi Richard Tobias, Rosh Yeshivah of Barkai Yeshivah High School, kicked off the night with words of Hizzuk, Tehillim and a prayer for the State of Israel. Then, the competition began! Playing off the Israeli theme, teams were prompted to create dishes with some semblance of Israeli fusion, as well as even choosing names that paid tribute as well. Intensity levels ran high throughout the night; teams only had a certain amount of time to complete each of the three courses. All of the attendees watching the event also had the opportunity to donate in order to “sabotage” a specific team — doing anything from forcing the head chef to wear blurry goggles for a few minutes, or even having the whole team speak in Hebrew for an extended period of time. With the hilarious commentary of the night’s MCs Lydia Cohen and Michael Harary, there was not a dull moment!
As the crowd gathered around the judge’s table after each round, the energy was tangible throughout the room. The excitement of the competition coupled with the immense hesed that was being done was awe-inspiring throughout the evening. Before the final round the young adults had the pleasure of hearing from Adela Cojab, member of SCA Advisory Board on Campus Antisemitism. Adela spoke about her experience as a student at NYU, and how her journey resulted in her being the standard for Jewish college students speaking up for their rights on campus. With this bolstering speech, the teams concluded the night with the final dessert round, with Norma Cohen of Norma Cohen Productions and SCA Board Member Bobby Dweck joining in as guest-judges! The competition was close and intense, but the “Hummus Hustlers,” with head chef Matthew Adjmi and chefs Jack E. Ashkenazi, Ray Chappan, Frances Oved and Sarina Shalom, pulled away with the win.
What began as a simple trip to Israel with young adults, quickly turned into something far greater. Kadima has done a superb job in bringing the mission back to America and continuing their strong efforts to support the State of Israel, but it doesn’t end here. We are pleased to announce that the next Kadima Mission to Israel will take place May 13th to 20th, 2024. Join us as we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut in unity with Am Yisrael and help strengthen our nation! For more information contact Cookie Cohen (917) 836-2907 or Richie Bailey (917) 969-8380.
The Kadima division will continue with the theme of moving forward with Am Yisrael in strength and in unity, and is just getting started!
Marlene Levy is a current graduate student at Adelphi University studying psychology, and a graduate of Yeshivah of Flatbush and Yeshiva University. She is committed to continuing her efforts in Israel advocacy at this time.
