44 | NOVEMBER 14 • 2019 Eretz Symbol of Hope An olive tree was planted at a Jewish winery in memory of a beloved deceased Palestinian worker. I srael’ s Gush Etzion Winery memorialized a Palestinian worker who died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage two weeks ago. A group of Jews and Palestinians joined forces to plant an olive tree, a symbol of peace, in front of the winery. Shadi Assad, 25, from the village Khallet Sakariya in the Gush Etzion region outside of Jerusalem, had worked at the Gush Etzion Winery’ s restaurant for five years as a cleaner. Last month, Assad complained of head pain. He was taken to a medical clinic in Bethlehem, where he was told that nothing serious was wrong. One week later, Assad died of a brain hemorrhage. Following a condolence visit by the winery’ s owner, Shraga Rozenberg, to the Assad family, his colleagues decided to plant an olive tree in his memory. Biblically, the olive tree represents peace and comfort. However, presently, the olive tree is often portrayed in the news as a point of contention between Jews and Palestinians. In Israel, planting trees (usually olive trees as they grow well in hill country) establishes squatter ownership rights on property. This creates a “land grab” between Jews and Palestinians. Assad’ s olive tree is meant to symbolize hope for peace between the clashing cultures. Alongside the tree is a large stone with both Hebrew and Arabic inscriptions. The inauguration was attended by local rabbis, staff, family and friends from both the Jewish and Muslim communities. Following the event, one winery employee wrote, “I don’ t know what peace would be like and how to bring it, but I know that a few hours ago I experienced a moment of peace. I feel the crazy complexity, the anger — but also neighborly and humane feelings.” In a video, Rozenberg and Muhmad Assad, the father of Shadi, sit together and explain their feelings about Shadi and the tree planting. Muhmad said that he witnessed the love that the winery staff had for his son, noting that they cried along with him. Rozenberg shared that he wanted to comfort the family with the memorial. The video ends with both men expressing similar sentiments, hoping for peace in their native languages. UNITED WITH ISRAEL STAFF YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT UNITED WITH ISRAEL Shadi Assad Famed Chef To Help Build Israeli Culinary School NEW YORK (JTA) Michael Solomonov, the award-winning Philadelphia restauranteur, has joined the advi- sory council of an Israeli culinary school set to open in 2021. Solomonov announced he was becoming the inaugural member of the school’ s advisory council at a press conference in New York alongside Lior Lev Sercarz, an Israeli chef involved in the project. Both chefs are working with the Jewish National Fund to cre- ate the Galilee Culinary Institute at Kibbutz Gonen near Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. Solomonov is also working with JNF to build a food and technol- ogy innovation center in the city. The institute and center will cost $29 million to build. The institute will offer a four- year accredited program, and the first class is expected to start in the fall of 2021. “I always felt bad that young men and women in Israel or the region don’ t necessarily have where to go to learn about cooking and the culinary studies. There are a few private schools now, which is great, but not at the scale that I would want it to be,” Sercarz said. Both chefs are born in Israel but based in the U.S. Solomonov has opened several restaurants, and his Philadelphia eatery Zahav was named the best in the coun- try in May by the James Beard Foundation. Sercarz owns La Boite, an upscale spice shop in Manhattan. “We are seeing a renaissance in Israeli food as American din- ers embrace the cultural melting pot of cuisines from my home country,” Solomonov said in a statement. “GCI by JNF will be a new type of culinary school, where budding chefs will work with the unique mix of cultures and cui- sines that can only be found in the north of Israel.”