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.” 

