Paul, originally from Australia, made Aliya to Israel at the age of 25 and decided to continue doing what he does best—cook. After years of managing kitchens in restaurants and major hotels in the north he made a fateful decision to change directions.
In this article we're pleased to introduce to the Dallas Jewish community Paul Nirens. He will be arriving to Dallas in May as part of the Yom Ha'atzmaut delegation organized by Partnership2Gether, a Jewish Agency project linking the Jewish communities of Dallas and Western Galilee.
Paul, originally from Australia, made Aliya to Israel at the age of 25 and decided to continue doing what he does best—cook. After years of managing kitchens in restaurants and major hotels in the north he made a fateful decision to change directions.
"I'll never forget that moment, because it's hard to forget a single moment that changes your life entirely. It came during the Passover Seder. I was running a hotel kitchen and, during the service, it hit me like a ton of bricks: Here I was in the middle of the traditional Passover Seder and I wasn't sitting at a table with my own family!"
Paul followed through and arrived at a decision in a unique way. He thought about the population of Western Galilee, a melting pot of different populations living side by side. Here in this small part of Israel one finds Christian Arabs, Druze, Muslim Arabs, followers of the Bahai faith and Jews among others. The different communities live in harmony as each preserves its own cultural richness that distinguishes it from the others. It is this collection of distinctive cultures that is Paul's passion.
Based on this insight and his love for the land, food and people of the Galilee, Paul decided to establish the Galil-Eat company which provides the public with the opportunity to enjoy authentic ethnic food in a traditional atmosphere. Paul organizes culinary tours and cooking workshops in the homes of Western Galilee residents from different cultures. Groups take part in cooking workshops and learn about the unique culinary culture of the family hosting the workshop. The most important stage of the culinary journey is the 'getting acquainted' stage, says Paul. The moment people arrive to the home of the host family, the first 20 minutes are devoted to getting acquainted intimately with the family and its unique story. The goal is to generate connections between people from different communities and strengthening the relationship between those communities.
The Dallas Jewish community will be celebrating Israel Week from May 8–15. Paul along with three other chefs from Western Galilee will travel to the Jewish community and celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut by delivering Israel to the plates of local residents. The delegation is arriving under the auspices of the Jewish Agency's Partnership2Gether project, which links the Jewish communities of Dallas and Western Galilee. The Culinary Mission is founded on the understanding that the best way to bring together people from different locations is through the senses—experiencing ethnic dishes and interacting.
"My goal in this mission is to bring Western Galilee to residents of the Dallas community. Strengthening connections through food is my specialty and I'm coming here in order to bring people closer together. I hope that this mission won't be a onetime initiative. I look forward to a similar mission arriving to visit us in Western Galilee—so that we can all enjoy the fruits of this special connection between Dallas and Western Galilee."
~ Paul Nirens>