Aunique aroma of Israel’s ethnic flavour wafted through Cape Town during two glorious weeks in August. Eight talented, warm and wonderful ethnic cooks; ambassadors of the Women’s Empowerment Programmes from the Beit Shemesh/Mateh Yehuda region, together with two highly- rated professional chefs arrived to treat Cape Town’s generous spirited community to a feast of functions!
We opened our hearts and our homes and we treated our taste buds to a festival of ‘Ethnic Aromas’ in a string of events that emphasised the close connections of the three joint sponsors; Partnership 2000, Bnoth Zion Association WIZO and the Western Province Zionist Council in support of the P2K partnership with Israel concept.
The cooks and chefs were ‘homehosted’ and enjoyed the hospitality and beauty that the Cape offers, while the ‘host committee’ organised a wonderfully successful Gala Dinner in the ‘ethnically — decorated’ Adele Searll Hall at the Wynberg Claremont Synagogue and a popular Community Tea at the Green and Sea Point Synagogue Hall.
Za’atar, saffron, oreganum and fennel flavoured the diverse and varied courses served at the dinner, and cinnamon and honey dominated the flavour of the exquisitely prepared delicacies served for dessert and tea. The meticulously and lovingly prepared mouthfuls were a tantalising treat for all who crowded into the venues for the events.
Anyone who craved the ‘flavour’ of Israel’s diverse and fascinating culinary cuisines was able to experience just that without the effort of air travel.
The cooks, whose backgrounds are rooted in Tunisian, Moroccan and Kurdistani culture, used their expertise to prepare dishes redolent of faraway countries, while the chefs employed their professional skills to ensure that all the best ingredients were sourced and the final results were ‘plated’ as expertly as possible.
Mickey Blumberg, liaison to South Africa for the Keren Hayesod, IUA and Partnership 2000, was the driving force and the mastermind behind this Ethnic Aroma Festival — a very ambitious but hugely successful example of Partnership 2000’s ‘People to People’ project.
Shabbat dinners, prepared by the ethnic cooks and served in the homes of host families, provided a special and meaningful opportunity for Cape Town’s community to enjoy yet another occasion with these talented and conscientious ‘ambassadors of cuisine’, who arrived in Cape Town with enthusiasm and motivation — and left with the love of all those who worked with them and shared their warmth and passion.
The ‘behind the scenes’ activity, preparation sessions and support given by the P2K Beit Shemesh Mateh Yehuda staff and committee contributed to the success of this Ethnic Aroma Festival, which took place in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.
The farewells were not only filled with emotion, but also with a deep sense of gratification at a job well done!
Barbara Flax
