Houston, We Do Not Have a Kosher Problem
Houston, We Do Not Have a Kosher Problem
February 25, 2016
This is an excerpt of an article written by journalist Jacob Kamaras of JNS.org.
For most of my 29 years, I’ve been spoiled rotten when it comes to kosher food.
Deborah Bergeron, Regional Director – Americans for Ben-Gurion University Greater Texas Region
Then I moved to Houston.
I don’t live in a kosher wasteland, but I was used to Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Teaneck, and suddenly I found myself in a strikingly “ordinary” kosher scene.
Then, on February 22, I attended Houston’s 15th Gourmet Kosher Extravaganza, an annual event organized by the Greater Texas Region of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Seven Houston chefs, six of whom do not usually cook kosher, collaborated as a “culinary dream team” to present a delicious five-course meal at the Westin Galleria Hotel.
So how did an annual Gourmet Kosher Extravaganza come to be in Houston, of all places?
Deborah Bergeron, director of Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s Greater Texas Region, told me that when she took the job over a decade ago, her region “needed a fundraiser.” She had observed a similar fundraiser in Boston that showcased leading chefs.
Event Chair Elizabeth Grzebinski and Event Vice Chair Robin Stein with Seth M. Siegel, author of “Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution to a Water Starved World,” who spoke at the event
The entree at Houston’s 15th Gourmet Kosher Extravaganza, prime rib with sweet potatoes, by Steve Caruana of the Westin Galleria Hotel. Credit: Jacob Kamaras.
“When I originally started calling the chefs, I told them who I was, what I was doing. Nobody returned my calls. So I thought, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to pull this off?’” says Bergeron.
“Then I made another phone call, and I said, ‘This is Deborah Bergeron, and I’m calling about the top six chefs of Houston.’ They all called me back.”
Over the course of 15 years, more than 5,000 guests have been served by 35 chefs at the AABGU-hosted Houston Kosher Extravaganza.
“The chefs give of their time, their effort, their talents, and it’s not easy. They expect nothing in return,” says Bergeron.
Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s Kosher Gourmet Extravaganza proved to me that indeed, Houston, we do not have a kosher problem.
Read the full article on the JNS website >>
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