Back by popular demand!

Join the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater for the second annual Israeli Chef's Table Experience as part of our community Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) celebrations, presented by Avraham and Karen Ashkenazi.

Internationally renowned Chef Moshe Basson will treat attendees to his innovative, authentic Israeli cuisine in an evening under the stars that’s not to be missed. This exclusive three-course kosher dinner will be paired with Israeli wine, sponsored by Bank of America. Founder of Jerusalem’s Eucalyptus, Basson will share recipes from his latest cookbook with the same name. This Israeli food historian blends his agricultural knowledge with his passion for ancient texts to craft a kosher menu inspired by centuries-old regional foods.

About Chef Moshe Basson:

Born in Iraq in 1950, Basson and his family left for Israel in 1951 following a farhud (pogrom) against the Jewish community.  Growing up Basson's family owned a small bakery in the Arab neighborhood of Beit Safafa. In the early 1960s, Moshe planted a eucalyptus seedling in the family's vegetable garden, which inspired the name of the restaurant he opened 25 years later. 

As The Eucalyptus restaurant evolved in the years after it opened in 1986, famous chefs and foodies also found their way there, excited to discover a menu incorporating biblical foods, the Iraqi Jewish kitchen, traditional Arab and Jewish dishes from the Levant. 

Among other achievements, Chef Basson has given cooking demonstrations in Israeli embassies in various countries and was a participating chef in Chefs for Peace, an organization founded in Jerusalem by a group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim chefs committed to exploring cultural identity, diversity, and coexistence through food. You can see Chef Basson in episode four of "Stories of a Generation - with Pope Francis" on Netflix.