About Us

A graduate of Israel's Culinary Institute, Tadmor, Chef Bar-El combined his love of cooking with his wanderlust, traveling the world and working with top chefs in Europe and the United States. It was on his third trip to India in 1996, while studying Buddhism and various meditation techniques, that he met his wife Genine (and their web site designer, Benjamin Venema while motorbiking in Vietnam).

A born and bred New Yorker, Genine (nee Lederberger) is a graduate of yeshiva high school and Columbia University, Barnard College. After obtaining her M.A. in Middle East Studies and working at the Israeli Consulate in New York for several years (in Culture and Press Depts.) she made Aliya to Israel in 1992 and worked as Director of International Relations for the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv for three years.

After traveling together throughout the Far East for a year, Genine and Rony returned to Israel to further their spiritual studies in Safed. Entranced by the magic of mystical Safed, Rony and Genine decided to make their home there, purchasing and renovating (by themselves) an old stone house in Safed's Artist Quarter.

"We had no intention of making our home into a business but within one month of moving in, we were sent our first group - a Reform Rabbi from Scottsdale, AZ was coming to Safed with some of his congregants for a day of study with Rabbi David Zeller, a Carlebach-style Rabbi from Jerusalem who is our friend, and we offered to serve them lunch in our new home. They were so thrilled and we so enjoyed hosting them that we decided to do it more often and it eventually became our business. In fact, Rony missed the birth of our son this past November because he was hosting a lunch for UJA ladies from Colorado and couldn't get away to join me in the labor room! He arrived at the hospital 20 minutes after the baby was born. Oh well. At least the ladies enjoyed their lunch!"

Rony and Genine are blessed with two lovely children, Shir and Menahem Or-El.