Long Island Herald

Long Island Jewish Teens Cook to Ease Suffering

A new series of culinary classes is teaching Bellmore-Merrick, NY teenagers how to prepare kosher treats and assist local families in need at the same time.

Circle of Hope, a project of Chabad of Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh, began its monthly “Cooking for Hope” series on March 11.

Since 2012, Circle of Hope has provided emotional support and hands-on help to individuals and their families coping with breast cancer and other illnesses. Coordinator Michele Krebs Moscovitz said that, through this new cooking program, young people will prepare fresh meals and treats for local residents who are ill.

“Cooking for Hope is an amazing opportunity for our community’s teens to come together for an incredible cause,” Moscovitz said. “We hope that the program will enable us to continue our much-needed support for people in our community who are suffering from illnesses.”

Teens learn to cook dishes from soups to kugels and rugelach. Sheri Fisch and Hannah David, of Merrick, lead the monthly classes. At the first session, teens learned to make savory and sweet dishes like gefilte fish and hamantashen, before dropping off the food to families in need.

“A cheerful visit with a home-cooked care package can do wonders,” Moscovitz said.

The next cooking session will be on April 29, with future classes slated for May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 6 and Sept. 9.

Cooking for Hope was launched in conjunction with CTeen, the Chabad Teen Network with a mission to provide a nurturing environment where teens can learn about themselves through giving to others, identify with individuals who share the same faith, and be part of a group that focuses on building core values and stresses positive character development.