Our Chefs

Kevork Alemian

The founder and the chairman of chefs for peace's board. The living spirit behind our activity. Used to work in different positions at this Professional domain in a variety of hotels as St. George Landmark hotel and American Colony hotel. On 1991 established the Professional Promotion Hospitality section at Notre Dame of Jerusalem centre. In his last position worked as the assistant for the food & beverage manager of Waldorf Astoria hotel, Jerusalem. Has a special experience in rebuilding restaurants and training the service team. Today he focuses on Chefs for peace activity.

Shamai Mittelman

Vice-chairman of Chefs for peace board. An accountant by training, and a businessman for decades. An amateur and self-taught chef in the fields of cooking and wine. Managed a shared project for the Israeli forum and the Jewish National Fund. The main event took place at Sheraton Tel Aviv with 225 guests. At the end of the project he hosted 36 culinary experts at his home and served as the main chef of the event. His volunteer activities include being a member on the board of the association of friends of the Meir medical center, and he also previously served as an honorary treasurer and volunteer at Al-Sam

Ibrahim Abu Seir

An active member. He is a graduate of Terra Santa School. After getting the diploma in Hotel management studies from Bethlehem University, he worked as the pastry chef of David Citadel hotel and as a pastry instructor at Notre Dame of Jerusalem center. Later he worked as the pastry chef of Yearim and Gordonia hotels in Ma'ale Hachamisha. His family owned an oriental sweets shop and he got the passion for sweets and pastry from his parents' home. Today he is the owner of La Pâtisserie ABU SEIR in the old town of Jerusalem

Moshe Bason

An active member. He is the owner and the chef of Eucalyptus restaurant. He is a wild food activist, a storyteller and an internationally master chef specializing in biblical and Jerusalem Israeli native food cuisine. Moshe's "lend of Israel" cuisine based on the holly bible and collected from the surrounding Jerusalem hills.

Nabil Marcos Aho

A co-founder and a board member. He used to be the head chef instructor and in charge of the culinary arts of food program in Notre dame Jerusalem center. Was an instructor at the institute of hotel management in Bethlehem University. He is a graduate of culinary arts development program, DIT, Ireland. He is also a writer who specialized in food and culinary and published a book about international kitchen & food's glossary terms, in English and Arabic. Today works as a freelancer culinary adviser

Anat Lev Ari

An active member. Luiza catering's founder and co-owner. Has two degrees in economy from the Hebrew university and a graduate of Shenkar's fashion Design Department. Her culinary way started while opening a small business from home, for cakes, dessert and pastries. This business became to be Luiza catering. She believes in working with small local producers and in making a good food through curiosity and courage.

Odeh Abu El Hawa

An active member. Has been the executive chef of Seven arches hotel since 1989 and an instructor at Notre dame of Jerusalem center. Earlier, he was the executive sous chef at Intercontinental hotel, the same place where he started his culinary career as a kitchen apprentice. He has worked through all kitchen organization echelons and today works as a teacher for future chefs in a cooking school in Jericho

Johnny Goric

An active member. Chef of Legacy hotels and an instructor for gastronomy and modern Mediterranean cuisine at the professional promotion hospitality section of the Notre dame culinary school, which he himself graduated with honor. He was the chef of the American consulate, the American colony hotel and Hussein king's palace. He also cooked for Izhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and George Bush. He is the owner and the chef of Onyx restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants in Haifa city

Yaron Vinkler

An active member .Works as a privet chef for gourmet meals and provides culinary tours and workshops. He is also a culinary counselor for several organizations in Israel and overseas. Yaron designed and built Daniella Pasal house's kitchen – a place for art and artists, and Alegra hotel's restaurant, where he also was the chef. His professional resume includes the restaurants Tapuach zahav (chef Israel Aharoni), Refael (Chef Rafi Cohen) and Arkadya (chef Ezra Kedem). He specializes in baking bread, and using local vegetables, fish and seafood.

Haig Berge Hagopian

An active member. An Executive chef and the food & Beverage Manager of the Armenian patriarchate, while managing three major operating kitchens. He was a chef instructor at the Notre dame Jerusalem center. Graduated of four years course from the Hotel and catering institute in Cyprus and also a graduated of California culinary academy.

Hemdat Goldberd

An active member. She is a privet chef and an owner of a catering. Has a degree in Industrial design from Betzalel School. Hemdat started to work in this field but it didn't take a long time until she understood: her place is in the kitchen. She started her culinary way at Shmil catering and become the pastry chef. Later she worked in Mizrahi café, 1868, Rama's kitchen and Sak-kemach. She was a stagier in La Trattoria in Rome and La Rosetta. Then, she opened her own catering.

Amit Cohen

An active member. Luiza catering's co-owner. His culinary way started as a child, while working at his family's restaurant in Mitzpe Massuah. After several years in the IDF as a solider he came back to the same restaurant as a chef. At 2003 he started to work in Luiza catering, as the kitchen's manager. Later, he became co-owner of the carting.

Ahmad Ashayer

An active member. An executive Chef of Ambassador Hotel, Jerusalem. He used to be an executive chef of several hotels as Inter-Continental Hotel, Resort Jericho, National Hotel in Jerusalem and Legacy. Earlier he used to work at Hyatt Regency and Marina Tel Aviv. He is a graduated of Tadmor School. Ahmad was one of the Chefs who were chosen by the Department of State, United States, to participate in the International visitor leadership program: American cuisine and cultural heritage preservation, October 2013.

Nadav Malin

An active member. Luiza catering's chef. His love for culinary start while watching his mother working in the kitchen, as a child. As a growing up he began to work as a cook in Luiza catering. He has a degree in Gastronomic Sciences from the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Italy and a master degree in food business managing from the Basque Culinary Center. He got his experience while working as a cook in Mugaritz restaurant and Mirador de Ulía restaurant. Later, He came back to Israel and to Luiza catering – Now as the chef. Nadav is also the manager of slow food, Jerusalem.

Boaz Cohen

A board member. Privet chef and a Social Worker, who specialized in cook therapy. Boaz started his way as the chef of his family restaurant in Mitzpe Massuah. Later he became the executive sous chef of Luize catering while giving a culinary Consulting to food business.

Mohammad Ashayer

An active member. He is a Sous chef and an executive chef at Waldorf Astoria hotel, Jerusalem. Mohammad used to work also at David citadel hotel and Hilton hotel. He is a graduated of Tadmor school.

Joseph N. Asfour

An active member. An executive chef of Cheese & wine roof top restaurant, Notre dame guest house since 2014, and a culinary arts instructor at the CHA culinary academy in Ramallah since 2015. Got the Master chef diploma and medal from the world master chefs community in London at 2015. served 3 of the holiness Popes: Francis the first, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. He has an experience catering for up to 700 guests and a kitchen management experience for up to 50 employees. Has a real interest of tasting competitors dishes and authentic global foods and if you are looking for someone to write a menu – he is your man, as natural flair at writing menus

Plia Chetner

Chefs for peace's director . Specializes in strategic planning and making dreams come true. Comes from communication, strategy and associations fields. The only one in the organization who doesn't know how to cook but excels at eating