A Food Festival Celebrates The Rebirth Of Jewish Life In Berlin
The German capital is experiencing growing Jewish immigration, despite a rise in anti-Semitism. Organizers of the city's first Jewish food festival are hoping it can help foster unity and pride.
Inside a Berlin bookstore on a recent Friday night, an unusual scene unfolded. Thirty people sat around a long table, sharing Israeli-Moroccan dishes like matbucha (a side of roasted red peppers and tomatoes), ptitim (a toasted pasta shaped in little balls) and a modern twist on the traditional challah or egg bread — a vegan one filled with dry fruits, quinoa, herbs and pomegranate juice.
They were celebrating the end of the week and the beginning of a day of rest, known as the Sabbath in Jewish communities. While observant Jews commonly have a Sabbath dinner on Friday nights called Shabbat, many of
