Cuisines from 12 countries were on the menu at Hebrew Order of David event.
On May 14, some 250 guests gathered at Tiferet Israel for the First Annual International Kosher Food, Wine and Spirits Festival, an evening celebrating kosher cuisine and culture from around the world. Attendees enjoyed culinary offerings representing Texas, England, Thailand, Morocco, the United States, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Israel, Greece, China and Japan, highlighting the diversity of Jewish culinary traditions.
The event was sponsored and hosted by the Hebrew Order of David Shimon Peres Lodge (HOD), a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit fraternal organization founded in 1904. HOD is dedicated to fostering brotherhood, community service and charitable giving, uniting Jewish men in leadership and philanthropy locally and globally.
The inspiration for the festival came from an unexpected encounter during a six-hour flight delay to Israel at JFK Airport. While waiting, HOD member Mark Gardner was approached by the son of a Chabad rabbi, who asked if he would like to put on tefillin and tallis. Though the two men had never met, the simple act created an immediate connection rooted in shared faith, heritage and Jewish identity.
That moment sparked a larger vision: creating a festival where Jewish communities from around the world could come together and share culinary traditions. Having experienced Shabbat dinners and celebrations in Jewish homes from many cultures over the years, the organizers recognized how food serves as an expression of heritage, memory and family tradition. From Moroccan cuisine to Russian, South African, Israeli and American dishes, each table told a story passed down through generations.
In addition to the international culinary experience, the festival featured live entertainment, silent and live auctions, raffles and vendors offering Judaica gifts and jewelry.
Boris Gremont, president of the Shimon Peres Lodge, reflected on the event’s success, saying, “This event was not only a tremendous amount of fun, but it also allowed us to support three outstanding organizations that help people every day. We hope to make next year’s festival even bigger and better.”
Proceeds from the festival will benefit three charitable organizations:
• Hatzalah Judea and Samaria (Rescuers Without Borders), which provides emergency medical services throughout Israel. The organization is currently supporting more than 3,000 children suffering from PTSD related to the Nova Festival tragedy and other war-related trauma, offering both emergency response and long-term psychological care.
• Friendship Circle of Dallas, which empowers volunteers to build meaningful friendships with children and young adults with special needs through recreational, social, educational and vocational programming that strengthens families and promotes inclusion across the Dallas community.
• Mothers Against College Antisemitism (MACA), a network dedicated to combating antisemitism on college campuses across the United States through advocacy, education and direct engagement to ensure Jewish students feel safe, supported and proud of their heritage.
The steering committee was led by Lowell Michaelson, Stuart Rosenfield, Boris Gremont, Mark Gardner, Robert Liener, Rik Katz, Wayne Feldman, Hank Cohen, Tom Levine, Jim Tolbert and Ivan Kahn.
For more information on Hebrew Order of David, go to www.hoddallas.org.
— Submitted by Hebrew Order of David.
